Planning charges reviewed

Sevenoaks District Council has reviewed the charges for copies of its planning documents and research of planning histories.

The review will both cover inflation and the additional demands on the service, in particular from search companies requesting historical planning documents. The charges were last reviewed in 2002.

The charges relate to copying fees for planning documents such as plans and decision notices and the supply of the weekly planning list. They are intended to reflect the cost of photocopying and staff time researching and retrieving the documents.

The new charges will come into effect on 1 July 2004.

Before the new charges were set, the Council carried out a benchmarking exercise with neighbouring councils and found the new charges to still be some of the most competitive.

The new charges were agreed by the Council's Cabinet at last night's meeting (Thursday 3 June 2004).