Pre-application Planning Advice

We encourage you discuss plans with our officers before you formally submit your planning application. We provide pre-application advice at meetings, over the phone and in writing.

Planning Pre-application Advice Fees

The level of fees charged for providing planning pre-application advice for certain types of development proposals are being increased on 1 April 2011. These are set out in section 4 of the updated pre-application protocol advice note below. The updated note also includes a new section on confidentiality issues.

 Pre-application Advice Service Protocol (76kB PDF)

The fees cover some of the cost of providing our pre-application service. We will continue to provide free pre-application advice to householders and some other types of proposals.

Pre-application Advice Request Form

If you wish to submit a request for pre-application advice please use the application form below:

Pre-application Advice Form (35kB PDF)

Pre-application Building Design Advice

The documents below give informal design advice and information on various development issues that can affect the physical appearance and character of our local communities. This series of leaflets seeks to address the most common problem areas and provides simple solutions to help building owners, designers and builders.

Following the advice in these leaflets is not an alternative to the need to obtain planning permission, building regulation approval or any other consent. You should always check with the us if you are in any doubt about what permissions you need:

General Guidance Notes (149kB PDF)
1 Corner Sites (94kB PDF)
2 Side Extension (2320kB PDF)
3 Front Garden (982kB PDF)
4 Dormers on Hipped Roofs (384kB PDF)
5 Rear Dormers (1204kB PDF)

Page last reviewed 21 February 2012