Planning (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations amend the Planning (Fees) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 (“the 1995 Regulations”) which prescribe fees payable to the Department of the Environment in respect of applications made under the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (“the 1991 Order”)

(a) for planning permission for development of land and for approval of matters reserved in an outline planning permission;

(b) for consent for the display of advertisements;

(c) for listed building consent; and

(d) to the Planning Appeals Commission in respect of appeals and applications for planning permission deemed to have been made on an appeal against enforcement notices by virtue of Article 71(3) of the 1991 Order.

The Regulations—

(1) increase the following fees by approximately 10%—

(i) reduced fees, certain fees for deemed applications, for listed building consent and fees for certain statutory authorities (regulation 2(2));

(ii) fees for applications for determination as to the need for planning permission or listed building consent (regulation 2(4));

(iii) fees for applications or deemed application by certain non-profit making organisations and for certain applications for approval of reserved matters (regulation 2(5));

(iv) fees for applications for consent to display advertisements; and

(v) fees in categories 1(A), 2(B), 3(A), 3(B)(ii), 5, 6 and 8(b) of Schedule 1 of the 1995 Regulations. (The remaining fees in Schedule 1 remain unchanged.)

(2) increase the fees for appeals (regulation 2(3)) by 54% to meet the cost of advertising.

(3) revoke paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 1 to the 1995 Regulations which relates to a concessionary fee for an application made by the same applicant, relating to the same site and for the same development, where an original application was lodged not more than 28 days previously.

The general effect of these Regulations will be to increase fee income by approximately 6% overall.