Pre-planning advice: Copeland

Find out if you need planning permission by talking to a planning officer about an application you want to submit.

Pre-application planning advice is a process which encourages anyone wanting to carry out development to talk with the Local Planning Authority to obtain informal guidance in advance of submitting a formal application.

The Local Planning Authority request that the pre-application request advice form is completed in full and submitted alongside the required information identified on the form. 

Find costs for pre-application advice

Definitions of development

Examples of 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 1 hectare
  • change of use
  • telecommunications development

Examples of 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 1 turbine
  • solar park development of over 1 hectare

Contact us

Call us on 0300 373 3730

Email: [email protected]

Visit or write to us at:

Development Management
Market Hall
Market Place
Whitehaven
CA28 7JG