Pre-application fees

Major applications (over 10 dwellings or 1,000 sq.m.)

• £538.80 (including VAT) for a letter giving the without prejudice views of the planning authority prior to submitting a major planning application
• £1,012.80 (including VAT) for a meeting with a senior planner and a letter giving the without prejudice views of the planning authority prior to submitting a major planning application
• An additional charge of £168.00 (including VAT) for each additional specialist officer attending a meeting

Minor and Other applications (except householder applications and listed building consent)

For minor applications (non-householder) for replacement dwellings/ between 1 and 3 additional units/ change of use/ commercial extension

• £334.80 (including VAT) for a letter giving the without prejudice views of the planning authority prior to submitting a minor or other planning application
• £397.20 (including VAT) for a meeting with a planner and a letter giving the without prejudice views of the planning authority prior to submitting a minor or other planning application

For minor applications (non-householder) for between 4 and 9 additional units

• £438.00 (including VAT) for a letter giving the without prejudice views of the planning authority prior to submitting a minor or other planning application for a residential development of between 4 and 9 additional units
• £675.60 (including VAT) for a meeting with a senior planner and a letter giving the without prejudice views of the planning authority prior to submitting a minor or other planning application for a residential development of between 4 and 9 additional units or other minor applications

For business premises where there is no increase in floor space or change of use proposed

• £73.20 (including VAT) for a  letter giving the without prejudice views of the planning authority prior to submitting an application relating to business premises where there is no increase in floorspace or change of use (for example a new shopfront)
• £180 (including VAT) for a meeting with a letter giving the without prejudice views of the planning authority prior to submitting an application relating to business premises where there is no increase in floorspace or change of use (for example a new shopfront)

For other applications not falling within the above categories

• £334.80 (including VAT) for a letter giving the without prejudice views of the planning authority prior to submitting a minor or other planning application
• £397.20 (including VAT) for a meeting with a planner and a letter giving the without prejudice views of the planning authority prior to submitting a minor or other planning application

Pre-Application advice for Householders

For householder applications

• £66.00 (including VAT) - for a letter giving the without prejudice views of the planning authority prior to submitting a householder planning application.
• £132.00 (including VAT) - for a meeting with a planner and a letter giving the without prejudice views of the planning authority prior to submitting a householder planning application
• £132.00 (including VAT) - per additional on site meeting
• An additional charge of £168.00 (including VAT) for each additional specialist officer attending a meeting

Pre-Application advice on Listed Buildings

We are happy to provide pre-application advice on listed buildings but we have a very limited resource to do this. It is the role of the Conservation Officer to advise on submitted proposals, and the likelihood of listed building consent being granted, not to design a scheme from scratch, and you may need to employ a historic buildings expert for advice. Because of our limited resources we are only able to offer one initial meeting, with a second follow up meeting, both of which can be on site. We will do our best to meet with you within 21 working days of your request, but staff commitments may mean that this is not always possible. At least two weeks before the initial meeting we would ask you to submit drawings of your proposal, with as much detail as possible, and a copy of your draft Heritage Asset Statement (HAS)*. The HAS should demonstrate your understanding of the significance of the heritage asset (in this case the listed building) and how that understanding has informed your design approach. This will ensure that the Conservation officer is fully briefed when the meeting takes place. We would also strongly recommend that, except for very minor work, you employ your own historic buildings advisor and that they attend the meeting to ensure that you get as much out of the meeting as possible. It is to your benefit to get as much detail agreed and approved before consent is granted because if conditions are attached you will not be able to start work until the conditions have been discharged which could take several weeks.

The fees for this service

• £396.00 (including VAT) for a letter giving the without prejudice views of the planning authority prior to submitting an application for listed building consent
• £627.60 (including VAT) for a meeting and a letter giving the without prejudice views of the planning authority prior to submitting an application for listed building consent

Pre–application forums

The Council operates a system of pre-application consultation forums.

Before an application for 30 dwellings or above is submitted the applicants will be encouraged to attend a pre-application forum which will also be attended by councillors and invited representatives of the local community and other interest groups.  This will enable the applicant to explain their proposals and for local people to make observations in a controlled and managed environment.  The scheme will also extend to other large developments.

To cover the costs of the forum a charge will be made on the developer.

The fee for this service

• £1,663.20 (including VAT) per meeting. Where a charge is incurred for venue hire that will normally be passed on to the developer.

The Lead Member responsible for Regeneration and Planning, or a nominated substitute will chair each meeting.

Validation meetings

We now offer a validation meeting service. We will meet you at our offices at Muriel Matters House and check your planning application to see whether we have enough information to start processing it.

If you have submitted enough information we will register the application within 24 hours.

If we need more information we will give you detailed advice about what you need to submit and arrange another appointment to check through the application again.

At the validation meeting we will not be able to advise on whether the application is likely to be approved.

The fee for this service from 01 April 2017, including up to two meetings is £66.00 (including VAT), and is in addition to the normal application fee.

The fee for this service

• £73.20 (including VAT) including up to two meetings and is in addition to the normal application fee

 Pre-Application Form

• pre application request form submitted from 1st April 2018