Pre-Application Service

Planning advice given at the pre-application stage is considered to be a vital and positive part of the planning process which benefits all parties involved.

The government encourages pre-application services and for applicants to pursue such advice before the application is submitted. Planning Policy Statement 1 (PPS1) states that "pre-application discussions are critically important and benefit both developers and local planning authorities in ensuring a better mutual understanding of objectives and the constraints that exist. "

The pre-application service has therefore been set up to increase the efficiency of the Council's planning process and to resolve any planning problems and issues with the applicants at an early stage, before the submission of a planning application.

Advice can be given on a whole range of proposals from house extensions to major residential and commercial developments.

What details are required?

A residential development consisting of more than 10 units or a non-residential development occupying more than 1000 square metres floor space is classed a major development. Applicants wishing to seek advice on a proposal falling into this category can find a list of requirements in the Council's Pre Application Strategy.

Any other development such as household extensions, small residential developments and change of use applications do not require the same level of detail and there is no set list of requirements. However if more information is provided then the Council is able to provide a more detailed response.

You may wish to contact us and speak with a planning officer prior to submitting information, for help with what to submit as part of your pre-application proposal.

Fees

For smaller scale proposals such as house extensions, new builds and change of use applications there is no charge for the pre-application service. However larger scale proposals may require a fee depending on the scale of the proposal

Please visit our Planning Fees page for details, you may also find it useful to read our Pre-Application Strategy.