Submitting a planning application can involve considerable time, design work and financial commitment. However, before reaching that stage, there is often an opportunity to understand how the Local Planning Authority (LPA) is likely to view the principle of a proposal through the pre-application process.

A pre-application does not need to be a fully resolved design. Instead, its purpose is to present the concept clearly enough for the planning authority to understand what is being proposed and provide an initial view on whether the development could be considered acceptable in principle.

Testing the Principle

At pre-application stage, the focus is often on the fundamental planning questions. Is the proposed use appropriate? Is development of this scale likely to be supported? Does the principle align with local planning policy? Are there particular constraints that will need to be addressed?

This allows these important questions to be explored before significant resources are committed to developing a detailed scheme.

The clearer the concept presented at this stage, the more targeted the response can be. Rather than producing excessive design information, the aim should be to provide the LPA with enough to understand the proposal, its relationship with the site and the planning considerations it raises.

Creating a Route Towards Planning Permission

Where the principle of development receives a positive response, the pre-application advice can become particularly valuable.

The LPA may identify matters that should be addressed within the eventual planning application, such as scale, access, appearance, neighbouring amenity, heritage, landscape or supporting technical information. This effectively provides the design team with a clearer understanding of what the authority expects to see as the proposal develops.

The full planning application can then be prepared with this guidance in mind. Instead of developing a scheme without knowing the authority’s position, the project progresses with a much clearer direction and an understanding of the issues that are likely to influence the planning decision.

From Pre-Application to Full Application

Pre-application advice cannot guarantee planning permission, and the full proposal will still need to be assessed through the formal planning process. However, there is a significant difference between submitting an application without prior dialogue and submitting one that has been developed in response to feedback from the LPA.

A clear pre-application concept can lead to a more focused response. A more focused response provides better guidance. Better guidance allows the subsequent design and planning submission to respond directly to the matters the LPA considers important.

At Walters Architects, we see this as one of the greatest benefits of the pre-application process. It provides an opportunity to establish the planning authority’s position early, understand the potential route forward and develop the full application accordingly.

When used effectively, a pre-application is not simply an additional stage before planning. It can provide the framework upon which a stronger and more informed planning application is built.