Under the Local Government Act 2003, North Yorkshire Council operates a scheme for charging for pre-application advice on certain types of development proposals. This note provides guidance in respect of the charges and procedures.
The charging regime relates to both meetings and written advice, and it has been devised to ensure that the level of charges are proportionate to the scale of the development.
The charges apply to all requests for planning advice received on or after 1 April 2024, where they are payable in accordance with the contents of this note.
The benefits of obtaining pre-application advice
The Council welcomes and encourages discussion before a developer submits an application,
especially for a development of a major or complex scheme. The benefits of obtaining informal advice
include the following:
- understanding how national, regional and local policies will be applied to development;
- assisting in the preparation of proposals before formal submission, which, if the advice is
followed, should reduce any unexpected delays and be more likely to result in a positive
outcome; - enhanced officer responses in terms of quality and timelines;
- establish a degree of certainty to developers over their proposal;
- indicating those proposals that are completely unacceptable, so potentially saving the cost of
pursuing a formal application; - reducing the time spent by professional advisors in working up a proposal;
- identify if specialist input will be required.
In order that the Council can provide this service to a consistent and high standard, it has been decided that the cost of providing this service should, at least in part, be recovered directly and not fall as a general cost to the council taxpayer. The current statutory planning fees do not cover the cost of preapplication planning advice.
Information required
To ensure a high standard and consistent level of advice, it is important that sufficient information is supplied by the person/organisation making the enquiry. This information, together with the appropriate fee, must be provided before a meeting can be arranged and/or written advice given. The level of detail required will, in part, depend on the type and size of the proposed development, but as a minimum, the Council would normally expect the following to be submitted:
- a location plan (at a scale of 1:1250 or 1:2500) identifying the proposed site area;
- a proposed layout plan (at 1:200 or 1:500) showing how the proposed buildings/uses would be located on the site and how access would be obtained;
- if the proposal relates to a householder proposal, elevations and plans at least to scale 1:100;
- a full description of the proposal, including details of the proposed uses, floor areas/number of units and site area in hectares. (This information will help both with any advice and establishing the level of charge applicable);
- details of the site or building as it exists, including site layout and existing uses/floor areas;
- photographs of the site and its immediate surroundings;
- where applicable, elevations or indicative drawings of proposed buildings, so that the proposed massing and design can be understood and assessed;
- the completed form available from the Council’s offices and website;
- the appropriate fee.
The list above is not intended to be exhaustive, and particularly on more complex proposals, more information may be of assistance. This will depend on circumstances, but it could include surveys/initial assessments on matters such as trees, ecology, transport, flood risk or noise, and possibly a draft Design and Access Statement. Where guidance is sought on specific technical disciplines other than planning (in respect of a listed building for example), this should be identified when the request for advice is submitted, so that where a meeting is to be held, the appropriate participants can attend. To provide clarity, those seeking pre-application advice will need to complete a simple form.
| Categories | Number of dwellings | Floor Area (non-residential or mixed) | Site Area | Fee (written advice only) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Householder - proposals where planning permission is needed | - | - | - | £113 |
| Listed Buildings - proposals where Listed Building Consent is needed | - | - | - | £280 (includes a site meeting) |
| Category 1 (minor residential developments) |
1-9 | Up to 999 sqm | Up to 0.49 hectare | £636 |
| Category 2 (residential developments) | 10-49 | 1000 – 4999 sqm | 0.5 – 4.9 hectare | £1,535 |
| Category 3 (major residential developments) | 50+ | 5000 sqm+ | 5+ hectares | £3180 |
You can make the payment over the phone by ringing 0300 131 2 131, by bank transfer or by cheque (payable to North Yorkshire Council). If you would like to make the payment via BACS, our bank details are below:
Sort Code: 30-63-64
Account No: 43834568
Account Name: NYC Ryedale Direct Credits
Bank: Lloyds Bank PLC
Notes
- Where a proposed development falls in more than one of the above categories, then the higher charge would be payable. (For example, if 50 dwellings are proposed on a site of 2.5 hectares, then it would fall within Category 3).
- For avoidance of doubt, gross floor areas should be calculated and measured externally. Floor areas (where applicable) should be calculated for both new-build and change of use.
- The charges would be applicable to new buildings/structures and changes of use of land or buildings and engineering operations where they fall within one of the above categories and require planning permission.
- Furthermore, guidance on Certificates of Lawful Development, material amendments to existing planning permissions, variation of conditions or Section 106 Agreements would be subject of the charges where the development would fall within one of the categories identified in Table 1 and this will be charged in accordance with Category 1.
- The charges would still apply to advice received following the refusal or withdrawal of an application, but prior to the submission of a new application.
- As well as pre-application advice provided by the Development Management team, the charges will also apply to advice and meetings involving the Forward Planning team with respect to matters relating to planning policy, which are intended to assist the submission of a planning application.
Environmental Impact Assessment ‘screening’ and ‘scoping’ letters would remain free of charge. Similarly, no charge would be made for advice where it solely consists of guidance as to the required contents of an application, as opposed to its planning merits.
There is no fee for alterations, extensions, etc. to a dwellinghouse for the benefit of a registered disabled person (proof of disability must be provided along with the request for advice).
The Service Provided
Once we have received a request for advice, you will receive confirmation, including a unique reference number, which should be quoted in all correspondence with the Authority. If the Council needs more information or has any queries, it will contact you directly.
Once the Council has received and validated your request for planning advice, it will seek to respond within its normal workflow processes and timescales. Under normal circumstances, the Council will seek to respond to written advice within 28 working days. However, the time taken to respond will, in part, depend on the complexity of the case.