Pre-application advice service

Before you start

We can help you with your proposal before you submit a planning application.

We provide responsive, consistent, and timely advice. This reduces the time taken to deal with your application and means you get a quicker decision.

View our pre-application advice types and fees.

Please note: the fees listed are for advice from a planning officer only. If input from a specialist officer is needed, there will be an additional charge.

View the planning fees and charges document.

Our pre-application advice will help you:

understand how we apply planning policies to your proposal
identify the need for specialist input at an early stage - for example for listed buildings or trees
reduce the time that you or your professional advisors spend on the proposals
make informed changes so we are more likely to be able to approve your application
identify proposals that are completely unacceptable
prepare your application and supporting documents for formal submission
get your application handled more quickly meeting our validation requirements
avoid paying more fees because of changes you need to make
reduce the chances of a refusal. Effective from 6 Dec 2023 the government has changed the fee regulations. They have removed the fee exemption for repeat applications (the ‘free-go’)

Specialist team officer

You can request the involvement of a specialist, but your planning officer will review this on receipt of your pre-application request. If a key issue is identified requiring specialist advice, they will contact you to seek approval and confirm any additional costs. Currently this could include advice from the following officers when relevant to the proposal:

Conservation officer
Tree officer
Natural Environment Team – Ecology and/or Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
Landscape officer
Planning policy officer
Urban design officer
Dorset Council building control (first hour free)
Section 106/Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Team
Environmental assessment - environmental assessment and nutrient neutrality
Planning enforcement

An additional charge at an hourly rate will apply for each specialist team officer who is required to attend a meeting or provide a consultation response as part of your pre application enquiry.

Natural Environment Team advice only. Our senior ecologists in the Natural Environment Team can review and provide advice about ecology information and surveys and Biodiversity Net Gain requirements for your application. This can be as part of your pre application request alongside planning officer advice, under the hourly rate as set out above, or if you just need their advice, we offer a written advice only service for £500 (inc VAT).
Natural Environment Team bat survey advice, will look at your proposals and give you advice on whether your property needs to be checked for the presence of bats before you submit your application. If bats, or evidence of bats is found, your ecologist might suggest doing more surveys. The results of the initial check and all additional surveys must be completed and submitted with your application before it can be validated. There’s a fixed fee of £113 for this service.
Environmental Protection Team. A flat rate charge of £169 (inc VAT) (1 and a half hours), will apply when you request their input, written advice only. If your enquiry is of a more complex nature, we reserve the right to provide a bespoke fee in addition to this amount.
Highways - Transport Development Management Team. We will consider requests for specialist advice from our highways team or suggest it if needed. The cost for this service depends on the type of pre-application. Highway Site Visit/Meeting is an additional charge of £123 (1 hour or £123/hour for the duration of the meeting including travel). Smaller applications that require consultation with highway specialist services such as structures, intelligent transport systems (traffic lights), street lighting, may incur additional charge. We reserve the right to request additional payment should active discussions with the developer exceed the original charge. For full details, please refer to our Planning Fees and Charges document.

Planning Performance Agreement (PPA)

Planning Performance Agreement can cover the pre-application stage, the application itself and post decision.

Dorset Design Review Panel

Dorset Council is working in partnership with Design West to deliver a dedicated Dorset Design Review Panel service that can provide independent design advice to applicants and help in the preparation and determination of planning applications.

Find out about the design review service.

Contact Planning

If you need any guidance, contact planning.

How to apply

We need as much information from you about your proposals as possible.

Depending on the type of development, this will normally include at least:

1. Our completed online pre-application form. This should include:

your details and contact information
you preferred choice for response
any consultees you think we should include

2. A full description of your proposal. This should include any relevant history you know about the site. How to find out the planning history for property or land.

3. A location plan with the site outlined with a redline.

4. Plans to show the development proposed. This should include any added floor space or enlargements clearly identified. These should be scaled plans which include:

elevations
sections
photos or sketches - photos are often very useful to understand the proposal and its context

If not scaled, measurements of the proposed development should be included.

5. Payment is required at the time of submission, view our pre-application fees.

Complex or significant proposals

Complex proposals will need more information. You may need to take advice to help you prepare this information from:

an independent planning specialist
specialist consultants

We cannot insist that you provide this level of information at this stage. It will help us to provide more detailed advice if you can.

A topographical site survey
other information to help us understand existing and proposed site levels in relation to the surrounding area. This may include photos.
A copy of reports or assessments that have already been undertaken. This could be:

draft design and access statements
planning statements
tree surveys
heritage statements
drainage reports
ecological surveys
structural surveys
landscape and visual impact assessment
landscape visual appraisal
viability assessments
draft legal agreements

When we get your application, we will check if you have sent enough information to help us understand:

the site
its surroundings
the proposed scheme

If we need more information, we will contact you.

Timescale for issuing written advice will only begin once we have enough information and we have received the appropriate fee.

Apply

Apply now

Contact Planning

If you need help applying, contact planning.

What happens next

Responses and timescales

Current timescales for response are 12 weeks for major pre application enquiries and 8 weeks for all other types.

If you have requested a meeting the planning officer will contact, you to arrange this.

Follow up advice

An extra fee will apply to any follow up advice or to discuss the advice we give you after we have sent you a formal response. You will need to:

Send your request by email, provide reference number
attach any amended documents or plans
pay the fee

We will add your follow up request to the current record. We aim to give any requests for follow up advice to your original case officer.

Confidentiality

We are subject to requirements under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) and Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR). If we receive a request to disclose any information in relation to a pre-application discussion prior to the submission of a related planning application, we will make reasonable efforts to notify and consult with you concerning its possible release. However, the final decision on whether the information should be withheld rests with the Council. The Council maintains compliance to the Data Protection Act. We will not release any personal information to third parties.
Please be aware that any pre-application advice given is likely to be made publicly available as part of the online documents once we receive a related application, subject to commercial confidentiality rules.

Building Control

In addition to planning permission for your building work you may also need Building Control approval under the building regulations. The building regulations are minimum standards for the design and construction of, or alterations to, virtually every building. They contain a list of requirements providing standards for construction and energy efficiency whilst taking into account the health and safety and needs of building occupants. They cover all aspects of the build process, including foundations, damp proofing, stability, insulation, ventilation, heating, sanitation, fire protection and means of escape. They also make sure there are adequate facilities in certain types of buildings for people with disabilities.

At Dorset Council Building Control, we are committed to ensuring a high level of customer service meeting the need of the regulations, we will work with you to provide:

competitive quotes bespoke to your project that are good value
a locate you a local qualified Officer who knows the area, the builders, and the architects
a service that is totally independent, impartial, and accountable
a customer focused service to help you throughout the entire project

For further information and an initial discussion on all the services that we provide please visit Building Control. You can also find more information by visiting Local Authority Building Control website at www.labc.co.uk or www.labcfrontdoor.co.uk

Contact Planning

If you need have any questions, contact planning.