Planning Service Discretionary Charging Schedule
Pre-Application Advice
Pre-application advice is an optional service that provides applicants with written planning advice and, where appropriate, a meeting with planning officers.
| Development Type | Charge (incl. VAT) | What’s Included |
|---|---|---|
| Minor residential (1–9 dwellings) | £650 | Written advice (and one meeting, where necessary) |
| Medium residential (10– 49 dwellings) | £2,500 | Multi-officer input with written advice (and a meeting, where necessary) |
| Large residential (50+ dwellings) | £8,000+ | Multi-officer input with written advice and a meeting with Officers, and where appropriate with Members of the Council – a PPA is encouraged. |
| Small business/change of use (<200 m²) | £250 | Written advice (and one meeting, where necessary) |
| Advertisements | £200 | Written advice (and one meeting, where necessary) |
| Minor non-residential | £750 | Written advice (and one meeting, where necessary) |
| Major non-residential up to 10,000sq m | £3,500+ | Written advice and a meeting with Officers, and where appropriate with Members of the Council – a PPA is encouraged |
| Major non-residential over 10,000sq m | £8,000+ | Written advice and a meeting with Officers, and where appropriate with Members of the Council – a PPA is encouraged |
| Local Plan site / land promotion | £3,000+ | Policy-led advice in writing, plus (where necessary) meeting with Officers, and where appropriate, with Members of the Council |
| Listed Building Advice (including listed dwellings) | £250 | Written advice (and one meeting, where necessary) |
| Agriculture and Forestry Buildings | £250 | Written advice (and one meeting, where necessary) |
| Buildings and structures for equestrian purposes (incl. stables, menage, riding schools) | £250 + | Written advice (and one meeting, where necessary) |
| Telecommunications | £250 | Written advice (and one meeting, where necessary) |
| Householder / Domestic Extension | No charge | Written advice |
Notes:
Where the fee is marked with a ‘+’, it indicates that the fee may be adjusted upwards for schemes of larger scale which necessitate the engagement of a wide range of parties, on a case-by-case basis.
- Fees are payable in advance and are non-refundable.
- Where a development would fit within one or more of the development categories set out above, the fee payable would be the highest of the relevant fees.
- Fees are payable in respect of advice for proposed development, as well as for advice given in respect of regularising development that is unauthorised.
- Fees are payable in respect of advice on development proposals which necessitate the submission of a Prior Approval under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, as amended
- The service will allow for a single instance of follow-up clarification on previously issued advice, but a new fee will be payable in respect of substantially different proposals, in either nature or scale.
- Meetings will be held where deemed necessary by the Planning Officer. A meeting may be held virtually, in the Council offices or on site.
- Where an officer deems that sound advice can be given without the necessity of a site meeting, but the pre-application enquirer specifically requests one, the site meeting will be chargeable as an additional sum(£250).
- The charge is in addition to the fees you pay when you submit the actual planning application.
- Fees will increase on the same basis as that which applies for planning applications, namely, fees will be automatically increased every year on 1 April. The increase in fees will be based on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rate from the preceding September each year. The annual rise will be capped at a maximum of 10%, even if inflation is higher. If there is deflation (negative inflation), fees will not be reduced — they simply won’t change for that year. Updated fee schedules will be published in advance of each April, so applicants and agents know the new amounts before they take effect.
- Advice is without prejudice to any future planning decision.
Our pre-application advice will include:
- a team approach where we work with you to help develop a successful outcome. If a successful outcome is unlikely this will be fully explained.
- review of planning history of the site including any constraints that we know about
- the identification of relevant planning policies and any potential planning obligations that may arise
- the identification of any supporting information that you will need to include with your application
- signposting to relevant contacts
- informal guidance on the suggested content of an application
- a written response offering, without prejudice, the views of a planning officer
Target Response Times
- Do I need Planning Permission? 10 working days
- Householder / Domestic Extension 20 working days
- Works to a Listed Building 20 working days
- Advertisement 10 working days
- Small Commercial/Change of Use 20 working days
- New Dwellings/New Buildings (Minor) 20 working days
- New Dwellings/New Buildings (Major) 30 working days
Note: these time frames may be subject to variation by agreement.
Please bear in mind that advice has a shelf life. Circumstances do change and advice cannot be guaranteed to be valid indefinitely. You should always check that your advice is up to date before you make your full application.