A group that represents property owners in Scotland has warned that planning fees could more than double in the near future for retail and leisure developments.

The Scottish Property Federation said that plans being drawn up by the Scottish Government could lead to fees exceeding those charged south of the border.

Local Government and Planning Minister Derek Mackay announced in March that the Scottish Government intends to overhaul and increase planning application fees, but only in exchange for an 'inextricable link' to an improved service from local planning authorities.

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The SPF said it "supports the link between planning fees and performance" but asked for clarification on the new fees structure.

Its analysis found that fees paid by retail and leisure developers would increase from £319/100m2 to £500 and then up to £800/100m2 for developments larger than 2500m2, with the fees cap ballooning from £15,950 to £100,000.

Although an 80,000sq ft retail development would cost £23,000 of planning fees in England, the SPF found it would cost £53,000 in Scotland.

David Melhuish, director of the Scottish Property Federation, said: "You do have to question how the benefit of improvements in the planning service will be measured and achieved for the increased fees. There has been a huge drop in the number of major planning applications yet 'service' as measured by timeliness has dropped in the same period. The business community will want to see much greater clarification in this key area of the planning reform agenda."

(NE/GK)