How to make a planning application

If you want advice on your proposed development before you submit an application, please submit a pre-application enquiry in order to:

• ensure that your proposals comply with our planning policies
• identify and sort out any obvious problems with your proposal before you submit your planning application
• make sure that your application has all the information and plans that we need to deal with it when it is submitted
• reduce the need to have more discussions with you after the application is submitted, meaning that your application may be dealt with more quickly 

Please watch our video for more information.

How to submit a planning pre-application enquiry

All pre-application advice requests require to be made using our Planning pre-application enquiry online form. 
The form requires you to upload the following as part of your enquiry:

Essential:

• All dimensions/scales shown in metric
• A location plan (scale 1:1250 or 1:2500 or 1:5000 for rural sites)
• The proposed site outlined in red and any other land owned/controlled by the applicant outlined in blue
• A plan showing indicative details of site access and drainage provision
• Site layout plans and site sections (1:200 or 1:500 scale) (not necessary for small scale development)
• Sketches and/or elevation drawings (scale of 1:100 or 1:50) of the proposed development

Helpful:

• Photographs of site
• Draft design and/or design and access statement

This will help us to:

• see what the main issues may be
• decide whether to consult other services on your proposal (for example Roads and Transportation or Environmental Services)

If a meeting is required, this will take place using Microsoft Teams.

What happens next

In our written response to you, we will advise you on:

• any planning policies, proposals or previous decisions that may be relevant to your proposal (copies of relevant published guidance may be given on request)
• advice on all relevant planning matters such as design, parking, effect on neighbouring properties
• any obvious problems with your proposal and, if possible, how they could be overcome
• advice on the type of information and plans that you should include with your planning application
• *whether your proposal is likely to get planning permission
• help (if required) on completing the planning application form, fees and on what will happen to your application after you submit it to us
• how long it may take before we can make a decision on your application
• the need for any other permissions that you may need such as a building warrant or roads construction consent

*Please note that any comments that we give you at this point will only be advisory. Your proposal can only be properly assessed and a formal decision made on it after your application is submitted, full consultation has taken place and the public is given the opportunity to comment on the application. Your application may require to be decided by a committee, depending on the nature and scale of the proposal.

If you then submit an application, please remember to tick the box that asks if you have had any pre-application discussions on the proposal and add the name of the officer involved.

Planning application forms

For planning and other application forms including advertisement consent and listed building consent, please see How to make a planning application.

Copies of plans and decision notices

Plans and decision notices for planning applications since June 2009 can be viewed online using the planning application portal

If you want to request a copy of the plans or a decision notice before this time, please complete the online request form.

Payment is required upfront when submitting the form, ensure you have your card payment details ready.

• We aim to respond to your request within 10 working days from the date the application and fee has been received.
• Restrictions in copying or viewing documents may apply in certain circumstances, for example where security concerns have been highlighted.
• The fee is non-refundable should the requested information be unavailable.

Charges

Search and copy of planning decision notice - £17.43.

Search and copy of plans/supporting documentation - fee will be confirmed following an initial search – a minimum fee of £17.43 applies and must be paid at the time of submission of your application, further costs may be incurred depending on the level of information requested.

Further information

There is a list of local and statutory development plans that may be helpful when starting your application process. Please see our development plans.