Pre-application advice for householders

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Pre-application advice for householders

Advice about the submission and acceptability of householder proposals.

We encourage prospective applicants to engage with us before making an application. This can improve the quality of the application and the likelihood of its success.

We offer a paid for pre-application advice service. Written advice regarding the suitability of your householder proposal will be provided before the application is finalised and submitted.

You can use our self-assessment forms to determine if you need to apply for permission.

If you need advice regarding planning permission for a commercial project, we offer pre-application advice for all other forms of development.

Benefits of this service

The benefits of the pre-application advice include:

  • Gaining an understanding of the relevant planning policies and other material considerations that might be relevant to the proposal
  • The potential for concerns to be explored and issued to be resolved
  • Flagging up proposals which carry a high risk of refusal
  • Identifying the information required to accompany an application to reduce delays at validation stage
  • Outlining what to expect from the application process and the likely timescales in reaching a decision

More information on the benefits of pre-application engagement, see before submitting an application on GOV.UK.

The process

You will need to complete and submit a pre-application enquiry form and provide other supporting information, and the correct fee.

You will receive an acknowledgement letter within 5 working days of receipt of this information. The application will be allocated a unique reference number and a case officer. You will be provided with their contact details. A site visit is likely to be undertaken.

What you will receive

We aim to provide written advice within 42 days of submission of your pre-application enquiry. 

The response will provide guidance on the acceptability of your proposal. The following points are likely to be covered:

  • Whether the proposal complies with relevant policies in the development plan relating to householder developments
  • Whether the proposal complies with local planning policy guidance relating to householder developments
  • The proposal’s acceptability in design terms, including its scale, appearance, materials, and impact on the street scene
  • Comments regarding the impact of the proposal on neighbouring properties
  • Any other relevant issues, such as parking, highways access, trees, refuse storage
  • Application submission requirements

Status of advice

All pre-application advice is based on the information you provide, including the quality and accuracy of the submission. Whilst the advice can prove very useful, it is given without prejudice to the formal consideration of any subsequent planning application. 

This application stage would include the statutory consultation process. For this reason we cannot offer any guarantee about the outcome of a planning application when providing pre-application advice.

Pre-application enquiries are not published on our website in the same way as planning applications. All requests for advice are potentially subject to disclosure in response to Freedom of Information or Environmental Information Regulations requests. 

Confidentiality cannot therefore be guaranteed when using the pre-application advice service.