Pre-application enquiries

The purpose of this guidance is to clearly identify how prospective applicants can obtain informal pre-application advice on proposals involving major development or requiring listed building consent, to identify any key issues that should be addressed, and to ensure that everyone involved in this process understands the nature of the service.

We welcome any comments you may have on this guidance in order to monitor and continually improve the service we provide.

We are not currently offering advice for other (including householder) development types, as after carrying out a review of our services we have decided to concentrate our efforts and resources more on the planning application process so that those who have submitted applications can have them dealt with as speedily and as efficiently as possible.

The pre-application service for other types of development (including householder), will be re-introduced during 2008 but no date for this has been set. The First Stop Duty Officer service will also be re-introduced, by appointment only, details of this will be posted on this web page when available.

• Why make a pre-application enquiry?
• Is there anything I need to do before making a pre-application enquiry?
• Who do I contact?
• Making a pre-application enquiry
• How does the Council deal with my enquiry?
• Summary
• Application form

Why make a pre-application enquiry?

• The Council’s Code of Good Practice for Members and Officers states that the use of pre-application discussions is recognised as a legitimate way to obtain informal views as to the merits of a development proposal.
• The submission of a pre-application enquiry will enable you to acquire clear, impartial professional advice, at an early stage, regarding any key issues that should be addressed prior to submitting a formal development proposal.
• This advice can help to prevent unacceptable schemes from entering the formal planning process and as a result can assist in speeding up the determination of your planning application and improve the quality of the development proposal.
• The submission of complete and accurate applications can greatly assist in providing third parties with a clear and concise development proposal on which to make comments. This can help to streamline the consultation and notification process, to the benefit of both applicant and third parties alike.
• Applications submitted without pre-application discussions or without regard to advice given at pre-application stage will normally be determined as submitted, as officers are unable to entertain significant discussion and negotiation during the consideration of a formal application.
• In accordance with the Code of Good Practice, pre-application discussions between officers and prospective applicants will be followed up with a letter to clarify those details discussed. However, it should be recognised that comments and advice will be given on an informal basis only, and will not prejudice any subsequent decision by the Council on determination of any formal application.

Is there anything I need to do before making a pre-application enquiry?

• Make sure the proposal is for major development, or the proposed works require listed building consent. If you are unsure of this, please contact the Development Management Team on 01752 304366.
• Carry out a planning history check on the site this may identify previous unsuccessful applications that may inform you as to whether to proceed further. Such details can be obtained from First Stop in the entrance foyer of the Civic Centre.
• Look at the adopted Local Plan to see if there are any policies relating to the site, and/or to your proposal - again this may well give a clear indication on the acceptability or otherwise of your proposal. Such details can also be obtained from from First Stop in the entrance foyer of the Civic Centre.
• Be clear as to the proposal that you wish us to consider.

Who do I contact?

• All planning applications are dealt with through the Development Management, Planning Services.
• The Development Management Unit will provide the project management of the scheme right through the planning process. Upon contacting us you will be allocated a case officer who will coordinate the relevant functions of the Council and remain the main point of contact.
• The identification of a suitable case officer will be the responsibility of the Development Management team. This is to ensure that the most appropriate officer deals with the enquiry.
• We will endeavour to ensure that whoever deals with your initial enquiry will eventually become the case officer for the submitted application. It would therefore assist if, in submitting the final application, that the name of the case officer who gave past informal advice were given.

Making a pre-application enquiry?

A pre-application enquiry should initially be made using the pre-application form. The form sets out the basic information required, but additional supporting information will be required to allow for a reasoned discussion/response to be provided. Copies of the information forming the pre-application submission will need to be retained for our future reference so please ensure that you submit copies of original documents etc.

In order to align the most appropriate resources and processes to a proposal, developments are categorised into the following 2 types with the information required for each type listed:

Listed building proposals (and other development types from 28 June 2008)

• Ordinance Survey (O/S) Location Plan.
• Description of the site characteristics – photographs could be used.
• Notional site and floor plans/elevations of the development. Although formal architects plans are not required at this stage, the details need to be accurate and clear enough to enable informed comments to be made.
• Where applicable, the names/references of any officer of the Council who may have previously advised upon the matter should also be provided.

Major development

(Includes development that involves more than 10 houses or 1,000 square metres of industrial, commercial or retail floor space).

• Ordnance Survey (O/S) Location Plan.
• Site plans to show existing site characteristics - photographs could be used to supplement this.
• Notional site and floor plans/elevations of the development. Although formal architects plans are not required at this stage, the details need to be accurate and clear enough to enable informed comments to be made.
• In addition, it may need to be agreed that further information is submitted during the course of pre-application discussions for initial checking, to include such things as design statements, transport assessments, retail impact assessments.
• With respect to the submission of outline applications, you are not initially expected to provide full details in cases where it is intended to reserve such details for future consideration. However, any subsequent meetings will identify information, whether illustrative or formally part of the application, which is required to be submitted with the application.
• Where applicable, the names/references of any officer of the Council who may have previously advised upon the matter should also be provided.

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How does the Council deal with my enquiry?

Listed building proposals

The case officer will identify the key issues and may involve other internal or external consultees in the evaluation process.

Dependent upon the information received and the type of proposal, it may or may not be necessary for the officer to carry out a site visit or hold a meeting with you. All sites are inspected when a formal planning application is submitted, but it will not always be necessary to have site meetings at the pre-application stage if the case officer considers that the issues can be discussed in the Council offices.

Where prospective applicants are invited to pre-application meetings with officers, the roles of all those attending the meeting will be clearly identified.

Your proposal will be evaluated and any key issues confirmed to you in writing.

We aim to provide a written response to enquiries for minor/other development within 14 days.

Only where requested will pre-application enquiries be treated as confidential. Notes of such discussions will be clearly marked as such.

Major development

Development Management officers work closely with colleagues in a team approach for proposals involving major development. We recognise the important role that this level of development brings and allocate our resources accordingly.

The Development Team provides, where appropriate, in-house expertise in urban design, historic environment, landscape architecture, planning policy, highways, environmental health and disabled access/building regulations. We may also contact external consultees if we feel it would be beneficial.

Within 14 days of receipt of the pre-application request form a meeting will be arranged to discuss the issues with you. If necessary, the appropriate team will be assembled at the first meeting to identify all the issues that could result from the development. Where further meetings are required, only those experts who need to be present will attend.

The roles of all those attending the meeting will be clearly identified. Notes will be taken to summarise the main topics that have been discussed.

On conclusion of the first meeting, the case officer will identify and seek agreement of a timetable for further pre-application meetings (where necessary) and submission dates for meeting specific planning committee meetings. The intention is to seek an agreed programme to ensure that an application is only submitted once all parties are satisfied that the information provided is satisfactory for formal consideration.

We aim to provide a written response to enquiries for major development within the timetable established during the first meeting. The written response will include details of the issues as well as list the information required to be submitted to form a valid application

Only where requested will pre-application enquiries be treated as confidential. Notes of such discussions will be clearly marked as such.

Summary

To maximise the effectiveness of pre-application enquiries, we would ask you to:

Clearly identify the proposed application site, and be clear about your development proposal

• Clearly identify the property or site you are interested in, avoiding suggestions for numerous alternative sites.
• In order to obtain meaningful guidance, try to have a clear idea about precisely what you want to develop on the site, avoiding introducing multiple or vague, ill thought out ideas for your site.
• Adequate information should be submitted to allow for a reasoned discussion. However, you should be prepared to consider amending a scheme where suggested as part of the advice given.

Planning history and plan policies

• A detailed planning search of the site can be useful in identifying details of previous planning applications on the site, details of any development plan proposals for the site and details of previously stated views from all significant and relevant parties and statutory bodies where necessary.
• It may help to check the published development guidance on the internet or at the planning reception. If your proposal is clearly contrary to planning principles or the Council’s policies, it is unlikely to be supported by the Council.
• Such details can be obtained from planning reception in the entrance foyer of the Civic Centre. Any relevant planning history of the site will be included as part of any discussions regarding the development of the site.

Be aware of the limits of pre-application advice

• Pre-application advice is a legitimate way to obtain informal, unbiased advice as to the merits of a development proposal. It will not be formally binding upon any future decision, nor will it necessarily identify all issues that may need to be taken into account during the Council’s formal consideration of the submitted application.
• (Planning guidance is reviewed over time, and some issues may arise following consultation/notification processes and/or detailed technical appraisals (in respect of the more complex applications).
• However, in situations where an applicant has undertaken pre-application discussions and submitted an application in accordance with such discussions, the Council will endeavour to continue to negotiate an acceptable solution.

Application form

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