Pre-application Advice

Pre-application Advice and Fees

If you need planning permission, we advise you to discuss your proposals with one of our planning officers using our Pre-application Advice service.

This will help us understand the project and any potential problems. It also offers a chance to consider wider consultation, where appropriate, with the public and other groups which can lead to a better outcome for everyone.

For applicants, paid pre-application engagement will provide greater understanding of the likely issues and policies, this should reduce the potential for unacceptable schemes to be worked up in detail, resulting in unnecessary expenses being incurred.

Benefits of pre-application discussions include:

  • the opportunity to identify improvements at a stage when a proposal can still be modified, resulting in better quality developments

  • the increased likelihood of getting planning permission

  • the opportunity to coordinate investment

  • a shared understanding of constraints and opportunities

  • the opportunity to agree what supporting information is required

  • Identification of proposals which are unlikely to be supported

  • to establish timescales and explain the planning processes

  • to speed up the application process and reduced delays further down the line

You are strongly advised to use this service, however it should be noted that the scheme is voluntary and we will determine applications that have not been subject to the scheme. However, we cannot accept liability for projects that are either delayed due to a lack of information or ultimately refused due to matters that could have been resolved prior to submission.

Guidance and fees for Pre-application Advice on new developments

A request for pre-application advice can be made on the application form.

Pre-application Advice Request Form

Please read the guidance and fees note below. This will help you to provide as much relevant information as possible to ensure we can give appropriate advice.

Pre-application Advice Guidance Notes

Charging rates are as follows (correct at January 2023):

  • Simple Schemes - £150 plus VAT (Householder/Domestic are currently suspended)

     

  • Small Minor Schemes - £300 plus VAT

     

  • Large Minor Schemes - £500 plus VAT

     

  • Major Schemes - £730 plus VAT

     

  • Strategic Schemes - £1000 plus VAT

     

There is no fee for:

  • registered charities, except those operating as a business

  • disabled adaptations

  • social clubs and non professional sports clubs

  • community organisations undertaking work for the public benefit

Note

Pre-application advice is officer level advice given without prejudice to any formal decision that the Planning Authority may make in dealing with a formal application for planning permission. It is not a formal decision by the Council as Planning Authority and cannot bind in any way the Council’s final decision on any planning application.

You should not rely on the advice as an assurance as to the likelihood of an application being successful/unsuccessful.

We will not enter into preliminary discussions on applicable schemes outside of the pre-application advice service.

Processing of subsequent planning applications

The planning service will try and process applications within the nationally set timescales of 8, 13 or 16 weeks depending on the type of application. However, applications submitted following pre-application advice may take less time to determine.