Pre-Application Advice

Community infrastructure levy (CIL)

Pre-application advice
How do I access pre-application advice
Planning Performance Agreement Charter
Schedule of Pre-Application Advice fees

Pre-application advice

The Council operates a confidential pre-application advice service for which it charges a fee that is commensurate to the scale and type of proposal.

There is no requirement for applicants to seek pre-application advice, but there are significant benefits to be gained from pre-application discussions with the Council. Encouragement of member liaison is always recommended to establish the views of the community and this can also be undertaken at the applicants request. It is emphasised however that Planning Committee Members must not be lobbied and pre-determination of Members sitting on Committee will not occur. Confidential pre-application advice will be sought from statutory consultees and other relevant parties.

The process includes:

identifying any initial problems that may prevent a proposal from gaining planning permission, thus speeding up decision-making on your planning application by reducing the levels of negotiation and amendment;
identifying proposals that are unlikely to be acceptable, saving the time and cost of a wasted application; and
advice on the information likely to be required to accompany the application.

Our pre-application service offers clear, impartial and professional advice on a range of proposals from house extensions to major residential and commercial developments. Details of pre-application fees from April 2024 may be found in the Schedule of Pre-Application Advice Fees. Additional meetings will be charged based on covering the officer(s) time on an hourly rate.

For more advice on tree enquiries, please visit the tree enquiry webpage.

If your only query is whether you are likely to require planning permission for domestic development proposals (e.g. house extensions; satellite dishes) please visit our Do I Need Planning Permission page.

How do I access pre-application advice?

Prospective applicants seeking pre-application advice are required to complete a Request for Pre-application Advice form. Paper copies are also available at our reception at Queen’s Buildings, Worksop. Completed paper forms can either be sent to the Planning Department through the post or emailed directly to planning@bassetlaw.gov.uk

This form sets out the information that is expected from service users in order for the request to be valid (in addition to the correct fee). It includes as a minimum:

your name, address and contact details;
a site plan (at 1:1250 scale);
details of your proposals for the site; and
Use Class details.

If not completing the online form you will also need to include the correct fee. This can be paid by cheque (made payable to Bassetlaw District Council) or you can contact Planning Services on 01909 534430 and pay by debit or credit card.

Advice from Historic England

Where a planning or listed building consent application is notifiable to Historic England, applicants are advised to contact Historic England through their Enhanced Advisory Service.

Notifiable applications include:

For development that would affect the setting of a Grade I or Grade II* listed building.
For development involving the demolition, in whole or part, or the material alteration of Grade I or II* listed buildings.
For development that would affect the character and appearance of a conservation area where the development involves the erection of a new building or the extension of an existing building, and the area of land in respect of which the application is made is more than 1,000 square metres.
For development likely to affect the site of a scheduled monument.
For development likely to affect a registered battlefield or a grade I or II* park or garden on Historic England’s Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.
For works in respect of a Grade I or II* listed building (Listed Building Consent).

Planning Performance Agreement Charter

A Planning Performance Agreement (PPA) is a framework in which parties come together to agree how they are going to take a development proposal through the planning process. PPAs are voluntary agreements whose purpose is to deliver high quality sustainable development that is based on a clear vision and development objectives, to an agreed project plan and work programme in a constructive, collaborative and open manner.

Paragraph 46 of the revised NPPF (2018) advises that applicants and local planning authorities should consider the potential for voluntary planning performance agreements where this might achieve a faster and more effective application process. Planning performance agreements are likely to be needed for applications that are particularly large or complex to determine.

All parties involved in a PPA with Bassetlaw District Council are expected to adhere to the Planning Performance Agreement Charter 2018.

Large scale major and complex Major applications, applications for a programme of ongoing works where particular complexities arise and the development of a Supplementary

Planning Document or Masterplan prior to pre-application discussions may all be suitable for PPAs.

Planning Performance Agreement Charter

Schedule of Pre-Application Advice fees

April 2024

Type of Development	Fee
Large Scale Major development Residential development of 200 or more houses or where the number of houses is not known the site area is 4 hectares or more; New floorspace of 10,000 sqm or more or where the site area is 2 hectares or more; Development subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).	£2056 (including VAT). This would cover a site visit, up to three 1-hour meetings with the case officer and one letter. Fixed fee and hourly rate for follow-up advice to be agreed.
Medium scale major development Residential development of between 50 and 199 houses (inclusive) or where the number of houses is not known the site area if between 1.5 hectares and 4 hectares (inclusive) New floorspace of between 2,500 and 9,999 square metres or where the site area is more than 1.5 hectare and less than 2 hectares (inclusive).	£1411 (including VAT). This would cover a site visit, up to two 1-hour meetings with the case officer and one letter. Fixed fee and hourly rate for follow-up advice to be agreed.
Small scale major development Residential development of between 10 and 49 houses (inclusive) or where the number of houses is not known the site area is between 0.5 hectares and 1.5 hectares (inclusive) New floorspace of between 1,000 and 2,499 square metres or where the site area is more than 1 hectare and less than 1.5 hectares (inclusive).	£931 (including VAT). This would cover a site visit, up to two 1-hour meetings with the case officer and one letter. Fixed fee and hourly rate for follow-up advice to be agreed.
Minor development e.g. Residential development of between 3 and 9 dwellings or where the number of houses is not known the site area is below 0.5 hectares (inclusive); New floorspace of between 300 square metres and 1,000 square metres or where the site area is between 0.2 and 1 hectare (inclusive); Telecommunications development	£595 (including VAT). This would cover a site visit, one 1-hour meeting with the case officer and one letter Fixed fee and hourly rate for follow-up advice to be agreed.
All other development: Residential development of 1 or 2 dwellings; New floorspace of less than 300 square metres (inclusive); Change of use of existing buildings; Planning permission for relevant demolition in a conservation area; Advert Consent.	£265 (including VAT). This would cover a site visit, one 1-hour meeting with the case officer and one letter. Fixed fee and hourly rate for follow-up advice to be agreed.
Householder Application Enquiries (Domestic) Proposals which do need planning permission (requests for this information/confirmation can be made for a further fee of £71 including VAT – see “Do I Need Planning Permission?” web page) and only include alterations to existing buildings/structures.	£71 (including VAT). This would cover one letter. Fixed fee and hourly rate for follow-up advice to be agreed.
Variation of a s106 legal agreement enquires Varying part of a signed s106 agreement	£59 (including VAT). This would cover one letter. Fixed fee and hourly rate for follow-up advice to be agreed.
Tree enquiries Proposals to trees within the curtilage of domestic properties For non-domestic properties, a bespoke charging schedule (based on officer time) and programme of works can be prepared.	£78 (including VAT). This would cover one letter (and a site visit if it is necessary). Fixed fee and hourly rate for follow-up advice to be agreed.
In instances where a development proposal may fall within two categories (it may, for example, require both planning permission and an associated Listed Building Consent), the higher fee is payable as opposed to an aggregated payment. The fees detailed above are not applicable to the following: Listed Building Consent Works to a Listed Building, which is identified as a Building at Risk by the Council’s Conservation team or on the National Register (to include new development linked to the re-use of such a building). Parish/Town Councils who are the named applicant (and can demonstrate that they have an interest in the proposal) unless it is classed as a “small/medium/large scale major development” proposal Registered disabled persons who are the named applicant (and can demonstrate that they have an interest in the proposal) for works that are directly related to their residence and/or their new home. Any additional meetings required will be charged to cover the officer(s) time and will be costed on an hourly rate. In order to speed up the planning process particularly relative to major developments, It is the Council’s preference that additional meetings are programmed in at the beginning of the process through the use of a Planning Performance Agreement or a bespoke charging schedule/programme of works. The charges for additional meetings will be based upon the required officer attendance and are charged at an hourly rate which is available upon request.

Type of Development

Fee

Large Scale Major development

Residential development of 200 or more houses or where the number of houses is not known the site area is 4 hectares or more;
New floorspace of 10,000 sqm or more or where the site area is 2 hectares or more;
Development subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

£2056 (including VAT). This would cover a site visit, up to three 1-hour meetings with the case officer and one letter.