Advice Before Making Applications

Before you submit your planning application, we would encourage you to discuss your proposals with a planning officer and receive advice from us first. It is hoped that this scheme will help to speed up the development process.

The council considers pre-application advice to be primarily of benefit to the applicant and indeed may help to minimise their costs of subsequent planning applications or avoid submitting one where the proposal is completely unacceptable.

For further information on the advice we provide regarding our committment to you and also of the details we ask you to provide, please see our Pre-Application Protocol.

Why should I obtain pre-application advice?

Pre-application advice will help you:

• Identify aspects of your proposal that may need amending
• Identify specific reports, documents and drawings required when submitting your formal application
• Receive advice on any consultation you should carry out before submitting your application
• Find out how we apply Government, Regional and Local Policies and other material considerations that will be applied to your proposed development
• Learn about Planning Obligations (known as Section 106 Agreements that are sometimes applicable to minor and major applications)

Pre-application advice will:

• Increase your chances of submitting a successful planning application
• Avoid delays as a result of changes, amendments or unforeseen issues
• Help ensure any relevant Section 106 Agreement is completed in time
• Save you costs on a potential re-submission

Charges for pre-application advice

A scale of charges will apply from 1st April 2011.

The charges are dependent on the complexity of the proposed development and the level of response and advice sought by the applicant.

These fees cover administrative costs, officers’ time for research, assessment, a meeting as necessary and a written response as necessary. Payment will be required in advance.

The Council can also provide Specialist Advice for Tree Preservation Orders, Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas. Such advice will incur additional charges.

There will not be a fee for people who would like:

• Help in understanding the details of a submitted planning application
• Help in completing the application forms or guidance on the application process of a planning application
• Help to understand the conditions of a planning application
• Help submitting comments on a planning application
  

IMPORTANT NOTE: Any advice given will be accurate and objective but will be without prejudice to the formal consideration of an application.  It is given in good faith based on relevant issues in place at the time of consideration.  The level of advice will also depend upon the level on information that you supply at the outset and is no substitute to you carrying out proper research and survey work.  It is your responsibility to make sure that you are familiar with and have taken into account all our policy requirements and you will still need to make sure that you demonstrate that the application is acceptable.  Speaking to a planning officer will not in itself suffice. It is your responsibility to make sure that the application is acceptable in all respects. We make no guarantee that any planning application will subsequently be either recommended for approval or automatically granted planning permission. The final decision on any forthcoming planning application can only be taken after Hart District Council has consulted local people, statutory consultees and other interested parties.