Charges for Planning Applications submitted directly to the Council
£53.00 + VAT (£10.60) Proposed charge for Cannock Chase District Council
Why we are introducing this charge
Where an application is not received through the planning portal or similar routes, the Council bears the upfront cost of preparing the application file and uploading details to public access. A postal or directly submitted application requires officer time to scan and prepare the documents to an appropriate format and forward the information onto the Validation team which are additional tasks that are normally undertaken by the planning portal.
Invalid planning application charges
From November 2024, we will apply an extra administrative charge for applications that are invalid on submission.
It is vital that you ensure your application is correct before you submit it to the Planning Portal. If it is not correct, we will contact you to let you know why.
At this point, you can either withdraw your planning application which will mean we will let the Planning Portal know to issue you a refund, less a 10% administration charge, or you can pay a fee to us to help you correct your application so that it can be made valid.
The invalid administrative charging rates are as follows:-
Fee type Cost
Householder £52 +VAT (£10.40)
Minors £78 +VAT (£26.00)
Small Majors £104 +VAT (£20.80)
Majors £156 +VAT (£52.00)
The Validation Team allow 28 days for the submission of information requested in order to validate an application. If the information is not provided the application will be returned as invalid. In such cases the application fee will be refunded to you minus a 10% administration charge.
Why we are introducing this charge
We're introducing this charge because we currently receive a high number of invalid planning applications. It is the responsibility of an applicant (or their planning agent) to make sure all details are accurate and correct before they submit a planning application.
We provide all the information you need to prepare a valid planning application in our online validation checklist. We also offer a pre-application service for applicants who need planning advice.
We expect all applications to be valid on submission, and we are only responsible for assessing and making a decision on planning applications. When we receive an invalid planning application, we have to identify any information that is missing or is wrong and tell the applicant what they need to do to make the application valid. This is an avoidable and time-consuming process which is a cost that the Local Planning Authority has to absorb. In view of current financial pressures this cannot continue. For this reason, an administration charge under section 93 of the Local Government Act 2003 has been put in place for cost recovery purposes. The proposed costs are in line with the provisions within the Act in that it is seen as reasonable and do not generate profit.
Charges for Public Footpath Diversions
The public footpath diversion order process is complex and lengthy. It involves extensive consultation and advertisement. Planning Officers are required to check applications, prepare an electronic file and liaise with Legal Services. The officer will also carry out site visits, erect notices, carry out inspections at the initial stage and following completion of works to ensure compliance. These fees will be introduced to recover the costs of Planning Officer support.
£445.00 + VAT (89.00) Charge for Cannock Chase District Council.