Pre-Application Advice
Suspension of Pre-Application advice and Duty Planner service
The Council places great value in customer service and meeting the needs of the businesses and residents of the District. Unfortunately, due to staffing issues, it has become increasingly difficult to provide timely responses to Pre-application queries.
Whilst the opportunity to have open and frank conversations about proposed developments holds a very high value to all those involved in the planning process, the delays in providing responses has been an understandable frustration for our customers. It has therefore been decided that the discretionary Pre-application advice service provided by the Council will be suspended with immediate effect. The Duty Planner service provided by the Council will be suspended from 6 June 2022.
The Council will look to review these suspensions at the end of March 2023. Please refer to our website for updates on the suspension of these services.
The Council will continue to offer pre-application advice in relation to Major Development (with a meeting) and Strategic Proposals as well as works to both listed buildings and trees subject to a tree preservation order.
We are committed to providing an effective planning service which delivers good quality development proposals. Early discussion between applicants and the planning authority is a valuable part of the planning application process. The benefits of pre-application advice include understanding how our policies will be applied to the proposal, identifying the need for specialist input at an early stage, assisting in the preparation of proposals for formal submission, helping to reduce the time that is spent in working up the proposals and highlighting concerns with proposals.
A detailed response considering the primary planning issues for the future application, will be provided. The level of detail provided in the response will reflect the level of accuracy and detail of the information that is provided; the more information you can provide about your proposal, the more accurate and in-depth our feedback will be. The response will also provide a clear position on where the Local Development Plan is at that time as well as any other relevant policy documents, such as Masterplans or Neighbourhood plans.
How to apply
Applications can be submitted by completing the relevant application forms & submitting via email to planning@maldon.gov.uk.
Householder advice includes:
- house extensions
- garages
- enlargement to gardens
- erection of walls/fences and any other buildings within the boundary of the property.
Other pre-application advice includes:
- alterations and extensions to a listed building
- development in a conservation area
- minor residential including change of use
- major non-residential (over 1000 sqm) including change of use
- minor residential (2 to 9 dwellings)
- major residential (over 10 dwellings)
- strategic proposals, large and extensive proposals for residential, non-residential or mixed-use development it will be appropriate to enter into a Planning Performance Agreement;
- works to trees protected by a tree preservation order
- development in a nationally or internationally designated area
- confirmation that conditions have been complied with or discharged
- confirmation that S106 obligations have been agreed and complied with
- planning history requests
Pre-application fees
For your pre-application to be accepted, you must (submit the correct fee). Fees can be paid using the following methods:
- BACS - please phone 01621 854477 for our BACS details.
- Cheque - made payable to 'Maldon District Council' and post it with your pre-application documents to Maldon District Council, Princes Road, Maldon, CM9 5DL.
Please note: If you are paying by cheque, this will be cashed on receipt. This enables your enquiry to be processed in a timely manner.
Please ensure that you quote the pre-application number (if known), or the site address to ensure we can link the payment with your pre-application.
Please do not use our Automated Telephone Payment service for pre-application fees.
Documents required
The more information/sketches/photos you can provide about your property and the proposed works the better. The minimum we require is a completed application form, a site / location plan and the relevant fee. If insufficient information is provided we may be unable to answer your enquiry.
Type of development | Further details | Cost (inc VAT) |
---|---|---|
Householder development (Duty Planner) | Only available for non-Complex Householder advice. This would include extensions to single dwellings, porches, garages, outbuildings and walls and fences. (No written advice). | Free |
Householder development (Written advice) | Includes proposals to alter and extend individual houses and flats for residential purposes where the development relates to a building which is not listed as being of architectural or historic interest. In cases where the house or flat is listed then the charge will fall within Minor Development. |
£112 |
Householder development (Meeting* with Planning Officer of no more than one hour and written advice) | Includes proposals to alter and extend individual houses and flats for residential purposes where the development relates to a building which is not listed as being of architectural or historic interest. In cases where the house or flat is listed then the charge will fall within Minor Development. |
£213 |
Smallscale commercial development (Written advice) | Includes proposals for:
|
£112 |
Smallscale commercial development (Meeting* with Planning Officer of no more than one hour and written advice) | Includes proposals for:
|
£213 |
Minor development (Written advice) | Includes proposals for:
|
£282 |
Minor development (Meeting* with Planning Officer of no more than one hour and written advice) | Includes proposals for:
|
£634 |
Medium development (Written advice) | Includes proposals for:
|
£423 |
Medium development (Meeting* with Planning Officer of no more than one hour and written advice) | Includes proposals for:
|
£705 |
Major development (Written advice) | Includes proposals for:
|
£705 (Plus additional £21 +VAT per dwelling to a maximum of 74 dwellings) |
Major development (Meeting* with Planning Officer of no more than one hour and written advice) | Includes proposals for:
|
£1410 (Plus additional £21 +VAT per dwelling to a maximum of 74 dwellings) |
Strategic Proposals (Planning Performance Agreements) (Meeting* with Planning Officer of no more than one hour and written advice) | Includes proposals for:
|
Individually determined at full cost recovery |
Minor Alterations to Listed Building (Written advice) | Only available for very minor and non-complex advice. This would include replacement windows. This only relates to development that does not fall within any category above. In those instances where it does the higher fee will be required. |
£85 |
Alterations/Extension to Listed Building (Written advice) | Includes proposals for:
|
£282 |
Alterations/Extension to Listed Building (Meeting* with Planning Officer of no more than one hour and written advice) | Includes proposals for:
|
£688 |
Development in a Conservation Area (Written Advice) | This only relates to development that does not fall within any category above. In those instances where it does the higher fee will be required. | £213 |
Development in a Conservation Area (Meeting* with Planning Officer of no more than one hour and written advice) | This only relates to development that does not fall within any category above. In those instances where it does the higher fee will be required. | £620 |
Minor Tree advice (Tree within a conservation area only) (Written advice) | Includes proposals for:
|
£85 |
Minor Tree advice (TPOs only) (Written advice) | Includes proposals for:
|
£112 |
Minor Tree advice (TPOs only) (Meeting* with appropriate Officer of no more than one hour and written advice) | Includes proposals for:
|
£282 |
Major Tree advice (TPOs only) (Meeting* with appropriate Officer of no more than one hour and written advice) | Includes proposals for:
|
£565 |
Inspection of compliance with Enforcement Notice | Written confirmation that an enforcement notice has been complied with. | £282 |
Compliance with Condition requests | Includes, but not exclusively:
|
£213 per decision |
Compliance with S.106 Agreement requests | Written confirmation that all/some S.106 obligations have been agreed | £141 per obligation |
Planning History requests | Includes, but not exclusively:
|
£213 |
*All pre-application and advice Meeting’s will be held either remotely via TEAMS or at the Council Offices. You will be advised of the best setting by the case officer.
If it is agreed necessary to convene a meeting on site, travel time to and from the site will be charged at the hourly meeting rate. Officers are unable to hold a site meeting without the prior deposit of plans or written proposals. Hourly rates to be provided upon request.
Exemptions
Please be advised that the following categories of the applicant will receive a free Pre-Application Service (evidence may be required):
- Voluntary organisations
- Housing Associations
- Town and Parish Councils
- Essex County Council
- Non-profit organisations providing public services
You can download a copy of our relevant fees here
You should receive a written response or a date for a meeting within 28 days of a valid pre-application query being received, however this can vary depending on the complexity of the proposal. The written response following any pre-application meeting will normally follow within 14 days of the date of the meeting.
Please note
It should be clearly understood that the advice given will not bind the Council to making a particular decision and that any views expressed are at officer level only and provisional.
Planning permission does not override the need to obtain any necessary approvals under the building regulations, Party Wall Act or any other relevant legislation. Separate approval may also be required in other areas, for example, restrictive covenants, shared agreements, easements, rights of way, etc.
Freedom of Information Act
This Act requires us to make all documents available to members of the public, if requested.
Pre-application advice requests can only be treated as confidential if there are clearly demonstrable issues of commercial sensitivity or other significant reasons why this information may not be made public. (Any enquiry in this category should be clearly marked as confidential).