Find out about pre-application advice

Our advice service

We offer a pre-application advice service. This is a service we charge for.

We can advise: 

• Whether you're likely to get planning permission
• About any changes to a scheme that may potentially help you get permission
• About confirmation on whether there are restrictive conditions on your property
• On the type of application to submit

To make a request use our pre-application advice online form via the button below, as we only accept online applications. Please make sure the 'successful submission' screen appears before leaving the page.

Request pre-planning advice

For general advice go to the find out if you need planning permission page.

Information you need to provide

You must submit a location plan with the site outlined in red in order for us to validate your pre-application request. However, the more information you can provide about your proposal, the more accurate and in-depth our feedback can be.

We encourage you to submit the following:

• Site address
• Description of proposal
• Site plan with development hatched in red
• Existing and proposed floor plans and elevations
• Supporting photographs of the site and/or street
• For more complex proposals, surveys regarding ecology, trees, flood risk or transport could be provided

Although the Council does not automatically publicise pre-application requests, under the Freedom of Information Act we may be required to release them unless they are commercially sensitive. Personal details are still protected under the Data Protection Act and would not be released in any instance.

Some third parties (e.g. Environment Agency or Historic England) may have a separate charging schedule for pre-application advice. The Council will not automatically consult with these parties at the pre-application stage and therefore you are advised to contact them direct.

To apply for pre application advice please complete the online form above, upload the relevant documents and pay the fee.