Planning AmendmentsFrom £295
How much does a planning amendment cost in London?
A planning amendment in London costs our fixed £295, with no VAT charged, and the council's fee depends on the route: £46 for a non-material change to a householder permission, £89 for a section 73 variation and £548 if the change needs a new application. The most useful thing we do is tell you which one you are in before you pay.
The short answer: our fee plus whichever council fee applies
Our planning amendment fee is £295. We compare the approved drawings with what you now want to build, tell you which route fits, redraw the change with the differences clearly marked, complete the application form and submit it as your agent, replying to the officer.
The council's fee turns on the route. Non-material changes to a planning permission cost £46 where the application relates to householder development, and £309 in any other case. Removing or varying a condition under section 73 costs £89 for a householder application and £608 in any other case that is not major development. A new householder application is £548.
- Compare with the approval
The approved drawings are set against what you now want to build.
- Pick the route
A small change is a non-material amendment, a change to conditions is a variation, and a bigger change is a new application.
- Redraw and submit
The change is drawn with differences marked and sent to the council with the right fee.
- Answer the officer
We reply to any questions during the decision period.
Non-material: the quickest route, and the hardest to define
Government guidance is candid that there is no statutory definition of non-material: it depends on the scheme and the council's judgement. A window moved 300 mm may be non-material on one house and material on another, if it now looks into a neighbour's bedroom.
The council has 28 days to decide, or a longer period agreed in writing. That speed is the attraction. The risk is that the council decides your change is material, and then the non-material fee is spent and you need a different application. We say honestly which side of the line we think your change is on.
Section 73: changing the conditions
A section 73 application varies conditions, such as the approved plans condition. The guidance says that the change must only relate to conditions and not to the operative part of the permission, and that permission granted under section 73 takes effect as a new, independent permission to carry out the same development as previously permitted.
That second point matters. A section 73 decision leaves you with a new permission alongside the old one, so you choose which to build. We check that the conditions of the new permission still suit you before you start, because it can carry its own set.
When it needs a new application
A change that alters the nature of the scheme, such as a bigger footprint or a new storey, falls outside both routes. It needs a fresh application at £548 for a householder one, and our post on what rear extension drawings cost explains how that works.
If you are not sure whether your change is a small one, tell us what the builder wants to do and we say which route fits. We would rather tell you it needs a new application than file an amendment the council will decline.
Do not build first and ask afterwards
Building to drawings other than those approved puts the permission at risk. If the work is already built, the answer is a retrospective application, and our post on retrospective planning permission explains the risks and the costs.
Our planning amendments page shows the service. If the amendment is to a permission that has conditions to discharge, the post on discharging planning conditions covers that bill.
Sources
Every figure in this article, where it comes from and a link to the original.
- 28 days: PPG Flexible options for planning permissions, para 007: (source wording: "The time period for determination is 28 days, or a longer period if that has been agreed in writing between the parties"). www.gov.uk
- there is no statutory definition of non-material: PPG Flexible options for planning permissions, para 002: (source wording: "There is no statutory definition of 'non-material'"). www.gov.uk
- £46: Statutory fee from 1 April 2026: non-material changes to planning permission, where the application relates to householder development. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
- £309: Statutory fee from 1 April 2026: non-material changes to planning permission, in any other case. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
- £89: Statutory fee from 1 April 2026: removal or variation of a condition (section 73), where the application relates to a householder application. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
- £608: Statutory fee from 1 April 2026: removal or variation of a condition (section 73), in any other case not householder or major. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
- the change must only relate to conditions and not to the operative part of the permission: PPG Flexible options for planning permissions, para 013: (source wording: "the change must only relate to conditions and not to the operative part of the permission"). www.gov.uk
- takes effect as a new, independent permission: PPG Flexible options for planning permissions, para 015: (source wording: "Permission granted under section 73 takes effect as a new, independent permission to carry out the same development as previously permitted"). www.gov.uk
- £548: Statutory householder planning application fee, single dwellinghouse, from 1 April 2026. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
Questions people ask
Is the council fee included in your price?
Do I pay VAT on your fee?
Can I just build and tell the council later?
Who decides what is non-material?
What if the council says the change is too big?
Photographs: Brett Jordan (Pexels License); Martin Sepion (Unsplash License).
Planning Amendments: a fixed fee from £295
Read more on the planning amendments service page, or send your address below and we reply within one working day.
Planning Amendments
from £295
Every price is the full fixed fee you pay. No VAT is charged. Council application fees are paid to the council separately.
What you get
- A comparison of the approved drawings with what you now want to build
- A straight answer on the route: non-material amendment, variation or new application
- Revised drawings with the changes clearly marked
- The application form and a short description of the change
- Submission to the council as your agent, with replies to the officer