For most development proposals, a Pre-Application Enquiry is a good place to start.
It is a service provided by the Local Planning Authority which gives an indication as to whether the principle of development would be supported by the Council, based on its interpretation and implementation of local and national planning policy.
It can also provide feedback on design and technical issues, such as access and drainage. Although there are occasions where this stage may not be necessary, incorporating it into the planning process can have a range of benefits including reducing risk, formulating a budget, and ensuring you are cost effective. A positive response from the Council can potentially help increase land price by demonstrating ‘hope value’.
For major developments it may be necessary to screen the proposal against the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations to determine whether an Environmental Statement will be required as part of the planning application.
We will deal with this process in a timely manner to avoid project delays and when necessary, we will undertake further scoping to confirm the exact level of information required for an EIA preventing unnecessary costs.
