Service
The service the Council provides and the relevant charges are set out below. Meetings may be held via video call or in person.
Where developments fulfil the criteria for different categories, the service (and charge) for the larger category will apply. For example, a development of 40 homes on a site of 2.1 hectares would be classed as a major development due to the site area being at least 2 hectares.
Where a proposal is of exceptional complexity or scale then it may be necessary for it to be dealt with in another category, or for major / national developments a bespoke charge agreed. Similarly, in exceptional circumstances additional meetings as required may be permitted. This will be at the discretion of the planning authority and will necessitate the payment of additional fees.
Should a proposal be significantly amended during the pre-application process it may be that a new pre-application advice process must be initiated. This will be at the discretion of the planning authority and will necessitate the payment of additional fees.
A: Local development (small)
The local development (small) category is defined as the following:
- one to 11 residential units
- Less than 1,000 m2 class 4 / 5 / 6 / other / mixed space
Standard service
The cost of the standard service is £347, including VAT.
The case officer will review the information submitted by the customer accompanying their request form. The case officer may contact the customer if any clarification or further information is required. A desktop review will then be undertaken by the case officer.
The target is for an advice letter to be provided to the customer within 20 working days of the request for pre-application advice being submitted and registered (and payment made in full).
Advice can only be based on the information submitted.
Information to be provided with the completed request form
- Location plan with red line (1:500 or 1:250 scale) (required)
- Block plan existing and proposed (1:500 or 1:250 scale) (required)
- Existing / proposed elevations (1:100 or 1:50 scale)
- Existing / proposed floor plans (1:100 or 1:50 scale)
- Draft outline design / access statement. In most cases, for local developments only general advice will be provided on matters such as Drainage, Archaology, Transport etc.
B: Local development (medium)
The local development (medium) category is defined as the following:
- 12 to 49 residential units
- 1,000m2 to 9,999m2 class 4 / 5 / 6 space
- 1,000m2 to 4,999m2 other / mixed space
Please refer to the Town and Country Planning (Hierarchy of Developments) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 for further information.
Standard service
The cost of the standard service is £1575, including VAT. The case officer will review the information submitted by the customer accompanying their request form and contact the customer within 10 working days of the request for pre-application advice being submitted and registered (and payment made in full) to agree a date for the inception meeting.
The inception meeting is an information gathering exercise. It will include a review of the pre-application request and information submitted with the request form, and agreement on the key areas to be focussed on as part of the standard service.
Information to be provided with the request form (additional information may be requested following the inception meeting):
- Location plan with red line (1:500 or 1:250 scale) (required)
- Block plan existing and proposed (1:500 or 1:250 scale) (required)
- Existing / proposed elevations (1:100 or 1:50 scale)
- Existing / proposed floor plans (1:100 or 1:50 scale)
- Draft outline design / access statement
In total, the customer will receive
- a 1 hour inception meeting with the case officer, date to be agreed within 10 working days
- a 1 hour on-site meeting with the case officer
- a 1 hour follow-up meeting with the case officer
- an advice letter (within 20 working days of the follow-up meeting as a target).
Advice can only be based on the information submitted.
In most cases, for local developments only general advice will be provided on matters such as Drainage, Archaeology, Transport etc.
Additional services
Additional meetings as required and agreed between case officer and applicant will be charged at £693 per hour for the Local development (medium) category. This sum reflects the cost of the meeting itself and the associated cost of preparatory and post-meeting work. These will only be agreed in exceptional circumstances, and at the case officer’s discretion.
C: Major / national development
A major / national development is defined as
- 50 or more residential units
- 10,000m2 or more class 4 / 5 / 6 space
- 5,000m2 or more other / mixed space
- a site size of 2 hectares or more
- other criteria per the Hierarchy of Development Regulations 2009.
For major / national developments, there are two tiers of service.
Pre-position discussion
The first tier of service, which costs £1,386, including VAT, is a two hour pre-position discussion with the case officer, team manager, and officers from other relevant Council service areas (at the case officer’s discretion). The customer will not be provided with an advice letter.
This option is aimed at customers requiring a high-level view from Planning (for example, customers considering purchasing a site who are seeking a general opinion on the development potential of the site) and will not be appropriate for customers with more developed proposals requiring detailed information or complex advice. Customers cannot add additional services to the pre-position discussion option as an alternative to paying for the full service.
Standard service
The second tier of service – the standard service – costs £12,600, including VAT.
The case officer will review the information submitted by the customer accompanying their request form and contact the customer within 10 working days of the request for pre-application advice being submitted and registered (and payment made in full) to agree a date for an inception meeting. The inception meeting will last one hour and can be undertaken in person or via video call, and will be attended by the case officer and the relevant planning team manager.
The inception meeting is an information gathering exercise. It will include a review of the pre-application request and information submitted with the request form and agreement on the key areas to be focussed on as part of the standard service.
Information to be provided with request form (please note that additional information may be requested following the inception meeting):
- Location plan with red line (1:500 or 1:250 scale) (required)
- Block plan existing and proposed (1:500 or 1:250 scale) (required)
- Existing / proposed elevations (1:100 or 1:50 scale)
- Existing / proposed floor plans (1:100 or 1:50 scale)
- Draft outline design / access statement.
In total, the customer will receive
- a 1 hour inception meeting with the case officer and team manager, date to be agreed within 10 working days
- accompanied site visit with case officer
- a 2 hour meeting with the case officer, and other relevant Council service areas and statutory external consultees (based on the case officer’s judgement of which service areas and external consultees are required)
- a 2 hour follow-up meeting with the case officer, other relevant service areas and statutory external consultees
- a 1 hour wrap-up meeting with the case officer
- an advice letter incorporating internal and external consultee feedback (within 20 working days of the wrap-up meeting as a target).
Advice can only be based on the information submitted.
Additional services
Additional meetings for a major / national development may be arranged between the case officer and applicant, and a bespoke charge agreed.