There are different planning fees for England and Wales, and many different application types depending on the work being carried out.

You can use the Planning Portal's fee calculator to work out fees for different kinds of proposal.

Use the fee calculator (England)

Use the fee calculator (Wales)

While every effort has been taken to ensure that the fee has been calculated correctly, the determination of whether a planning fee is correct is the responsibility of the relevant local planning authority, who will check the fee is correct when the application is submitted and validated.

You don't actually need to own land or property to apply for planning permission for it. This means you can apply for permission before deciding whether or not to buy a piece of land.

The following people must be informed about a planning application relating to land or buildings that they have an interest in:

• The owner or all the part-owner/s (if you are not the full owner)
• Any leaseholders with at least seven years' lease remaining
• Any agricultural tenants.

You can contact your local planning authority for pre-application advice or book an appointment with our Planning Guidance Service.

Find out more about pre-application advice.

Deconversion is the process of restoring a previously subdivided house back to its original state as a single property. Merging flats to create a single house may require planning permission, so you should discuss proposals with your local planning authority before starting work.

Read more about converting flats back to a house.

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Maintenance of fascias and soffit boards such as replacement or painting generally does not require planning permission.

However, if you live in a listed building or designated area (conservation area, national park, area of outstanding natural beauty) you should check with your local planning authority before carrying out any work.

Building regulation approval is not normally required for this work, but you should ensure that the ventilation for the building is not impacted.

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The failure to obtain planning permission or comply with the details of a permission is commonly known as a 'planning breach'.

A planning breach usually occurs when:

• A development that requires planning permission is undertaken without the permission being granted - either because the planning application was refused or was never applied for
• A development that has been given permission subject to conditions breaks one or more of those conditions.

If the breach involves a previously rejected development (or the retrospective application fails) the council can issue an enforcement notice requiring you to put things back as they were.

There are statutory time limits for enforcement, these vary based on when the breach took place.

If the breach took place prior to 25 April 2024

• Change of use of a building, or part of a building, to use as a single dwelling house - Enforcement action can no longer be taken once the unauthorised use has continued for four years without any enforcement action being taken
• Operational development relating to building, engineering or mining - Enforcement action can no longer be taken from four years, beginning the date where the operations were substantially completed.

If the breach took place on or after 25 April 2024

• Change of use of a building, or part of a building, to use as a single dwelling house - Enforcement action can no longer be taken once the unauthorised use has continued for ten years without any enforcement action being taken
• Operational development relating to building, engineering or mining - Enforcement action can no longer be taken from ten years, beginning the date where the operations were substantially completed.

Other time limits:

There is no time limit for enforcement on breaches of planning control relating to relevant demolition.

For any other breach of planning control, ten years beginning with the date of the breach. This predominantly applies to changes of use.

Read more about breaches of planning control and lawful development certificates on Planning Portal.