The introduction of a one-off fee of ?150 for anyone submitting a Planning Appeal has been approved by Tynwald.

The Town and Country Planning (Appeal Fees) Order 2013, made by the Department of Infrastructure, was passed by Tynwald in July and came into effect on 1st August 2013. It followed a detailed consultation with the public in Autumn 2012.

Minister for Infrastructure David Cretney said: ‘Currently, there is no formal charge for submitting a planning appeal in the Isle of Man. However, there is a cost implication for the Planning and Building Control Division, and the Chief Secretary’s Office in respect of preparation for, and attendance at, each appeal hearing and the issuing of decisions. The Department deals with around 300 planning appeals each year, which is significantly more – per head of population – than that submitted in other similar jurisdictions’.

‘The set fee will provide a level of cost recovery towards the provision of the planning appeal service to all interested persons, while ensuring that the appeal fee is comparable to that applied in other jurisdictions.’

Laurence Skelly, Departmental Member responsible for Planning added:  ‘The fee of ?150 is broadly comparable to the Planning Appeal fee of ?126 currently levied in Northern Ireland, but is substantially lower than the fee levied in the Republic of Ireland, which ranges between ?175 and ?3,500 depending upon the nature of the proposed development to be appealed, and that of Jersey, where the appeal fee is fixed at ?200 in respect to a first party appeal and ?300 for a third party appeal’.

‘The major difference between the Isle of Man’s fee and other jurisdictions is that, in the event of a successful Planning Appeal, our Order allows for the fee of ?150 to be refunded in full.

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