FOI release

Planning application fees

Case reference FOI2025/00916

Received 4 June 2025

Published 4 September 2025

Request

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:

1. Please provide a breakdown of how the additional income generated from the increase in planning application fees introduced on 6 December 2023 has been allocated or spent. Where possible, please specify the services or functions supported and the amount allocated to each.

2. Has the additional income generated from the planning application fee increase introduced on 6 December 2023 been used exclusively to support the delivery of the Local Authority’s planning function?

3. What percentage of residential planning applications (minor and major), submitted after 6 December 2023, have resulted in an agreed extension of time?

4. What percentage of residential planning applications (minor and major), submitted after 6 December 2023, have resulted in fee refunds under the Planning Guarantee?

Response

1. All planning fees cover, but do not exceed, the actual cost to determine each planning application. The income received from planning applications is required to be ringfenced and retained for investment into our planning function only, to ensure delivery of an efficient planning service.

2. Yes.

3. 25%

4. Unfortunately, we do not hold this information in a searchable format.

Documents

There are no documents for this release.

This is Guildford Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.

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