§ Mr. Richard Pageasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has completed consultations on charging for non-statutory advice to local planning authorities for appraisals relating to agricultural dwelling houses; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. JoplingFollowing consultations with interested parties my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I have decided to proceed with our proposals to charge for this service with effect from 1 May 1987. A charge of £28 per hour plus VAT will apply to advice by MAFF and WOAD on applications for the building of agricultural dwelling houses and for the lifting of agricultural occupancy conditions on existing houses. However, it is envisaged that in future such advice will only be sought in the more complex cases. The majority of cases will be capable of determination by the local planning authorities with whom responsibility rests.
No charges are to be introduced for statutory advice on planning applications for agricultural development and the new charges are not expected to affect planning decisions or planning policy.