Pre-application advice

Braintree District Council’s Planning Service encourages you to seek advice before submitting a planning application. This advice gives you and the Local Planning Authority a better idea about the prospects of an application being successful. It also helps to ensure that you include all the relevant information (plans and other documents) when you submit an application which reduces delays in processing the application. This process can also be used following the refusal of planning permission to understand whether there are changes to a scheme which may overcome the reason(s) for refusal.

Requesting Pre-Application Advice

You will need to complete the online Request for Pre-Application Planning Advice form stating the full site address and details of the proposal. The fees for advice are payable online when you complete the form. The categories and fees for pre-application advice are listed below.

You'll need to upload a scaled location plan and as much additional information as possible, such as plans, documents and photographs, in order that the Case Officer can make a full assessment of the proposal so you are able to gain the maximum benefit from the discussions. Please include as much detail as possible in the description of the proposal.

Please note that revised plans and additional information will not be accepted after the pre-application has been validated, and the assessment process has started.

On receipt of the online form, fee and plans/documents, we will check the information submitted. If we have received everything, we will notify you that the pre-application is valid and we will allocate it to a Planning Officer. If we need more information, we will notify you and your enquiry will remain invalid and unallocated until the additional information is received.

Pre-Application meetings will be arranged, and written advice will be provided in accordance with the published customer service standards. These are set out for each pre-application category below.

Categories of Pre-Application Advice

The Council offers a range of pre-application advice. The fee for providing pre-application advice depends upon the scale of development proposed and whether Heritage advice is required. The following section details the type of advice available, the relevant fees and the timescales for a response for:

• Householder Advice or Listed Building Advice (Proposals for the extension or alteration of an existing dwelling and erection of outbuildings, or proposals for works to a Listed Building);
• Minor Development (Proposals for new residential development comprising 9 or less dwellings, including proposals for replacement dwellings and residential annexes; or Commercial development comprising up to 999sq.m of floorspace);
• Major Development (Proposals for Residential or Commercial development comprising 10 or more dwellings or 1,000sq.m+ of floorspace respectively).

Householder Advice or Listed Building Advice

Meetings:

Meetings will be arranged by the Case Officer within 14 days of the date the pre-application was deemed valid.

All meetings for ‘Householder’ proposals will be held on MS Teams or in person at the Council offices at Causeway House, Bocking End, Braintree CM7 9HB.

All meetings for ‘Householder & Heritage Advice’ and ‘Listed Building Advice’ will be held at the application site, unless otherwise agreed.

Timescales for Written Advice:

The Case Officer will confirm their advice to you in writing following the meeting in accordance with the following timescales:

• Householder Advice: 21 days of the date of the meeting;
• Householder and Heritage Advice: 28 days of the date of the meeting;
• Listed Building Advice: 28 days of the date of the meeting.

Where you have just requested written advice, this will be provided to you in accordance with the following timescales:

• Householder Advice: 21 days of the date the pre-application was deemed valid.

Minor Development

*Heritage Advice required where the proposal involves a Listed Building (such as the conversion of a Listed barn), curtilage Listed Building, development in the curtilage of a Listed Building, or development in or abutting a Conservation Area.

Meetings:

Meetings will be arranged by the Case Officer within 14 days of the date the pre-application was deemed valid.

Meetings for Minor Development where heritage advice is being provided will be held at the application site, unless otherwise agreed.

Meetings for all other Minor Development to be held on MS Teams or in person at the Council offices at Causeway House, Bocking End, Braintree CM7 9HB.

Timescales for Written Advice:

For all of the above ‘Minor Development’ categories, the Case Officer will confirm their advice to you in writing following the meeting within 28 days of the date of the meeting.

For all of the above ‘Minor Development’ categories, where you have just requested written advice, this will be provided to you within 28 days of the date the pre-application was deemed valid.

Additional Fees:

Some development proposals may require specialist advice to be independently assessed by the Local Planning Authority. For developments requiring specialist advice, the Applicant will be expected to cover the cost of such advice. Applicants will be made aware, when their request is acknowledged, if their proposal requires specialist advice and the additional fee required. We will agree the fee with you prior to the advice being sought.

Major Development

Standalone pre-application advice is only offered for small scale major development proposals. There is also an option to enter into a Planning Performance Agreement (PPA) for Small Scale Major development proposals. See below for further information.

Meetings:

Meetings will be arranged by the Case Officer within 14 days of the date the pre-application was deemed valid.

Meetings for all Major Development proposals to be held on MS Teams or in person at the Council offices at Causeway House, Bocking End, Braintree CM7 9HB.

Timescales for Written Advice:

The Case Officer will confirm their advice to you in writing following the meeting within 42 days of the date of the meeting.

Additional Fees:

Some development proposals may require specialist advice to be independently assessed by the Local Planning Authority. For developments requiring specialist advice, the Applicant will be expected to cover the cost of such advice. Applicants will be made aware, when their request is acknowledged, if their proposal requires specialist advice and the additional fee required. We will agree the fee with you prior to the advice being sought.

Planning Performance Agreements

Planning Performance Agreements (PPAs) are the preferred method for pre-application engagement with the Local Planning Authority for all major development proposals.

PPAs provide a programme for more flexible and tailored pre-application discussions based on the proposed development. PPAs assist developers through the planning process and help achieve Braintree District Council’s aim of delivering high quality sustainable development within the District. PPAs also ensure the Local Planning Authority is able to dedicate resources to facilitate pre-application discussions on major development proposals.

For all PPAs the Local Planning Authority offer a free ‘Inception meeting’ of up to 1 hour with the Case Officer. At this meeting, the Planning Officer will explain the PPA process, and discuss the project programme. No advice will be given on the proposed development at the Inception meeting. Following this meeting the Applicant will be sent the Planning Performance Agreement and Project Programme to agree and sign.

The Project Programme will vary for each development proposal. The PPA fee provides for up to a certain number of meetings. Fees for additional meetings over and above those specified within the schedule below, are set out within the Planning Performance Agreement to provide some certainty for the Applicant and to enable pre-application discussions to continue when required.

Meetings:

Meetings for Major Development will either be held on MS Teams or in person at the Council offices at Causeway House, Bocking End, Braintree CM7 9HB.

Additional Fees:

Some development proposals may require specialist advice to be independently assessed by the Local Planning Authority. For developments requiring specialist advice, the Applicant will be expected to cover the cost of such advice. Applicants will be made aware, when their request is acknowledged, if their proposal requires specialist advice and the additional fee required. We will agree the fee with you prior to the advice being sought.

Disclaimer

The advice provided by the Council’s Officers is informal opinion only and is made without prejudice to any formal determination which may be given in the event of an application being submitted. In particular, it will not constitute a formal response or decision of the Council with regard to any future planning applications, which will be subject to wider consultation and publicity. Although the Case Officer may indicate the likely outcome of a subsequent planning application, no guarantees can or will be given about the decision.

Freedom of Information Act 2000

The Council does not publish the details of the pre-application discussions and will treat information provided as part of a pre-application request for advice and any Council response as confidential until such time as a subsequent relevant planning application is made.

However, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 the Council may from time to time receive a request from a member of the public to provide information regarding enquiries for pre-application advice and of any advice given. The Council retains the discretion on whether information should be disclosed in any instance, and will balance the interests of the Applicant or the Council in maintaining the confidentiality of the information and the process, against public interest in greater awareness in planning decisions and transparency.

Requests made for pre-application advice and the Council’s response after a planning application has been made is likely to be disclosed.

Essex County Council

Essex County Council now offer their own pre-application service for a range of areas including highways, education and SuDs. Further details, including their fee schedules are available via on the Essex County Council website 

Wherever possible, and specifically in respect of Major and Minor development proposals, Braintree District Council and Essex County Council will aim to co-ordinate pre-application advice and hold a joint meeting with applicant(s) and developer(s).

If an applicant/developer would like a joint meeting, please tick the relevant box under Question 6 of the Braintree District Council Pre-Application Form, and submit a separate pre-application request and relevant fee to Essex County Council. On receipt of a completed application form Braintree District Council will co-ordinate a joint meeting with Essex County Council.