Planning Applications

Pre-application planning advice

There are two ways to access pre-application planning advice. The first is the statutory service, which has a fixed fee decided by the Welsh Government while the second is an additional, more in-depth service.

Statutory Pre-application Advice Service

The Town and County Planning (Pre-Application Services) Wales Regulations 2016 requires all Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) in Wales to provide a statutory pre-application service.

We have produced a guidance note on the service which can be downloaded below:

Pre-application advice guide

To use this service, enquirers must submit a completed pre-application advice enquiry form along with all information necessary to enable the LPA to assess the proposal and provide an appropriately detailed response. This form can be viewed below.

Pre application advice enquiry form (opens in a new tab)

Applicants must submit a completed pre-application advice enquiry form with the following information:

• name, address and contact details
• a description of the proposal, including an indication of increase in floor space, and/or number of new units proposed
• site address
• location plan
• fee

A fee will be payable by the enquirer. Without receiving the appropriate fee, pre-application advice will not be provided. Details of the fees can be found at: pre-application charges

Applicants for householder developments should expect to receive the following information in their written response:

• the relevant planning history of the site
• the relevant development plan policies the development proposal will be assessed against
• relevant supplementary planning guidance, for example, design or conservation information
• any other material planning considerations
• an initial assessment of the proposed development, based on the information above

For all other development proposals, applicants should also be informed whether any Section 106 or Community Infrastructure Levy contributions are likely to be needed, and information on what these contributions may include.

Non-statutory pre-application service

Our aim is to allow and promote high quality development.

The Welsh Government actively encourages local planning authorities to provide a more comprehensive pre-application service than the statutory minimum, and recognises that there will be an additional charge for it. Guidance note can be found here :-

Pre application advice guidance note

Any meetings or site visits for a pre-application enquiry will not form part of the statutory service.

 

Pre-Application Consultation

1. The requirement to undertake pre-application consultation applies to all planning applications for "major" development (full or outline) and applications for Developments of National Significance (DNS).
2. The requirement does not apply to proposed applications under section 73 or 73A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 ("the 1990 Act"); reserved matters; non-material amendments or minor material amendments.

Detailed guidance on the requirement for pre-application consultation under Section 17 of the Planning Wales Act 2015 is contained in Annex 1.

 Guidance on Pre-application Consultation

It is important to note that whilst the provisions contained within the DMPWO for pre-application consultation in respect of applications for major development will come into force in March 2016 the requirement for applicants to submit the pre-application consultation report (PAC) will not be a validation requirement for applications made before 01 August 2016.

This transition period will allow prospective applicants who will be submitting after the 01 August to undertake pre-application consultation, and will place a duty on statutory consultees to provide substantive responses within 28 days to these requests. However, it will not prejudice applicants who are due to imminently submit a planning application, and would find that it would not be valid because the statutory requirements of the pre-application process have not been undertaken.

Pre-app enquiries should be sent to:
Development Management,
County Hall,
Haverfordwest,
SA61 1TP

email - planning.support.team@pembrokeshire.gov.uk