Planning and development
Pre-Application Advice (Including VAT). The fees for pre-application planning advice are charged as below for the service outlined in the updated Preapplication Protocol and charged on an individual cost relating to the types of staff required and level of advice provided. Advice for schemes outside of those listed in the schedule below will only be offered where agreed by a Senior Manager in the Planning Department and would be a bespoke fee arrangement or Planning Performance Agreement based on the hourly rates for the required officers, including administration fees.
About this service
The Council offers a pre-application advice service for new residential and commercial developments. We are no longer offering a householder pre-application advice service.
Before making a planning application, we suggest you use the service so that you can check your proposal is on the right lines before submitting a full application. This service will include a site visit and meeting. For smaller scale proposals these will happen at the same time and it will be at the case officer’s discretion whether or not a separate site visit and meeting is arranged.
Pre-application advice is given in good faith and represents the case officer’s professional view of the information you have supplied at the time you have given it. The advice given will be as accurate as possible but does not determine the outcome of your application.
Getting advice before your application is made will mean you:
- Find out if your scheme is acceptable before you spend too much time and money on what you want to do.
- Avoid making an application, in some instances, where there is no likelihood of getting planning permission.
- Understand the relevant policies and what specialist areas of advice will be applied to your development.
- Can identify potential problems early on.
- The advice we give you will mean that when the application is made you will have an improved chance of getting planning permission with your first application.
Timeframe for responses
New residential and non-residential schemes up to 9 new units/9999 sq m of floorspace: 30 working days.
New residential and non-residential schemes 10 new units/10000 sq m of floorspace or above will be in accordance with agreed timeframes set out in a Planning Performance Agreement.
We aim to respond to your pre-application within the time frames above. If this isn't going to be possible, your case officer will contact you at the earliest opportunity to discuss this and agree a way forward.
Fees
The fee for pre-application advice depends on the type and scale of the proposed development.
Full list of fees is available via this link.
Planning performance agreements
For proposals for 10 or more residential units, or 10,000 or more sq m of new floorspace that require evolving discussions, possibly over many months a bespoke pre-application service can be provided.
This would include a lead Planning Officer arranging for an initial inception or scoping meeting that will result in an agreed project plan, including timescales, key milestones and scheduled meetings. It will also scope out the potential involvement of other key officers within the Planning Department and wider council as appropriate.
The cost of this will depend on the nature of the scheme and will be agreed on a case by case basis. It will be based on the hourly rates of the officers involved in the project.