Pre-Application Guidance Notes
Local Planning Authority Pre-Application Services
The Town and Country Planning (Pre-Application Services) (Wales) Regulations 2016 require all local planning authorities (LPAs) in Wales to provide a statutory pre-application service.
Pre-Application Development Categories
The LPA’s Pre-Application Service recognises four categories of development:
1. Householder
The type of developments included in this category:
Extensions or alterations to single dwellings, loft conversions, garages, sheds, summerhouses, walls fences, vehicular accesses, etc.
2. Minor Development
The types of developments included in this category are:
- 1-9 residential dwellings (including conversion)
- Where the number of dwellings to be created is not known but the site area does not exceed 0.49ha
- Up to 999m2 of commercial floor space
- Where the commercial gross floor space to be created is not known but the site area does not exceed 0.49ha
- Material change of use of a building where the gross floor space of the proposed development does not exceed 999m2
- Material change of use of land where the site of the proposed development does not exceed 0.49ha
3. Major Development
The types of developments included in this category are:
- 10 – 24 residential dwellings (including conversion)
- Where the number of dwellings to be created is not known but the site area is between 0.5ha and 0.99ha
- Between 1,000m2 and 1,999m2 of commercial floor space
- Where the commercial gross floor space to be created is not known but the site area is between 0.5ha and 0.99ha
- Material change of use of a building where the gross floor space of the proposed development is between 1,000m2 and 1,999m2
- Material change of use of land where the site of the proposed development is between 0.5ha and 0.99ha
- The winning and working of minerals or the use of land for mineral working deposits
- Waste development
4. Large Major Development
The types of developments included in this category are:
- 25 residential dwellings or more (including conversion)
- Where the number of dwellings to be created is not known but the site area exceeds 0.99ha
- Commercial floor space exceeding 1,999m2
- Where the commercial gross floor space to be created is not known but the site area exceeds 0.99ha
- Material change of use of a building where the gross floor space of the proposed development exceeds 1,999m2
- Material change of use of land where the site of the proposed development exceeds 0.99ha
Making a Pre-Application submission
1. Householder
It is not mandatory to submit a request for Pre-Application advice prior to the submission of a Planning Application if your development falls into this category of work.
Applicants should submit a completed pre-application advice enquiry form containing the following information on their proposal to enable the LPA to provide planning advice.
- Name, address and contact details
- Description of the proposal (including an indication of increase in floor space, and / or number of new units proposed)
- Site Address
- Location Plan
- Fee
2. Minor Development
It is not mandatory to submit a request for Pre-Application advice prior to the submission of a Planning Application if your development falls into this category of work.
Applicants should submit a completed pre-application advice enquiry form containing the following information on their proposal to enable the LPA to provide planning advice.
- Name, address and contact details
- Description of the proposal (including an indication of increase in floor space, and / or number of new units proposed)
- Site Address
- Location Plan
- Fee
3. Major Development
It is mandatory to submit a Pre-Application Consultation document prior to submission of a Planning Application which falls into this category. Guidance on what the applicant/developer is required to submit as the Pre-Application Consultation pack is given on the Welsh Government’s website.
The pre-application pack will provide the base information for the planning application and any refinements can be made to the proposals at this stage during discussion with the LPA.
Any modifications to the proposals following the submission of a planning application within this category will incur a fee of £283.
4. Large Major Development
It is mandatory to submit a Pre-Application Consultation document prior to submission of a Planning Application which falls into this category. Guidance on what the applicant / developer is required to submit as the Pre-Application Consultation pack is given on the Welsh Government’s website.
The pre-application pack will provide the base information for the planning application and any refinements can be made to the proposals at this stage during discussion with the LPA.
Any modifications to the proposals following the submission of a planning application within this category will incur a fee of £283.
Pre-Application Advice and Consultation
The LPAs will provide a written response to all valid pre-application enquiries within 21 days, unless an extension of time is agreed between the authority and applicant.
As a minimum, applicants for householder developments should expect to receive the following information within their written response:
- The relevant planning history of the site
- The relevant development plan policies against which the development proposal will be assessed
- Relevant supplementary planning guidance (i.e. design, conservation etc.)
- Any other material planning considerations
- An initial assessment of the proposed development, based on the information above
For all other development proposals, applicants should receive all the information outlined above, as well as whether any Section 106 or Community Infrastructure Levy contributions are likely to be sought and an indication of the scope and amount of these contributions.
Without payment of the appropriate fee, the LPA will be under no obligation to accept a pre-application enquiry form.
If, in the opinion of the LPA, a pre-application enquiry form is submitted without the correct fee, the LPA should explain to the applicant as soon as possible in writing that the pre-application service cannot begin until the correct fee is received and identify what payment is due.
If a fee is paid to the LPA but the pre-application enquiry is subsequently rejected as being invalid for any reason except for payment of an incorrect fee, the fee will be refunded.
The provisions contained within the Development Management Procedures Wales Order 2016 for pre-application consultation in respect of applications for major and large major development will come into force in March 2016 the requirement for applicants to submit the pre-application consultation report (PAC) will not be a validation requirement for applications made before 01 August 2016.
This transition period will allow prospective applicants who will be submitting after the 01 August to undertake pre-application consultation, and will place a duty on statutory consultees to provide substantive responses within 28 days to these requests. However, it will not prejudice applicants who are due to imminently submit a planning application, and would find that it would not be valid because the statutory requirements of the pre-application process have not been undertaken.
Fees
The fees to be charged for statutory pre-application services for each development category are as follows:
- Householder - £33
- Minor development - £332
- Major development - £797
- Large major development - £1328
Additional non statutory Pre-Application services are offered to cover Listed Buildings, which are charged at £53 per half hour.
Site visits are also charged at £53 per half hour.