Pre-application advice

A Simple Introduction from Our Experience

Submitting a full planning application can be a significant investment of time, effort, and money. At London Extend, we believe this crucial step should never be taken "blind," especially for ambitious or complex projects. This is where Pre-application Advice comes in.

Think of it as showing an examiner your detailed essay plan before you commit to writing the full 10,000-word dissertation. It is a formal process that allows you to have a structured dialogue with your local council, present your initial ideas, and get invaluable early feedback. A well-managed pre-application process can identify potential "deal-breaker" issues, highlight opportunities you hadn't considered, and ultimately shape a proposal that has a much stronger chance of first-time success.

The Concept in Plain English: What is Pre-Application Advice?

Pre-application advice is a formal, paid-for service offered by all local planning authorities. It provides a channel for you to present the details of a proposed development to a planning officer before you make a formal application.

The process is straightforward: you prepare a package of information about your project and submit it to the council for their review. The quality and depth of the advice you receive back is directly proportional to the quality and clarity of the information you provide. After reviewing your submission, and potentially conducting a site visit or meeting (often for an additional fee), the council will issue a formal advice letter.

A comprehensive pre-application response should typically include:

• The Officer's Opinion: An initial, informal view on whether the proposal is likely to be supported or refused, based on the information provided.

• Key Planning Policies: A list of the most relevant national, London-wide, and local planning policies that your project will be judged against.

• Submission Requirements: A checklist of any specialist reports, drawings, or surveys that would be required for a valid planning application (e.g., a tree survey, heritage statement, or transport assessment).

• Constraints and Opportunities: Identification of any major planning constraints (such as being in a flood zone or conservation area) and advice on how these challenges might be overcome.

Crucially, the pre-application process is confidential and the details are not made public unless and until a formal planning application is submitted.

How This Impacts Your Project in London

In the uniquely complex and high-stakes London planning environment, the pre-application process is not just helpful—it is often essential.

• Tiered and Costly Services: London boroughs typically offer a tiered menu of pre-application services, with fees that can be substantial. These can range from a basic written response for a simple householder extension to a multi-meeting "Development Team Approach" for major projects, involving senior officers from multiple council departments.

• Essential for Complex Projects: From our extensive experience, seeking pre-application advice is virtually non-negotiable for sensitive or complex London projects. This includes any significant works in Conservation Areas, developments involving new basements, or new-build homes on tight infill sites. The policy landscape and political sensitivity are simply too high to proceed without this initial engagement.

• Access to Key Specialists: One of the greatest benefits in London is gaining access to the council's over-stretched specialist officers. The pre-application process is often the best—and sometimes only—way to get early, direct input from crucial figures like the borough's Heritage and Conservation Officers, transport planners, or urban design team.

The Benefits vs. The Limitations: A Realistic View

Engaging in the pre-application process is a strategic decision that comes with significant potential benefits, but also some important limitations that you need to understand.

The Benefits:

• De-risking Your Investment: It can save you a vast amount of money on abortive architectural fees and specialist reports by identifying fundamental planning objections at a very early stage.

• Shaping a Better Proposal: The feedback allows you to amend and improve your design to address the council's concerns before you formally submit, significantly increasing the likelihood of approval.

• Building a Positive Dialogue: It establishes a constructive relationship with the planning officer who may eventually handle your formal application.

The Limitations:

• The Advice is Non-Binding: This is the most important caveat. The advice provided is an officer's informal opinion at a specific point in time. It does not legally bind the council to a future decision. A different officer or a planning committee could ultimately come to a different conclusion. That said, a council would need to provide strong planning reasons to completely contradict its own formal written advice.

• Quality Can Vary: The quality, detail, and usefulness of pre-application advice can vary between boroughs and is often dependent on individual officer experience and their current workload. Sometimes the advice can be generic and less helpful than anticipated.

Our Concluding Advice: Maximising the Value

While the official pre-application process has its limitations, its strategic value is immense when navigated correctly. The key is not just to ask for advice, but to ask the right questions and provide the right information to elicit the most useful possible response.

An effective pre-application submission is a skill. At London Extend, we manage this entire process on behalf of our clients. We craft detailed, professional submissions with clear drawings and targeted questions designed to extract the maximum strategic value. Our expertise turns a potentially generic exchange into a powerful tool that provides genuine clarity, highlights the path of least resistance, and lays the groundwork for a successful formal planning application.