Planning fee increase won’t improve system

The UK government’s proposal to raise planning application fees in England from April 2025 is unlikely to improve local authority (LA) planning services, according to the Mineral Products Association (MPA).

The increase, expected to generate an additional £50 million annually, is intended to fund quicker and more efficient planning processes. However, concerns have been raised that the extra income won’t be ring-fenced for planning departments and will instead be absorbed into other areas of local government budgets.

Mark Russell, executive director for environment and mineral planning at MPA, says the plan is flawed: “The suggestion from MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) that raising planning fees will enable local authorities to provide a quicker, better service is naïve and completely ignores the fact that there is no guarantee this income will be invested in planning services.”

The MPA is warning that without dedicated funding, under-resourced planning departments will continue to struggle, impacting key sectors. “Without planning consent to extract, produce and transport construction materials, government ambitions for housing and infrastructure could be restricted,” Russell added.

Planning delays are frequently cited as a major obstacle to investment and growth. The MPA believes that failing to invest in planning teams is a missed opportunity, not just for the mineral products industry but also for the wider UK construction and manufacturing sectors.

The government claims the fee increase will improve services, but Russell remains sceptical: “Without safeguarding the money for planning departments, we have zero confidence that there will be any noticeable improvement.”

The MPA continues to advocate for targeted investment in planning teams to ensure they can deliver the quality and speed of service required to support the industry and the UK economy.