Apply and pay for pre-applicaton advice

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.