FEES for advice before making a planning application in Monmouthshire could increase by more than 200 per cent.

Monmouthshire County Council is considering increasing the fees it charges for bespoke advice and guidance offered by planning officers before a planning application is lodged.

If the plans, which are due to be decided by cabinet member Cllr Phil Murphy by Wednesday, May 25, are given the go-ahead, people putting together applications for between one and nine new homes or change of use for an area of less than half a hectare, will see fees increase from £90 to £120.

Meanwhile, advice fees for developments of between 10 and 24 homes on a site between half a hectare and one hectare, or change of use for a site between 1,000 and 2,000 square metres will rocket from £290 to £850.

The cost of advice for larger developments will also increase from £850 to £1,250, but fees for small projects such as extensions or conservatories will remain at £60.

A report available at monmouthshire.gov.uk said the new fees would generate an extra £6,000 a year for the council.

“Pre-application advice for larger schemes is more time consuming and resource-heavy than initially anticipated,” it said.

“The move to levels based on the scale of the proposed scheme and the proposed increase in level four (the largest developments), will better reflect officer efforts in this area.”

The council has offered bespoke planning advice since April 2014 and has reported it has received extremely positive feedback from the service.