Charging for Permitted Development and Pre-Application Advice - Guidance Note 6

Background

This guidance note explains how we will handle requests for pre-application and other planning advice and is intended for anyone who uses the service.

We are able to provide you with advice and information on matters relating to planning. In order to provide the best possible advice and information within an appropriate timescale, however, it is important that you also provide us with as much clear information as possible regarding your proposed development.

In the case of pre-application advice, the service is intended to provide you with an indication as to whether your proposal is likely to gain planning permission or not; what the key planning issues are likely to be; and, what you would need to submit with any subsequent application that you make.

In the case of advice in respect of permitted development rights, the service is intended to provide you with an officer opinion as to whether planning permission is required for your proposals. However, it should be noted that this is informal advice and as such does not have the same status as a Certificate of Lawfulness.

The revised charges set out under Section 6 of this guidance note will apply to all enquiries received on or after 1 April 2020, and are inclusive of VAT which currently stands at 20%.

Your attention is drawn to the new tariff of charges within this guidance note.

Please also note the timeframes for providing advice.

Benefits of service

We encourage and welcome the opportunity to provide advice and guidance before any formal planning application is made. There are considerable benefits in seeking planning advice before making an application:

• It gives an opportunity to establish how local policies would apply to your development
• It can establish whether planning permission will actually be required or not
• It can identify at an early stage where there is a need for specialist input (e.g. trees, listed buildings, noise, transport, contaminated land, etc)
• It gives an opportunity to clarify what supporting documentation will be required for your proposal
• It provides an opportunity to identify possible major concerns before too much work is expended on development proposals.

Pre-application engagement and frontloading is encouraged by Government as set out within the National Planning Policy Framework.