28 January 2026 Dan Foster - Director & Chartered Town Planner
With the granting of Royal Assent for the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 on 18 December 2025, the door has been opened for a significant shift in how planning application fees are set across England.
Among the key provisions is a move towards localised fee setting, allowing Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to determine their own planning charges - subject to strict cost recovery limits.
Currently, planning fees are set nationally, with no flexibility for LPAs to reflect local variations in service costs. The Government’s rationale is simple: by allowing authorities to set fees that better reflect local circumstances, planning departments will have the resources they need to deliver a more efficient and responsive service.
To ensure LPAs do not gain autonomy, the system will include controls to ensure fairness and transparency. Fees will not be permitted to exceed the cost of processing applications, and all income will be ringfenced for planning functions such as development control, enforcement, and listed building consent. The Secretary of State will retain powers to intervene if fees are considered too high, too low, or unjustified - helping to prevent authorities from using pricing to deter development.
Further detail will follow through secondary legislation. The changes are expected to be rolled out in phases during the course of 2026 and will outline how benchmarking and cost recovery will be standardised across the country and how the 'national default fee' will interact with local variations. Work by the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) will inform this process, helping to define a model for transparent, evidence-based local fee setting.
If implemented effectively, localised fees could result in better-resourced planning departments and potentially faster decision-making. However, developers will want reassurance that higher fees translate into genuine service improvements. The introduction of surcharges for statutory consultees - another provision in the Act - will also be closely monitored to ensure that increased costs lead to better performance.
Localised planning fees mark a major policy change for the sector. The principles of cost recovery and transparency are welcome, but the success of the system will depend on how consistently they are applied. For now, applicants and consultants alike should keep a close eye on the upcoming consultations taking place and any emerging guidance on how fees will be calculated, reviewed, and justified.
If you are considering the development potential of a site, Salmon Planning + Architecture are well placed to help with expert planning advice and in-house specialist architectural services.
With offices across the Southwest in Somerset and Devon, please do not hesitate to make contact to discuss the issues discussed above on 01749 671500 or by email info@salmonplanning.co.uk
5.0 rating of 17 reviews
Excellent all round service from Nigel and his knowledgeable and experienced team. I have recommended them to many people in the past and will continue to do so in the future as they listen, understand and work with clients to deliver achievable results.
The Salmon Planning Team assisted me with an assessment of development potential in the Conservation Area of a rural Oxfordshire village. The advice I received was extremely helpful both in its decisiveness and clarity and backed up by a very useful written report. I would be happy to recommend the company for those looking for a very experienced and professional planning-led team. I wish I had contacted a planning-led architectural firm first off rather than having expensive plans drawn up by an architect and then refused by the Local Authority! It would have been a much cheaper exercise.
Salmon Planning have secured planning permission for me for both holiday lodges and a new build pub and restaurant as well as for a new dwelling. The Salmon Planning team’s skill at handling complex planning applications and securing successful outcomes has been excellent. I would happily recommend their planning and architectural design teams.
Excellent end-to-end experience and advice for our listed property in Brighton. Would highly recommend
I have found Salmon Planning to be a well-run, professional planning company who have always strived to go above and beyond to help their clients achieve their objectives.I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone.
I’ve been using Dan Foster and his team for over 2 years now on my property developments, the level of service, support, and professionalism of each member forever seems to impress! They have saved me many times, highlighting (potentially expensive) issues I had missed and always listen to my ideas and questions with great patience . I cannot recommend this company more highly , if you need reliable advice/designs from a team for your projects definitely give Salmon Planning a call. They will tell you everything in black and white and explain all you need to know regarding the complete planning process from start to finish.
Dan and the rest of his team at Salmon Planning were consumate professionals, dealing with every aspect of a sensitive, high profile, listed, town centre development, in a conservation area. Always available for every question I had … and I had a lot.I would, without a doubt ,call upon them for any future planning projects and would have no reservation whatsoever in recommending. Unquestionably 5 star - thank you.
I regularly contact Nigel Salmon for information and advice. He, and his colleagues, are always friendly and rapidly provide excellent advice and services. As a Chartered Surveyor myself, I appreciate the professionalism of this firm.
We worked with Dan and Matt at Salmon Planning Company to secure planning permission for a double garage, workshop, and gym/yoga room. From start to finish, they were incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. Their advice on both the planning and design stages was excellent, and they made the whole process smooth and stress-free. Highly recommend their services!
Prompt, professional and client-focused. Would highly recommend Salmon Planning, thank you!
I was extremely pleased by the service provided by Dan Foster at Salmon Planning Company. He provided advice in relation to securing planning approval for the conversion of a barn to a residential annexe, leading to a swift and successful outcome. His advice was timely, thorough and well reasoned and his effective communication with the planning authority led to an outcome which would not otherwise have been likely. The support provided proved to be money well spent.
We had the pleasure of working with Matt and Dan from Salmon planning recently. They dealt with our planning application for a wrap around kitchen extension from idea to submission. They listened and came up with very helpful input. They are a useful mix of knowledgeable, practical and creative. They made the process straightforward, seamless and enjoyable. They dealt with all the laborious paperwork and liaised with other relevant bodies, leaving us to just contribute to the ideas and design. They are both extremely amiable and a pleasure to deal with. The process was affordable and I feel I got great value for money. Use them, you will be pleased you did.
I was very pleased with the services and advice provided by Salmon Planning. I also thought the in-house architecture / drawing service worked well - saving costs, time and generally making things far more efficient. We managed to easily secure consent for something that I thought might be fraught with issues. Nigel is also very well informed on local / Somerset matters. Highly recommend!
It has been a real pleasure working with Matt and the team at Salmon Planning + Architecture. Throughout the process they have been consistently professional, prompt to respond, and genuinely helpful at every stage. A great team to work with, which I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
