What planning fees are applicable to my application?

Planning fees are set by the Scottish Government to help cover costs associated with processing planning applications. Fees are payable when you submit your planning application at the Scottish Government’s ePlanning.Scot Planning Portal.

Information on how to pay your fee is also provided on our Paying Your Planning Fee page. Please note that new planning fees and charges came into force on 9th June 2025 and are updated annually in line with inflation.

The fee depends on the type and scale of the proposed development. To find out what fees apply to your application please visit the Scottish Government’s Fee Calculator.

If further assistance is required to calculate the fee for your proposal, please contact our Planning team:

• Telephone: 01389 722024
• E-mail: planning@lochlomond-trossachs.org

Advert Fees

• £160 for normal applications
• £500 for EIA applications

When is an advertisement fee required?

For certain applications, you are required to pay the cost of a public advertisement in the local newspaper. For example, you are required to pay an advert fee where there is neighbouring land within 20 metres of the application site boundary which has no premises that we can send a neighbour notification letter to. Please be aware this is not required for Householder applications for planning permission.

The advertisement fee is £160 per application for publication.

We will not validate your application until this fee is paid.

If you are unsure whether an advertisement fee will be required for your application, please call us on 01389 722024 or email: planning@lochlomond-trossachs.org

An advertisement fee is required:

• For neighbour notification purposes if there are no premises on neighbouring land (excluding householder applications for planning permission);
• If land owners of the site are unknown;
• If the proposal is a departure from the Development Plan;
• If an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report has been submitted (this requires an advert fee of £500); or
• If the proposal is for one of the following classes of development:

• • The use of land as a scrap yard or coal yard or for working minerals.
  • Disposal, storage or reclaiming of waste material.
  • The use of buildings as a theatre, cinema, music hall, dance hall, fun fair, bingo hall, casino, skating rink, swimming bath, gymnasium, indoor games hall, Turkish or other vapour bath, licensed premises or hot food shop; or public convenience.
  • Construction of a building over 20 metres in height.
  • Use of buildings and land which will alter the character of an area of established amenity.
  • Anything that will introduce significant change into a largely uniform area.
  • Anything that will affect housing because of fumes, noise, vibration, smoke, artificial lighting, solid or liquid waste.
  • Anything that will bring crowds into a generally quiet area or which will cause activity and noise between 8pm and 8am.
  • Sewage works, slaughterhouse, zoo, wildlife park, animal breeding, motor car or motor cycle racing, crematorium or cemetery.

When is a planning application fee not required?

Some applications are exempt from a fee. These include:

• Revised or fresh applications for development or advertisements of the same character or description within 12 months of refusal, or if withdrawn, the date the earlier application was submitted.
• Revised or fresh application for development of the same character or description within 12 months of receiving permission.
• Applications required because of the removal by a condition of a right to make a change of use within the Use Classes Order.
• Applications required because of the removal of permitted development rights by a condition or by an Article 4 direction.
• Works to improve a disabled person’s access to a public building, or to improve their access, safety, health or comfort at their dwellinghouse.
• Listed Building or Conservation Area Consent applications.

Where an application is made by, or on behalf of, a Community Council, the fee payable shall be one half of the amount that would otherwise be payable.

If my application is exempt from a fee, do I still need to pay the advertisement fee?

Yes, if your application is exempt from an application fee for one of the reasons specified above, you still have to pay the advert fee, except where the application is for works to improve a disabled person’s access to a building.

What if my application includes more than one fee category?

If your application includes more than one category of fee, only the higher of the two fees is charged, unless the development involves the creation of new residential units, in which case the total of the two fees is payable.

Will my application be accepted as valid without the correct fee?

The correct planning application fee and advert fee must be paid before an application can be accepted as valid.

If I over-pay the fee, will the remainder be refunded?

If you submit an advert fee and it is not required or you overpay the planning application fee, we will refund any monies due back to you once the application is validated. The National Park Authority will automatically make a refund using the same payment method the payment was received from.

Do I get a refund if my application is withdrawn or refused?

Fees are not refunded if planning permission is refused, or if the application is withdrawn.