New Planning Fee Regulations in Northern Ireland: What You Need to Know

In a move to align planning fees more closely with inflation and departmental standards, the Department of Justice (DoJ) has introduced the Planning Fees (Deemed Planning Applications and Appeals) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025. This update is set to adjust the costs associated with planning appeals and applications, following a lengthy period without changes.

What's Changing?

The Planning Appeals Commission (PAC), an independent body responsible for handling appeals on planning and environmental issues, will see a fee increase of approximately 19%. This adjustment aims to bring the fees in line with those set by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), considering the inflation rates since the last update in 2016.

Background

The PAC, administered by the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS), has not seen a fee update since the 2015 Regulations, despite incremental changes in DfI's fees. The new regulations consolidate previous uplifts of 1.99%, 12.3%, and 4% that have been progressively applied since 2019.

Consultation and Impact

A targeted consultation was conducted from October 28, 2024, to January 3, 2025, to gather public input on the proposed fee increases. Interestingly, no feedback was received, indicating either a consensus or a lack of concern among stakeholders.

The DoJ has confirmed that the changes will not adversely affect any equality groups, and a regulatory impact assessment was deemed unnecessary as there is no significant effect on businesses, charities, or the voluntary sector.

Financial Implications

The fee hike is designed to help cover the running costs of the NICTS and adjust for inflation over the years. This move is expected to make the financial framework of planning appeals more sustainable and reflective of current economic conditions.

Compliance and Legislative Context

The new regulations comply with section 24 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, ensuring they meet all legislative requirements. There are no EU implications, nor are there any parity or replicatory measures with other regions.

In summary, these amendments aim to modernize the financial aspects of planning appeals in Northern Ireland, ensuring they are fair, up-to-date, and adequately reflect the economic environment.