Anyone who appeals against a planning decision will now have to pay £150 to do so.
The introduction of the one-off fee for anyone submitting a planning appeal was 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 August 1.
Until this month it was free.
The introduction followed a consultation with the public in autumn of 2012.
Minister for Infrastructure David Cretney MHK 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 MHK, departmental politician 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.’
Meanwhile, the government says that new procedures will streamline and strengthen the planning proces.
Last month Tynwald approved the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013, made by the Department of Infrastructure under the Town and Country Planning Act 1999, which came into effect on August 1.
Mr Cretney said: ‘The new order provides greater clarity on the procedures to be followed and the interpretation of functions of the department and others in government when handling planning applications and appeals.
‘Importantly, the provisions will help us deliver one of the objectives under Agenda for Change to “make sure town and country planning supports economic development”.
‘Furthermore, the provisions of the order will assist in formalising the roles of the department and the chief secretary’s office in respect to planning appeals, so as to provide transparency to that process beyond government. ‘This has been a root and branch assessment of an important piece of secondary legislation for planning and, coupled with the ongoing review of the primary legislation, will place the planning division in a strong position to meet the expectations and challenges posed by the customer and the marketplace in the foreseeable future.’
Mr Skelly added: ‘We expect the new provisions to have an immediate and positive impact upon the daily procedural operation of the planning process.
‘For example, we have now introduced amended requirements to ensure that the familiar coloured A4 planning application notices must now be displayed on the application land in a place which is clearly visible from the public highway, improving transparency and awareness.’