Batcheller Monkhouse Chartered Town Planners have the experience and knowledge to advise and guide clients through the planning system. Offices covering Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire.
As planning consultants, the experts at Batcheller Monkhouse often get asked by clients, “Is seeking pre-application advice before submitting a planning application worth the effort? The simple answer is, more often than not, yes, it is. However, the value of doing so will vary considerably dependent on the context of the project, the nature of pre-application advice offered and the quality of the information submitted.
Former care home consent to convert
We have recently seen the direct benefits of discussing a proposal before submitting an application, particularly on rural and semi-rural/edge of settlement sites where the principle of development is in many cases in debate. In one example, extensive pre-application dialogue was entered into with the Local Authority following a previous, unsuccessful application for a residential conversion/redevelopment scheme, of a redundant care home. The site had numerous constraints including AONB/Green Belt location and the existing building forming a non-designated heritage asset (a continuing issue in planning worthy of its own column!).
Multiple meetings with the heritage and planning officers were held, with many iterations of design discussed. As a result of this dialogue, when a second application was finally submitted, the application received no objection from any statutory consultee including the Conservation Team and the application proceeded straight to resolution without any further amendment required. This was an almost complete reversal of the previous position!
It is worth noting that not all suggestions made by the Heritage and Planning Officer were adopted but it does show that sometimes the value of pre-application engagement is as much about giving the Local Authority the opportunity to be involved in the formulation of a scheme as it is them directing the specific content. In many cases having a strong steer on the Council’s preference will be helpful and the best way of securing this is through effective dialogue and consultation.
Yard with consent for conversion
If we want to know whether something is likely to be acceptable in principle without working through detailed issues, we will often make a simple request for written advice as a low cost means of securing an in-principle, view from a Local Authority. On the other hand if there are more detailed issues that are of concern then we may advise that more detailed submissions are made to be discussed in person at a meeting. The choice of course, must be tailored to the needs of the individual and their project but there is almost always value in engaging at an early stage.
Quality of submissions made to the Council has a direct impact on the value of the process. In loose terms the more information you can provide and the better prepared you can be in presenting your proposal to the Council, the better the quality of advice you can expect to receive.
At a time where Local Authority Planning departments are but one of the many areas of Local Government feeling the pressures of under resourcing and lack of funding, the level of pre-application service that is provided can be varied. In some cases, the Council may not offer the service at all but where it is available it is worth considering as a means of steering your scheme in the right direction and heading off any issues and concerns from the outset.
