Pre Planning Application - What do the council want

[platforminc]

Hi All,


I would like to understand what the council mean with regards to pre-planning application, some of the things I understand, the others I am unsure about. Will someone please be kind enough to expand/explain. the proposal is to build a detached 4 bed house on a plot of land which is part of a side garden of an existing dwelling. At this stage, I do not require full planning, just a pre-planning advice.

An example of what the council require in terms of a picture or a reference would be greatly appreciated.

• a description of the proposed development and schedule of proposed uses ( I understand this)
• a site location plan (scale 1:1250) ( This can be purchased from land registry right ?)
• photographs and sketch drawings showing the site, buildings and trees as existing, together with the schedule of uses (Can someone please explain)
• outline of the proposal (on plans scale 1:200) (Can someone please explain)
• sketch drawings showing height / scale of development (Can someone please explain)
• information on affordable housing where appropriate (Not applicable)
• available information on traffic generation, servicing, access arrangements and parking. This should normally include as a minimum the initial scoping report on transport issues. (Can someone please explain)

 

[^woody^]

• photographs and sketch drawings showing the site, buildings and trees as existing, together with the schedule of uses (Can someone please explain)

• Photographs from a camera

• drawings showing the site, buildings and trees

• write on the drawing what the buildings and land is being used for

• outline of the proposal (on plans scale 1:200) (Can someone please explain)

• draw what you are doing looking down from the sky

• sketch drawings showing height / scale of development (Can someone please explain)

• draw what you are doing looking sideways as if standing up

• available information on traffic generation, servicing, access arrangements and parking. This should normally include as a minimum the initial scoping report on transport issues. (Can someone please explain)

• provide this if you are doing anything at will affect vehicle access, egress, traffic flow or parking on or off your land.

TBH, I'd hire someone that knows what they are doing

 

[platforminc]

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

The outline plan, is that almost the same as a roof plan ?
Height/Scale of the development, is that like a front elevation showing the height up to the soffit board and also the topmost section of the hip roof ?

 

[^woody^]

Yes "outline plan" is like a map view where you have rectangles for the houses, and boundary lines, significant trees, roads, paths etc. The idea is that the planners want to see your proposal in context of the site and surroundings.

Likewise for height and scale - the elevation views in context of the site and surroundings, including whether the site is level or sloping. The planners want to see your proposal compare the the neighbouring buildings or land.

Bare in mind that the planers only comment on whatever info you provide. If the info is wrong, or incomplete, then you get a wrong incomplete opinion, and that could significantly affect the viability of the proposal. That's why you need to know what info to provide, and equally what info may be best not to provide, the policies the planners will asses it by, and how to present it.

 

[LukeB123]

The outline plan, is that almost the same as a roof plan ?

Block plan / site plan.

Basically the Authority is going to want to know as much as possible about what you are proposing. Where, What, how high, how many beds, parking, garden etc. Without some of the information they may not be able to give advice in regards to the suitability of the scheme (effect on privacy, street scene, outlook, sunlight etc)

EDIT: woody beat me to it

 

[Nakajo]

Oh Woody, keep your mental clothes on.

 

[Leofric]

In my opinion with the amount of information they require nowadays for pre planning advice you are half way to submitting a planning application !

 

[nickjb]

If you go onto the council website they will have all planning applications on-line. Download a few completed and approved ones and you will see what they look like. With a bit of searching you might even find one pretty similar, especially if your house is a standard style.

 

[Mottie]

This is what I had done for a piece of land I own in London. It was a bit of an irregular shape but it got planning permission. Don’t think I’ll build it myself thought - I’ll sell it with planning permission when I’m ready. If you don’t know what you’re doing, as said, it might be best to employ someone to do it all including the submission and dealing with amendments and talking with the planning department. That’s what I did and when permission was refused for two one-bed flats it was redrawn and submitted as a 3 bed house for no extra charge. I agreed a fixed price of £1,800 (with a reduced fee of £900 if unsuccessful) but I don’t know whether that was cheap, expensive or about the going rate. Thinking about it, I’ve only paid £750 so far and I’ve never been asked for the rest!

 

[foxhole]

A lot of councils will be ok to discuss any queries before you submit application, make an appointment.
My architect knew the planning people and got a view on proposed plans before they were submitted which allowed modifications which kept planning happy.

 

[Mottie]

This is what they want in Newham. Nothings free there nowdays. Cheaper to just have plans drawn up and submitted, which is what I did.

 

[Nakajo]

Pre-app advice is useful where you have a couple of different options about how you might develop and extend a property. It's counter-productive when you don't. Under those circumstances, it's often cheaper (though not necessarily quicker) to just go through the planning application process two or three times.

 

[Leofric]

Motman , you might not have known the going rate but you must know it can't be right to only pay £750 for a service when you agreed £1800 for somebody to prepare a planning application and obtain planning permission for your scheme. You haven't paid half the amount agreed and less than the £900 agreed if planning permission was refused ! Planning permission will have increased the value of your plot by tens of thousands of pounds , and £1800 is probably about the going rate for the fee charged by an architectural practice ,less if the work was done by an architectural employee doing the work freelance in their spare time.

 

[Mottie]

Not that it’s any of your business and although I eventually got the result I was after, it took nearly 2 years to do it (pretty sure she was doing it 'on the side' in her spare time) so good job I wasn’t in a hurry. I engaged her in Feb 2016, gave her a deposit and I didn’t get get permission until Dec 17. Is that a normal time span - come on FFS, how long does it take to draw up a set of plans? I did tell her I would like a planning decision by July 2016 as I had a possible window of opportunity to either start the build or sell up around that time and she gave no indication that that was not possible. Same again for an opportunity nearly a year after the first one. It wasn’t until I told her I wanted my money back after my first window of opportunity had passed that she drew some plans up within the week. Took ages to submit them and even longer to amend them when they were initially refused. Calls not returned, kept going off the radar for months at a time, always on holiday etc. Haven’t heard from her for nearly a year now. If and when she gets back in touch for her money, I’ll pay up with no problem but for now I'm doing no different to her as she did to me.

 

[Leofric]

Motman , yes, none of my business really but you did post the information on here in the first place for any forum member to see ! However, I can see that you were messed about and the timescales you mention are not normal for a scheme like yours on a small plot. Anyway, say no more , I'll leave it with you.
Regards