Changes to planning process

23 December 2015

The Environment Department will be streamlining its planning process and increasing the fees for planning and building applications and appeals from January 2016.

In response to public feedback, the Department has established a small team of planning and technical officers at the front desk at Planning and Building at South Hill, in order to make it quicker and easier for members of the public to apply for planning permission. These officers are able to answer queries and provide tailored advice to the public at any time during office hours.

The Department is also introducing new forms and guidance notes to make it more straightforward for householders to make an application to alter their home. Currently, people have a choice of 11 different forms and four different sets of guidance notes. From January 2016, householders will be able to collect one form and one set of guidance notes focused solely on household-scale alterations. The notes will be simpler and clearer, detailing the requirements for submitting an application for changes to their homes.

Cost of making an application to rise

Changes have also been made to the fee schedule that sets out the costs of a planning application. The fee schedules have also been streamlined and include clearer, better explanations on how planning fees are determined.

The cost of making a planning and building application will rise in the New Year by 1.5 per cent. This rise is expected to cover the annual cost of operating the new planning appeal system.

The cost of making an appeal against a planning or building decision will also rise in line with the approved Medium Term Financial Plan and the fees agreed by the States when the appeal system was approved in 2013. The increased appeals fees will be a more accurate reflection of the time involved in considering appeals and will contribute to the costs, including the inspectors’ estimated fees and expenses.

A new building control fee will be introduced for houses with a floor area of more than 200 square metres. This reflects the higher costs associated with processing large single house applications.

The majority of other Department of the Environment’s fees and charges will remain at 2015 levels.