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You are here: Home > Business and planning > Planning > Planning permission > Submitting an application > Charging for advice

Charging for pre-application planning advice

This page contains information about charging for pre-application planning advice.

As from the 1 April 2007, pre-application meetings between planning officers and prospective applicant or their agents will attract a fee (as permitted by the Local Government Act 2003), except in the following instances:

• Householders (or their representatives) seeking advice on extending or altering their homes
• General planning advice at the planning duty desk
• General planning advice on the planning telephone help line
• Internal meetings with other departments of the Council
• Meetings associated with delivering Corporate Plan priorities
• Meetings with non-profit making organisations until a project is advanced to the point where professional agents are appointed.

It will be at officers’ discretion as to whether a meeting is necessary. In those cases where a meeting is not felt to be necessary, free written advice will be given to explain why. The decision of which planning officer, or seniority of officer, will attend a meeting will rest with the Head of Building and Development Services.

What if I write?
What happens once an application is submitted?
What will I be charged?
How do I arrange a meeting?
What do I need to do before a meeting?
What happens after the meeting?
What if a subsequent decision does not follow the advice I received?
What if I disagree with the advice received?

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What if I write?

Written advice will continue to be given free of charge.

What happens once an application is submitted?

These arrangements will apply only to officer-applicant/agent discussions conducted via meetings prior to an application being submitted, or post-decision meetings held to discuss revisions to a scheme. It will not apply to meetings held during the course of an application between its submission and determination. 

What will I be charged?

For 2007/08, the fee scale will be as follows:

• £200 for meetings lasting up to one hour
• £500 for meetings lasting between one and three hours.

Charges for meetings taking longer than three hours would be a matter of negotiation.

How do I arrange a meeting?

Requests for pre-application meetings should be sent to planning.applications@reigate-banstead.gov.uk, or in writing to the Town Hall, Castlefield Road, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 0SH, giving a brief indication of your development proposal, and your contact details. If the request for a meeting is accepted, the case will be allocated to an officer to arrange a mutually convenient time to meet with you. The fee and procedure will be confirmed in writing prior to the meeting.

Please note that if the fee and the necessary information described below are not received at least three working days beforehand, it will be assumed that the meeting has been cancelled.

Meetings will be arranged for up to one, or between one and three hours, according to what has been agreed.  Due to other work commitments, we regret that it will not be possible to extend the meeting beyond the agreed time, nor will it be possible to discuss development proposals other than the one for which the meeting has been arranged.

What do I need to do before a meeting?

To make pre-application meetings as productive as possible, applicants or their agents will be expected to provide sufficient information to describe the proposal at least three working days prior to the meeting, including:

• an analysis of the character of the area
• an assessment of the constraints and opportunities of the site 

This information will be used as a means of ensuring that a design-led approach is taken in developing an appropriate scheme for the site. 

What happens after the meeting?

Following the meeting, the officer you met will provide a written summary of the issues discussed, and his or her advice on those issues. 

What if a subsequent decision does not follow the advice I received?

Pre-application advice is given in good faith and will represent the relevant officer’s professional view. The advice given will be as accurate as possible, but it will be based only the information discussed at the meeting, and the officer’s personal judgement rather than necessarily that of the Authority. Please be aware that advice given at the pre-application stage does not guarantee any decision on a subsequent application.

What if I disagree with the advice received?

We cannot guarantee that you will like the advice you receive. In most cases, it is differences of opinion rather than factual errors that give rise to disagreement, and these can only be resolved through the formal planning process. However, if you feel that something has gone wrong, please explain to the officer involved, as he or she may be able to clarify the situation further. 

If you are still dissatisfied with the service provided, it is open to you to make a formal complaint. For further information on the complaints procedure, go to www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk/public/contact/complaints, or contact Customer Services on 01737 276000.

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