Discharge of Planning ConditionsFrom £345
How much does discharging planning conditions cost in London?
Discharging the conditions on a planning permission costs our fixed £345 in London, and the council charges its own fee on top, £89 for householder development and £309 in any other case. Conditions are often what stops a builder starting, so it matters that the council has 8 weeks to reply and that the clock starts only when it has a valid application.
The short answer: our fee plus a small council fee
Our fee to discharge conditions is £345. We read the decision notice, list every condition and what it asks for, prepare the drawings, schedules or reports each one needs and submit the application to the council as your agent. If the council raises a query, we reply.
The council's fee is set nationally. From 1 April 2026 it is £89 where the application relates to householder development, and £309 in any other case, including a condition relating to the submission of a biodiversity gain plan. It is paid to the council when we submit.
- List the conditions
We read the decision notice and list each condition, what it asks for and when it must be met.
- Prepare the details
Drawings, schedules or reports are prepared to answer each condition in turn.
- Submit with the fee
The application and the council's fee go in together, and the council's clock starts when it is valid.
- Answer queries
We reply to any question from the council during the decision period.
How long the council has
The Development Management Procedure Order gives the council a period of 8 weeks beginning with the day after it receives the application to notify its decision on an application for approval required by a condition, or such longer period as you and the council agree in writing. If a condition gates the start of work, that period is part of your programme.
Guidance also provides a way through if the council goes quiet. A deemed discharge notice can be served only once at least 6 weeks have passed since the application was received (planning conditions guidance), unless a shorter period is agreed. We advise before it is used, because it only helps if the details submitted were complete.
Conditions you should not be surprised by
Planning permission may not be granted subject to a pre-commencement condition without the written agreement of the applicant, except in the circumstances in the 2018 regulations or for outline permission. If a pre-commencement condition appears on your decision notice and you were never asked, tell us, because the council may have left out a step.
Typical conditions ask for materials, windows, a construction method statement or a landscaping scheme. Each needs its own answer, and a missing one can hold up the start on site, so we line them up before the builder is booked.
Conditions and the rest of the budget
This fee comes after a permission is granted, so it is the last planning cost on a project; the post on what rear extension drawings cost shows the ones before it. If your permission has no conditions to discharge, you do not need this service.
If a condition cannot be met as written, a variation is a separate application. Our discharge of planning conditions page shows the service, and we tell you if the right answer is a variation instead of a discharge.
Sources
Every figure in this article, where it comes from and a link to the original.
- 8 weeks beginning with the day after it receives the application: DMPO 2015 art 27(2): the authority must give notice of its decision on a condition application (source wording: "within a period of 8 weeks beginning with the day immediately following that on which the application is received by the authority"). www.legislation.gov.uk
- £89: Statutory fee from 1 April 2026: discharge of conditions, approval of details and/or confirmation of compliance, where it relates to householder development. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
- £309: Statutory fee from 1 April 2026: discharge of conditions, in any other case (including a condition relating to the submission of a Biodiversity Gain Plan). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
- without the written agreement of the applicant: PPG Use of planning conditions, para 036: a pre-commencement condition must not be imposed (source wording: "without the written agreement of the applicant to the terms of the condition"). www.gov.uk
- at least 6 weeks: PPG Use of planning conditions, para 043: a deemed discharge notice may only be served once (source wording: "at least 6 weeks beginning with the day immediately following that on which the application is received"). www.gov.uk
Questions people ask
Is the council fee included in your price?
Do I pay VAT on your fee?
Can I start work before conditions are discharged?
Can you discharge conditions on a permission you did not draw?
What if the council refuses to discharge?
Photographs: Brett Jordan (Pexels License); Ben Hadfield (Unsplash License).
Discharge of Planning Conditions: a fixed fee from £345
Read more on the discharge of planning conditions service page, or send your address below and we reply within one working day.
Discharge of Planning Conditions
from £345
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 list of every condition on your decision notice and what each requires
- The drawings, schedules or reports needed to answer each one
- One application submitted to the council as your agent
- Replies to council queries during the decision period
- Advice on whether a variation is a better route