The home owners lobby group VEH has criticised the wide variation in the fees local councils charge for building permits and wants the government to impose a maximum.

For example, the licence for a minor procedure costs €35 in Leiden and €841 in Lopik near Utrecht, the organisation says.
The average fees for a permit to carry out minor work have risen 1.7% over the past year while a permit to build a new house has gone up 3.8%.