Pre-Application Advice

Contents

• 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 2025 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?

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 2025.

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Last Updated on Friday, April 4, 2025