Pre-application advice and general queries
We offer a range of services to provide you with the information or assistance you need. The service best suited to your needs will depend on the complexity of the information or assistance you require, the scale of the development, and how quickly you require a response.
General queries
Our paid general query service gives you the opportunity to use a Business Support Officer or Planning Officer to provide you with the information you need in a three-working-day turnaround. This service is particularly useful for prospective purchasers or those gathering information in preparation for development proposals, such as pre-application queries or planning applications.
Pre-application advice
Our pre-application advice service offers you the chance to meet a Planning Officer for an informal discussion before you submit an application. This can help reduce the likelihood of submitting an invalid application, saving time and money, and enable speedier decisions to be made. To apply, you will need to complete our online form and submit a fee (see below).
Summary of key features
Pre-application advice summary of key features
Feature |
Paid General Query
|
Pre-Application Advice
|
How quickly will I get a response?
|
Within three working days |
Within 20 or 30 working days |
What will be provided? |
- The information / facts you need.
- Advice on next steps.
|
- The assessment / opinions you need.
- Clear instructions on next steps / validation requirements.
|
How much Officer time will I get? |
Up to 30 minutes of Officer research time
|
Several hours/days (depends on service used)
|
Request advice
To make a general query or to apply for pre-application advice, please fill in our online form:
Apply now
What does it cost?
Pre-application planning advice costs
Type of property |
Pre-application service |
Cost (inclusive of VAT) |
Any |
Paid general query |
£60 |
Householder |
Extensions, outbuildings, and so on - written advice only |
£200
|
Householder
|
Extensions, outbuildings, and so on - non-listed building |
£400 |
Householder |
Extensions, outbuildings and so on - listed building
|
£500 |
New dwellings |
New single dwelling - written advice only |
£350 |
New dwellings |
New single dwelling |
£700 |
New dwellings |
Two to nine dwellings (new or converted) |
£1,100 |
New dwellings
|
10 to 24 dwellings |
£1,800 |
New dwellings
|
25 to 50 dwellings |
£3,000 |
New dwellings
|
More than 50 dwellings |
Quote |
Commercial/non residential |
Up to 100 metres square |
£400 |
Commercial/non residential
|
Over 100 metres square - up to 300 metres square |
£650 |
Commercial/non residential
|
Over 300 metres square up to 1,000 metres square |
£2,200 |
Commercial/non residential
|
1,000 metres square to 5,000 metres square |
£3,000 |
Commercial/non residential
|
Over 5,000 metres square |
Quote |
Prices are correct at time of publishing and inclusive of VAT at 20 per cent
Planning performance agreements
A planning performance agreement is a project management tool which ourselves and applicants can use to agree timescales, actions and resources for handling particular applications. It should cover the pre-application and application stages but may also extend through to the post-application stage.
Planning performance agreements can be particularly useful in setting out an efficient and transparent process for determining large and/or complex planning applications.
Find out more about planning performance agreements.
Digital 3D modelling
We require all applicants to submit digital models of proposed major developments as part of any pre-application discussions. Digital 3D modelling will be required for major developments and any application considered to have a significant impact on the townscape. Find out more about digital 3D modelling.
Advice from other departments / external organisations
There are other external statutory bodies which you may wish to consult with about your proposal, some of which may have their own pre-application charges. Click on the links below for more information.