I’ve been nominated to pay for a planning application, but the fees are changing
Because nominations and payments take time to complete, there will be cases where the application fee changes between the point it is originally calculated, and the point when the application is received by the local authority, who will then check the fee is correct.
This can mean that if payment for an application is not completed (i.e. received and cleared by Planning Portal) before the fee changes, then a different fee may need to be paid, even if the payment process has already started (e.g. a nomination has been made, or a bank transfer initiated).
How to avoid the issue – Ensure payment is completed before the fees change
If you've been nominated to make a payment, you may wish to discuss this with the person who is making the application so they can complete their actions and nominate you to pay in plenty of time.
Alternatively, ensure that you are aware of what the new fee will be1, and account for this in your project costs so there are no surprises when the payment request arrives.
If you are making payments close to the deadline
If the application fee is below £1,000, a card payment is the quickest way to complete payment.
If you cannot pay by card, consider using the ‘faster payment’ method of bank transfer to best ensure the payment reaches us quickly and can be cleared before the 5pm deadline on 31 March.
We will do our best to clear all payments received prior to the fees changing, but we cannot guarantee this, as we are not in control of when each payment will arrive in our account.
View more information on payment processing times2.
If the deadline is missed
The payment will be cancelled, so please do not attempt to pay using an old email link.
The person who made the application will need to open it, recalculate the fee, and restart the payment and submission process.
If they nominate you to pay again, you will receive a new nomination email for the updated amount. This can be actioned as normal.
If you have any queries on the progress of your payment or the process to ensure the correct amount is paid after the fees have changed
First, please check your emails (including spam/junk folders) for any notifications from us on the status of your payment or any required actions.
Please also check with the person who made the application, as they will also be receiving similar emails from us.
We send email notifications at every key point in the process, so if you haven’t had one to say the payment has been received, or the application submitted, then the likelihood is that it’s not been.
We also send more specific emails regarding any actions resulting from a fee change, so you or the person who made the application may have received one of these.
If you still need help, please visit our help pages3 and/or contact out support team4.
- https://ecab.planningportal.co.uk/uploads/forthcoming_english_application_fees.pdf
- https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/help/faq/applications/payment/how-long-does-it-take-for-my-payment-to-reach-the-lpa
- https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/help
- https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/help/contact-the-planning-portal