Planning Fees Are Rising and you now need to get your submission right first time!

Written By David Wright

Planning fees are increasing from today (1 April 2026).

That’s getting a lot of attention and rightly so.

However, it’s not the most important change happening today; your planning application is no longer just a submission. It is your appeal case too!

Planning Fees Are Increasing from April 2026

From 1 April 2026, planning application fees in England will increase by 3.8%.

That might not sound huge on its own, but it’s part of a bigger shift. From now onwards fees will now increase every year in line with inflation.

In practical terms:

  • Householder applications will increase slightly (around £20 in most cases)

  • Small residential schemes (1–9 units) will also see an uplift per dwelling

  • Council will no doubt argue fees are based on when your application was valid not when you press submit.

Either way planning has become a little bit more expensive as of today.

But cost isn’t the real issue. The real issue is risk.

The Bigger Change: Appeals Are Being Rewritten

From 1 April 2026, the way written representation appeals are handled is changing.

And this is the part most people haven’t clocked yet.

Under the new system:

  • Appeals will follow a simplified process

  • No new evidence can be submitted at appeal stage

  • Decisions will be made based on what was submitted with the application

Let that sink in.

You don’t get to strengthen your case later.
You don’t get to fix gaps.
You don’t get a second bite at the cherry.

What you submit is what you’re judged on — full stop.

What This Means in Practice

This fundamentally changes how planning should be approached.

In simple terms:

  • Your planning statement becomes your appeal statement

  • If key reports are missing, you can’t add them later

  • If your policy case is weak, it stays weak

  • If the scheme hasn’t been properly thought through, it will show

The old approach of: submit, negotiate, fix at appeal - doesn’t work anymore.

Because the appeal is now just a review of what you already submitted.

Planning Has Changed — It’s Now About Building a Case

For years, there’s been an element of “we’ll deal with that later” in the system.

That’s gone.

Planning is no longer about just getting an application in.
It’s about building a case from day one.

That means:

  • Understanding policy properly (local plan + NPPF)

  • Identifying risks early

  • Anticipating objections before they happen

  • Putting forward a clear, structured planning balance

In other words, thinking like a decision-maker, not just an applicant.

Why This Matters Even More in Cumbria

If you’re developing in Cumbria, this shift is even more important. I often say that it is harder to secure planning quickly in Cumbria than elsewhere in the UK.

However, with my glass being half full, that is partly due to how helpful planners can be in local government in Cumbria. They want to work with applicants and get things resolved not just refuse as quickly as possible which can be the case elsewhere in the country.

Despite Cumbrian planners helpfulness, if my glass is half empty, I might highlight that in Cumbria we’re already dealing with:

  • Under-resourced planning departments

  • Delays in decision making

  • Insane delays in section 106s

  • Authorities struggling to demonstrate a 5-year housing land supply in parts of the county

  • Increased pressure on officers to make robust decisions quickly

Therefore you could argue a less negotiated planning application process will relieve the pressure on planning officers and lead to more refusals. If this happens appeals might be lost as the information submitted up front wasn’t robust enough.

How Fell Path Approaches Planning Applications

At Fell Path, we don’t just submit planning applications we prepare planning cases from the outset, even when going for pre app. I would recommend pre app when a client has time and I think it is even more crucial now as, if you’re in a rush, not going for pre app could be counter intuitive. Fellpath also focuses on not just securing planning permission but securing a planning permission that is viable and will actually get built.

The goal is not to just secure planning permission but secure getting it built!

Summary

Planning fees are going up. That increases the cost of getting it wrong.

But more importantly, the system itself is changing.

From April 2026:

  • You won’t be able to fix your application at appeal

  • You won’t be able to introduce new evidence

  • You won’t get a second chance to make your case

Planning isn’t a two-stage process anymore.

Your application is your appeal.

If you’re thinking about submitting a planning application and want to make sure it’s right first time, get in touch.

At FellPath, we’ll give you a clear path to planning permission.

David Wright