Apply and pay for pre-applicaton advice

During February and March 2021, we received a high number of householder and minor planning applications. Because of this and staff sickness, we’re not providing pre-application advice for medium and small-scale developments at the moment, although advice on major applications and listed buildings will continue to be available. For further information see Pre application planning advice service.

How to get pre-application advice

When you submit your request for pre-application advice it’s important that you:

  • submit the supporting documents and drawings
  • pay the correct fee

The quality of the advice we can give depends on the information you submit.

You have a maximum of 3 weeks to pay. We will withdraw your application without notice if the correct fee has not been sent within 3 weeks.

We will start working on your submission when we’ve received everything, including any additional fees for a site visit or involvement of specialist officers 

How much pre-application advice costs

The cost depends on the size of your development.

There are extra costs (including VAT) if we need to:

  • do a site visit - this costs £80 per hour, per planning officer 
  • involve other council officers - this costs £72 per hour, per specialist

We will contact you to make arrangements and agree any extra costs before we start working on your submission.

Large scale developments (major proposals)

  • Written response costs £300 
  • Meeting and written response costs £900 

Medium scale developments

  • Written response costs £228 
  • Meeting and written response costs £678 

Small scale developments and listed buildings

  • Written response costs £114 
  • Meeting and written response costs £414 

Large scale developments include

  • Residential - 10 or more units/dwellings of residential accommodation
  • Site area exceeding 0.5 hectares where it is not known how many units are being created
  • Non-residential development of 1000 square metres or more
  • Development site area is 1 hectare or more

We also offer DesignPLACE reviews for all major proposals for the city. 

Medium scale developments include

  • Residential developments up to 10 dwellings
  • Commercial developments up to 1000 square metres of floorspace
  • Change of use (including House in Multiple Occupation (HMO)
  • Prior approval changes of use
  • Telecommunications Equipment

Small scale developments include

  • All householder developments (extension, conversions, lofts, windows, porches, garages and outbuildings, swimming pools, walls and fences, hardstandings and access for vehicles, satellite dishes)
  • Certificates of lawful development
  • Shopfronts
  • Advertisements
  • Listed building proposals - all internal and some external alterations to Listed Buildings that fall in the small scale category (including boundary walls)

Further information

Find out more about our pre-application advice service.

Find out about DesignPLACE review.