Planning application fees
Please be aware that the Scottish Government has set out the next phase of inflation-linked increase to planning fees which comes into force on Wednesday 1 April 2026. Fees for local reviews (to the Local Review Body) have also increased as have fees for Pre Application Enquiries and newspaper advertisement fees (will be £100) all of which come in on Wednesday 1 April 2026.
Where an application for planning permission is made in retrospect, it will incur a 25% fee surcharge.
All applications must be accompanied by the appropriate planning fees which are set by the Scottish Government. The relevant legislation is The Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025 Fees for Applications (Scotland) 2025 (opens new window) which are effective from the 9th June 2025 until 31 March 2026. From 1 April 2026 the relevant legislation is The Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2026 Fees for Applications (Scotland) 2026 (opens new window) .
The fee for an application, unless otherwise noted, is not refundable once the planning application has been submitted. Your fee can be reduced or waived, under the following circumstances:
- if the application is made by a community council, the fee will be reduced by 50%;
- no fee if the application is for works to improve access for a disabled person;
- no fee if the application is submitted within 12 months of the date of refusal for an application of the same description or character, if made by the same applicant; (only applies to one application following the original application); and
- no fee if the application is submitted within 12 months of the date of submission of an application of the same description or character, if made by the same applicant, which is withdrawn. (Only applies to one application following the original application)
If there is a requirement to advertise your application in the local newspaper, please note that until 31 March 2026 you will have to pay an additional £80 and from 1 April 2026 you will have to pay an additional £100 to cover the cost and we will not register your application until the fee is paid.
Pre-Application Advice, Non-Material Variations and Certificates of Compliance with Conditions
The council offers a pre-application advice service, which you can use to find out if the development you're considering is likely to obtain planning permission. To find out more go to the Pre-Application Enquiry webpage. The fees for this service, set out below, are set by West Lothian Council. Please note that this service is not for finding out whether planning permission is required for your development; if you need information on this you can view the pages on this website that give information on permitted development. The Council also offers a non-material variation, which enables small changes which are not material to be made to a planning permission which has already been granted.
| Application/Service | Fee Payable | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pre-Application Advice | ||
| a. | Householder | £90, Additional £90 if the applicant requests a meeting or a site visit. |
| b. | Small Local Development (Up to 10 residential units or up to 999m2 class 4/5/6/ other / mixed space or Change of Use Proposal) | 50% of the cost of the planning application fee, subject to a maximum of £1200. Additional £120 if the applicant requests an unaccompanied site visit prior to advice letter being sent. Additional £300 if the applicant requests a face to face meeting or site visit. |
| c. | Medium Local Development (11 - 49 residential units or 1000m2 to 9999m2 class 4/5/6 space or 1000m2 to 4999m2 other / mixed space) | 50% of the cost of the planning application fee, subject to a maximum of £2400. Additional £120 if the applicant requests an unaccompanied site visit prior to advice letter being sent. Additional £300 if the applicant requests a face to face meeting or site visit. |
| d. | Major Development | 50% of the cost of the planning application fee, subject to a maximum of £3600. Additional £120 if the applicant requests an unaccompanied site visit prior to advice letter being sent. Additional £300 if the applicant requests a face to face meeting or site visit. |
| 2. Non Material Variation (NMV) | ||
| a. | Request for NMV | £238 per request. |
| 3. Compliance with Plans/Conditions | ||
| a. | All applications | £119 |
Application Fees
You can view the required fee for your development Fees for Applications (Scotland) 2025 (opens new window) or Fees for Applications (Scotland) 2026 (opens new window)
