Get advice

Before you apply for planning permission, it’s a good idea to meet or speak to a planning officer for pre-application advice.

This will help you find out what you may need to provide in your application to get your planning proposals approved.

This is especially important if your proposal affects a listed building or a building in a conservation area.

Advice for homeowners

As a homeowner your work is likely to fall under householder development.

Your work will be a householder development if it’s for:

  • an extension to a dwelling, outbuilding or other development within the garden, not a new dwelling
  • a garage
  • roof alterations
  • crossovers (dropped kerbs)
  • hardstanding (driveways)

Find out about pre-application advice for householder developments

Advice for business owners

As a business owner your work is likely to fall under minor development.

Your work will be a minor development if it’s for:

  • 1 to 9 residential units
  • floor space up to 999 square metres
  • shopfronts
  • advertisements
  • air conditioning or ventilation equipment
  • telecommunications 
  • listed building consent, repairs or pre-purchase advice (written advice)
  • trees

Find out about pre-application advice for minor developments

Advice for developers

If you're a developer, the advice you get will depend on if your work is a major or a strategic development.

Find out about our pre-application advice for major developments

Find out about pre-application advice for strategic developments

Presentation to members

A presentation to members lets you engage with members early on so you can answer any questions, amend the scheme and supply any extra information needed. It also gives members a better understanding of the scheme in preparation for the Planning Committee.

This is best suited for significant or complex proposals such as major and strategic developments, and will need to be agreed with your relevant area planning manager.

Planning performance agreement (PPA)

For major and strategic developments, we also like to agree a planning performance agreement. A PPA lets local planning authorities and applicants agree timescales, actions and resources for handling certain applications.