Planning Portal

 
  2. Frequently Asked Questions
  3. FAQ - Online Applications - Payment and Submission

FAQ - Online Applications - Payment and Submission

Please see the list below for answers to frequently asked questions regarding payment and submission on our online application system:

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How much does a planning application cost?

The fee associated with a planning application depends on the type and scale of the development.

In England, for a typical householder application the cost is £150, while a Lawful Development Certificate costs £75.

In Wales the cost of typical householder application is £166, while a Lawful Development Certificate is £165.

There is a range of exemptions and reductions are available depending on the circumstances.

Find more about application fees.

You can also use the Planning Portal's fee calculator to work out fees for different kinds of proposal.

While every effort has been taken to ensure that the fee has been calculated correctly, the determination of whether a fee is correct is solely the responsibility of the relevant local planning authority.

The fee calculator on the Portal will calculate a fee based on the information you enter. When you submit an application, the fee will be checked by the local planning authority and they will confirm whether the fee is correct.

Note there are different calculators for England and Wales.

Please contact your local planning authority if you have any doubts about the fee or if you require further information about matters specifically related to your proposal.

The local authority will also confirm the amount payable on submission of your application.

You can find contact information for your local planning authority here.

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How do I make an online payment for my planning application?

You can pay for your planning application online by completing the following steps:

  1. Calculating a fee on the Fees tab and click the Confirm button once you have confirmed with the local planning authority this is the correct fee.
  2. Click on the payment tab and choose one of the payment options. If the local authority you are applying accepts online payment then select 'Secure Online payment by credit/debit card' and click Next. This will then confirm an online payment is due.
  3. Click Next to be redirected to the local planning authority’s payment page where you will need to enter relevant payment details.

Once you have completed your online payment you will be redirected to the Planning Portal to submit your application to the local planning authority.

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What should I do if there is a problem with my online payment for an application?

Many LPAs provide online payment systems for applications made on the Planning Portal.

When you make an online payment, the Planning Portal calculates the fees and then provides access to the relevant authority’s payment system.

If the payment is successful, the authority’s payment system sends a successful response to the Planning Portal, which will then mark the Payment section of the application as complete.

If you have paid online but the payment section does not show as complete, there may have been a problem with the payment process.

If this occurs, please contact the relevant authority to tell them what happened, they will be able to check if your payment was successful and if not, recommend what action you should take.

The Planning Portal is not responsible for authorities’ payment systems and is therefore unable to resolve any issues with your individual payment or the payment system in general.

To complete the Payment section, you can always change the payment type to cheque payment (but not send a cheque off if you have already paid).

Or you can recalculate the fee on the Fee Calculator to £0.00 using the Exemptions option.

However, you should contact the LPA directly about the best option for submitting your application and to ensure this is acceptable, otherwise they may not validate your application.

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Do you pay VAT on planning application fees?

VAT is not payable on fees for planning applications because they can only be issued by Government.

In contrast, VAT is payable on fees for Building Regulations approval.

This is because approval under the Building Regulations can be issued by either local government (LABC) or a commercial independent approved inspector.

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My application isn’t displaying the latest saved information

If you find that the information relating to your applications appears incorrect your computer may be recalling or ‘caching’ earlier versions of those pages.

Some of the problems that can result from this caching issue include:

  • Information you have entered on your form is not displaying
  • Forms section displays as ‘Incomplete’ even when it has been completed
  • Documentation you have added is not displaying on the Supporting Docs screen
  • My Applications list is not showing an accurate list of your applications
  • You receive a 'Not Ready' message when trying to submit the application, even though all sections are 'complete'

If you are affected by any of these issues, you should delete your cache and temporary internet files. Read the instructions below to find out how to do this on a range of web browsers.

If you are using Internet Explorer on a Windows PC, the quickest way to ensure you are seeing the most up-to-date information is by pressing CTRL+F5. Otherwise, please follow the instructions below:

To delete the temporary internet files and ensure pages are refreshed every time when called up:

Internet Explorer 6

  1. Click "Tools," then "Internet Options."
  2. On the "General" tab, in the "Temporary Internet Files" section, click the "Delete Files" button.
  3. Select "Delete Cookies."
  4. Click "Close."
  5. Close the window.

Internet Explorer 7

  1. Click ‘Tools’ then ‘Delete Browsing History’
  2. In the ‘Temporary Internet Files’ section, click on ‘Delete Files’ and select ‘Yes’
  3. In the ‘Cookies’ section, click on ‘Delete Cookies’ and select ‘Yes’
  4. Click ‘Close’
  5. Close the window.

Internet Explorer 8/9

  1. Click 'Safety', then 'Delete browsing history'
  2. In the 'Delete browsing history' menu make sure 'Preserve Favourites website data' is NOT checked.
  3. Check 'Temporary Internet files', 'Cookies' and 'Form data' (the other fields can be checked /unchecked as you wish)
  4. Click 'Delete'

Safari 3-5

  1. Open Safari.
  2. Select ‘Empty Cache’
  3. Click ‘Empty’ on the ‘Are you sure?’ message
  4. Select ‘Preferences’ then the ‘Security’ tab, ‘Show Cookies’. ‘Remove All’

Firefox 2 for PCs

  1. Click ‘Tools’ and select ‘Options’
  2. Click the privacy icon
  3. In the cookies section, click ‘Show Cookies’ and then ‘Remove All Cookies’
  4. In the ‘Private Data’ section, click on ‘Settings’ and make sure the box next to ‘Cache’ is checked before selecting ‘OK’
  5. Click on the ‘Clear Now’ link
  6. Close the window

Firefox 3 for PCs

  1. Click ‘Tools’ and select ‘Clear Private Data’
  2. Make sure that ‘Cache’ and ‘Cookies’ are selected
  3. Click on ‘Clear Private Data Now’
  4. Close the window

Firefox 2 for Macs

  1. Click ‘Tools’ and select ‘Clear Private Data’
  2. Make sure that ‘Cache’ and ‘Cookies’ are selected
  3. Click on ‘Clear Private Data Now’
  4. Close the window.

Firefox 3 for Macs

  1. Click ‘Tools’ and select ‘Clear Private Data’
  2. Make sure that ‘Cache’ and ‘Cookies’ are selected
  3. Click on ‘Clear Private Data Now’
  4. Close the window

Note: If you do not have access to amend the settings as above, you may need to contact your IT department to request that your cache is cleared.

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See also

 

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