It is useful to get advice from us before submitting a planning application.
While the outcome of an application cannot be guaranteed, you are more likely to succeed if you prepare and support it with the relevant paperwork and if you talk to us about it in advance of submission.
A pre-application discussion can:
- help you identify potential considerations, such as conservation areas, and make changes to improve your proposal
- tell you how to prepare your application and ensure the necessary plans and supporting documents are submitted
- identify a potentially unacceptable proposal, saving you the time and cost of preparing and submitting a formal application
- tell you how the Local Plan, policies and other requirements affect the principle and detail of your proposal
- identify any need for specialist advice or issues that need to be addressed
- indicate any likely requirement for contributions to be made by a developer, such as levels of affordable housing, play areas or sustainable travel contributions.
If you heed our advice, your application can be assessed without any unnecessary delay, reducing the time you and your staff or consultants spend working on it.
Pre-application advice is a chargeable service.
| Service level | What it includes | Major development charge | Minor development charge | Other cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Assessment of the principle of the proposed development and identification of key planning issues/constraints only. | £1,650* (major (1a)) | £319* (minor (1b)) | Free (householder) |
| Level 2 | Assessment of the principle of the proposed development; identification of key planning issues/constraints; and assessment of highway and surface water drainage issues from internal consultees only. | £1,750 + £540 = £2,290* (major (2a)) | £319 + £268 = £587* (minor (2b)) | - |
| Level 3 | Full development team assessment. | £2,805 + £540 = £3,345* (major (3a)) | £374 + £268 = £642* (minor (3b)) | - |
| Bespoke PPA | Bespoke arrangements, including Planning Performance Agreements. | £ to be agreed on individual basis (major development only (4)) | - | - |
* All fees shown are inclusive of VAT. A separate charge is included for the LHA and LLFA, where applicable.
Definitions of development
Minor development:
- Residential development of 1-9 dwellings or outline area less than 0.5 hectare
- Non-residential development of less than 1,000m2 floor area
- Agricultural development
- Single domestic or farm scale wind turbine
- Solar park development of less than one hectare
- Change of use
- Telecommunications development
- Advertisements.
Major development:
- Residential development of over 10 dwellings or outline area over 0.5 hectares
- Non-residential development of over 1,000m2 floor area
- Commercial wind turbine development of over one turbine
- Solar park development of over one hectare
- Minerals development involving any additional mineral extraction activity; new or additional development on a land area of 1ha or more; creation of a floor area of 100 square-metres or a time extension greater than three years.
- Waste development involving a land area of 0.5ha hectare or more; construction of a building with a footprint of 100 square-metres or more; the erection or operation of fixed plant and machinery; or a time extension greater than one year.
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