News

New fee for planning applications

August 03, 2012

Householders must now pay for pre-application advice for any home extensions after the borough council’s executive members approved a new fee.

At the executive meeting at the council’s offices in Shute End last Thursday, members unanimously approved a flat rate fee of £75.

Councillor Keith Baker, executive member for highways and planning, said the change followed the lead of other authorities. Cllr Baker said: “We are the last authority in the area to introduce the fee.

“At the moment we are providing applicants with advice that would cost at a planning consultant.

“Why should we do that for free?

“There is evidence from surrounding boroughs that the quality of the eventual product is much better and there’s less chance of it having to come back again.

“There is also a considered opinion that if things are free people don’t value it as much as if they have to pay.”

Cllr Charlotte Haitham Taylor questioned whether the added charge could discourage smaller applicants from taking up the service.

The council estimates it could raise £270,000 in revenue from the fees over the next three years.

The money will be reinvested into the development management service, helping address demand and developing an improved level of service.

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Most recent user comments 8 of 8

PoneRana... It does not matter whether or not it is in writing because it is advice and not a sure thing!!! Soo you can go through all this and still get it rejected by the Planning Committee which would be annoying if you wanted to get the development started quicky. I too would like to know if the money gets refunded upon failure. After all the provider of the advice and planning committee advisor are probably sitting next to each other!!

Stig2, Wokingham
10/08/2012 at 12:08

Can we assume that if someone pays for preplanning advice and the application is subsequently rejected specifically as a result of following that advice, they can expect both the £75 and the cost of the planning application to be refunded.

I assume that for £75 the advice will be given in writing rather than just verbally as at present.

PoneRana, Wokingham
08/08/2012 at 23:08

As I understand it.... Even if an applicant pays the £75 fee to WBC it does not mean it will get passed by the Planning Committee!!

Stig2, Wokingham
03/08/2012 at 23:04

Surely a lie Councillor Baker. The Council have refused to give any pre-planning advice to householders wishing to clarify if it is worth the cost to them of putting in a planning application. Instead the Council reguired them to meet the cost of an application in any event. Now they go a step further. The whole planning process has moved from user friendly to residents over the past 10 years to an adminstratively bureaucracy unrelated to the quality of the decision making. As he says, Councils now consider themselves just a competing business, out ot make more money and grow.

Old Man in the Moon, Woodley
03/08/2012 at 14:46

Agree with Tonk's last comment, this is already paid for.

(Only disagree with the sentiment that some people 'that like to be called officers' - they really don't, and are often as disillusioned, powerless and annoyed as the rest of us. it's not an officer who makes a decision, it's their bosses. once the department heads tell them what to do. After the executives have told them what to do. After a councillor phones-up.)

Damiano_Tommassi, Wokingham
03/08/2012 at 13:46

I would also like to point out that those that like to be called officers, rather than council employees, are already paid through the rip off tax.(council tax) This means the advice is already charged for and no one is, in effect, providing that service for free. This "new fee"(stealth tax) to "bring us in line with other local councils" is just another tax designed to provide our council with yet another revenue stream.

Tonk, Wokingham
03/08/2012 at 12:54

Do you know who said "If you're good at something, never do it for free"?

The Joker...... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYMnAUGFuG0

Woky Local
03/08/2012 at 12:05

Another stealth tax. No council tax rise but, green waste and other new fees and increases to existing fees and charges; a council tax rise in all but name. Cue the cozy club's response of "I don't use that service so why should I subsidise it for others?"

I get sick and tired of politicians trying to justify such things by saying others are doing it....As my Mum used to say to me if I said I too did something wrong or silly just because someone else did it......If Billy put his head in a gas oven, would you do it too?

Tonk, Wokingham
03/08/2012 at 10:59

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New fee for planning applications

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