Planning pre-application advice service with effect from 3rd April 2023
The Planning Service will be offering a full pre application service from the 3rd April 2023. Please see below the service available and our charges for 2023/24. If you wish to discuss additional services not listed such as Planning Performance Agreements or bespoke pre application services, please email requesting for an officer to contact you.
Pre- application advice, what can you expect?
- Acknowledgement of receipt of submission including reference number and case office
- The case officer may need to make contact to arrange a meeting time, date and venue, request additional information and/or advise how long it will take to respond to your enquiry
- An agreed maximum time for each meeting – see the table below.
- We aim to provide a formal response within 8 weeks for written requests and 6 weeks following a meeting, unless an alternative timescale has been agreed between the parties.
How will the advice be structured?
The matters, which could be subject to pre-application discussions, include:
- Whether the proposed type of development is acceptable in principle
- Relevant planning history of the site
- The surrounding context of the site
- Relevant policies and constraints
- Recommended consultations before the application is submitted
- Issues relevant to the type and scale of proposed development, such as: urban design, amenity, transport and environmental issues including noise, contamination, flooding, drainage and biodiversity
- Likely developer contributions
- Case Officer conclusions
What you should provide with your submission
You will need to provide the following information as a minimum:
- Completed pre-application advice request application form
- Correct fee (see charging schedule)
- Full site address and location plan (1:1250 scale) with the site outlined in red
- Draft of Design and Access Statement (as applicable and not for householder development)
- Sketch drawings providing details of the proposal. Floor plans for each floor of the proposed building together with at least sketch elevations that are sufficient to indicate the initial architectural approach and palette of materials. Drawings should also show any adjacent buildings and boundaries to identify the context of the scheme
- Photographs of the site and adjoining properties affected by the development
- Proposed developments involving 100 dwellings or more or 10,000 sq.m. floor space or more, should be accompanied by an initial outline for the proposal for the site
- Site history i.e. occupancy of the site where the proposal relates to a change of use
General Advice
There are some general points, which you should take into account before you contact us:
- Try to contact us at the earliest reasonable opportunity in your project
- Undertake some initial research yourself – our website may help. Please be aware not all planning history is available through the website. If you wish to obtain the planning history prior to submitting for pre application advice, the planning department should be contacted for the site history to be provided via the Research Service that is currently offered via our Planning Research Service
- Sound out the views of those that may be affected by your proposals
- The more information you can give us, the more helpful and accurate our response can be
- On complex issues be prepared to seek private professional advice.
Meetings with Members
In accordance with the Council’s protocol, pre-application meetings on schemes falling within the minor, major or strategic categories can involve Council Members. The charges for meetings that also involve Members will be as per the charging schedule. Please note this may have to be an additional meeting for which there will be a charge. Feedback from such meetings will be in the form of a written note of the meeting plus together with any additional information requests agreed at the meeting.
Pre application services available
Please note: There is a 20% surcharge for development related to a Planning Enforcement matter.
The following fees are exclusive of 20% VAT. VAT must be added to the total amount.
Written advice (only available on Householder proposals and/or for Listed Building advice)
- Householder £171.76
- Advice from Historic Buildings and Environment Officer £244.00*
*Please note if you require Listed Building or Conservation Area advice and planning advice you will need to pay £244.00 in additional to the pre application charge.
Meeting with written response (meeting can be on site, online via Microsoft Teams or in person)
- Householder £220.35
- Small – 1 dwelling or up to 999 square metres commercial floor area, including small changes to plant or other alterations to commercial premises. £475.00
- Minor – 2 to 9 dwellings or 1000-1,999 square metres £972.00 optional Urban Design Advice £683.00
- Major – 10 to 99 dwellings or 2,000-4,999 square metres £2,825.00 plus Urban Design advice £876.00
- Strategic – +100 dwellings or + 5,000 square metres £3,842.00 plus Urban Design advice £979.00
- Listed Buildings or Conservation Area advice - £471.38*
Please note if you require Listed Building or Conservation Area advice you will need to pay £471.38 in addition to your pre application charge.
Follow up within 6 months of receiving a previous response
- Householder £169.50
- Small – 1 dwelling or up to 999 square metres commercial floor area, including small changes to plant or other alterations to commercial premises £203.00
- Minor – 2 to 9 dwellings or 1000-1,999 square metres £226.00 optional Urban Design advice £683.00
- Major – 10 to 99 dwellings or 2,000-4,999 square metres £2,034.00 plus Urban Design advice if required £876.00
- Strategic – +100 dwellings or + 5,000 square metres £3,051.00 plus Urban Design Advice £979.00
- Listed Buildings or Conservation Area advice - £320.07
*Please note if you require Listed Building or Conservation Area advice you will need to pay £320.07 in addition to your pre application charge.
All prices are exclusive of VAT
Urban Design Advice
On all Major and Strategic pre – application submissions and on certain other submissions as considered necessary (as agreed with the planning officer) advice from Urban Design Officer will be an essential part of the pre-application service.
Highways Advice from Essex County Council
On all Major and Strategic pre-application submissions advice will be required from Essex County Council relating to highway implications for the proposal. A separate additional charge for this service will be payable. (see link in the Related Content section on this page).
Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) Advice from Essex County Council (Lead Local Flood Authority)
On all Major and Strategic pre-application submissions advice will be required from Essex County Council relating to sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) implications for the proposal. A separate additional charge for this service will be payable. (see link in the Related Content section on the right of this page). Applicants should also be aware that at planning application submission stage Essex County Council as the Lead Local Flood Authority will require the completion of a Technical Assessment Proforma. You can download the proforma from the Related Content section on this page.
This proforma identifies the information required by Essex LLFA to enable technical assessment the Designers approach to water quantity and water quality as part of SuDS design approach in compliance with Essex SuDS Design Guide. Completion of the proforma will also allow for technical assessment against Non-statutory technical standards (NSTS) for Sustainable Drainage. The proforma will accompany the site specific Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Strategy submitted as part of the planning application.
Permitted Development Enquiries
If you want written confirmation of whether an application is required you should apply for a Lawful Development Certificate. Details can be found via this link.
Disclaimer
You should be aware that any advice given by the Council in relation to pre-application enquiries will be based on the case officer's professional judgement and will not constitute a formal response or decision of the Council with regard to any future planning applications. Any views or opinions expressed, are given without prejudice to the consideration by the Council of any formal planning application, which will be subject to wider consultation and publicity. Although the case officer may indicate the likely outcome of a formal planning application, no guarantees can or will be given about the decision that will be made on any such application.
Other issues to consider
- Planning permission does not over-ride the need to obtain any necessary approvals under the Building Regulations, Party Wall Act or any other relevant legislation.
- Separate approval may also be required in other areas, for example, restrictive covenants, shared agreements, easements, rights of way etc.
- It should be noted that policies, constraints etc. change from time to time and may affect the advice given. The weight that can be given to pre-application advice will therefore decline over time
- The Council positively encourages applicants to enter into pre-application discussions but if a major or minor application is submitted without such discussions, the Council may determine the application as submitted without post submission discussions.
- Any advice given in relation to the planning history of the site, planning constraints or statutory designations does not constitute a formal response under the provisions of the Local Land Charges Act 1975.
- The provisions of The Freedom of Information Act bind the Council, as a public authority, and therefore it should be presumed that information supplied to the Council is likely to be disclosable under the above Act. If you want information to remain confidential, you should state clearly why. Information sent to the Council "in confidence" may still be disclosable under the above Act. Before sending such information you are advised to take legal advice if there are fears that disclosure would prejudice you in some commercial way
- The written advice will depend upon the information presented (please see 'what you should provide'). Advice will usually be in the form of a written report considering the areas identified above.
Freedom of Information Act
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires us to make all documents available to members of the public, if requested. Pre-application advice can only be treated as confidential if there are clearly demonstrable issues of commercial sensitivity or other significant reasons why this information may not be made public. (Any enquiry in this category should be clearly marked as confidential, stating why the information would be exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000). If a planning application is made as a result of pre-application advice, all documentation may be publicly available, as they will form background papers to the application.