Lots of debate (elsewhere on the Hub) about iApply and paying planning and building regulation application fees has brought up a few quite fundamental questions, hence starting a new thread here.
The first is to ask what the DMPO regulations mean when they say that (other things being ok) applications are valid when LPAs ‘receive the fee required to be paid..’.
Is it received?
-
when the money is in the LPAs bank account, or
-
when we receive a cheque (promising the payee some money) or
-
when someone who is acting for the LPA (ie the PP/iApply) have the money in their bank account and have agreed to pass it on to the LPA in an agreed timetable
The second question is to ask if anyone has done some work to decide which is the most efficient way for the LPA (and by this I mean costing the LPA less time/money) to receive the fee. I.e. is it:-
-
To have the fee paid direct into the LPAs account online
-
As above, but by phone
-
Paid to the Portal/iApply, who then pass it on to the LPA via BACS
-
Receiving and cashing a cheque from an agent or applicant.
On the cheque option, 2018 seems to be earmarked as the time when cheques will be no longer used, but have any LPAs taken the decision to not accept cheques as payment for planning and building regulation fees.
