Pre-application advice for planning, highways and drainage

Where you have submitted a pre-application request, we make the following commitments:

1. We will acknowledge receipt of requests within five working days, outlining a response due date.
2. We will advise you if your request is invalid, explaining the reasons why and allowing you time to submit any missing information. If a fee has been submitted for advice without all the necessary information, and the information is not received within 20 working days following a request, the fee will be returned with £35 deduction for administration costs. We do not refund fees following the validation of a pre-application submission.
3. We will provide services tailored to the needs of each development proposal, shown indicatively in the pre-application service summary pages, and will adopt a proportionate and flexible approach.
4. We will work constructively to identify what needs to be done to achieve sustainable development in accordance with the Development Plan, National Planning Policy and other material considerations, but we will also be clear where significantly policy and technical conflicts are unlikely to be resolved. Our professional advice will always be in good faith, but this will not be binding on the council, and is given without prejudice, based upon the information available at the time when development proposals are submitted. If an application is subsequently submitted which fails to take on board advice given by officers, then the council may refuse it without further discussion with the applicant or their agent.
5. We will provide initial basic advice on aspects such as transport, drainage, community facilities and open space, conservation and landscape, trees and ecology as appropriate. If more specialist technical advice is requested this may be subject to a further fee.
6. We will provide an indication of the measures required to mitigate the impacts of development and their possible inclusion in a Section 106 agreement.