Rising Costs of Pre-Application Planning Advice

The price for pre-application advice from councils has skyrocketed, with the average charge now around £2,000 for developers seeking planning permission. This significant increase follows the Local Government Act of 2003, which allowed councils to charge for this service. While the intention behind this was to generate revenue, the growing costs have raised concerns within the industry about the effectiveness and value of the advice provided.

The Expansion of the Charging System

What began with Westminster City Council charging for planning advice in 2004 has expanded across England, with a significant number of councils now charging for meetings. In 2009, only about half of councils were charging, but today, most councils are levying fees for pre-application advice. This has caused frustration among developers and planners, as the system continues to expand and become more expensive, without necessarily providing better service in return.

Concerns Over the Effectiveness of Paid Advice

Many in the planning and property industry are questioning the quality of the advice being offered by councils. Professionals argue that meetings are becoming increasingly formalized, unproductive, and expensive, with large numbers of planners involved without addressing the key questions. Developers express a willingness to pay more upfront to understand the direction of their application, as the current system creates a bottleneck of unnecessary detailed work closer to submission.

A Pre-Application System Hindered by Cash

The pre-application process, meant to facilitate smoother planning applications, has become a financial hurdle. Developers are frustrated with the reluctance of council planners to offer clear and actionable advice. The payment for pre-application meetings is seen not as a service improvement but as an additional cost without guaranteed benefits, making the process feel more like a money-making exercise than a helpful planning step.

Managing Obsessive Leaseholders: The Problem

In the world of property management, obsessive leaseholders can cause significant stress for managing agents, especially when dealing with individuals who send excessive demands and lengthy complaints. These leaseholders can monopolize time and resources, potentially damaging a management firm’s operations. This is a common problem faced by property managers of blocks with a high proportion of leaseholder input.

Flatie: A Creative Solution to Obsessive Leaseholders

To address the problem of obsessive leaseholders, Mary-Anne Bowring of Ringley Group created Flatie, a quirky green character who promotes self-management among leaseholders. Flatie helps leaseholders in smaller blocks (fewer than 12 units) manage their affairs using online tools. This approach cuts down on the need for costly full-service management, offering significant savings while also empowering residents to handle minor issues themselves. For just £175, leaseholders can access Ringley software to manage their accounts without direct intervention from managing agents, providing a more efficient and cost-effective solution.