Due to high caseloads and staff shortages, there is currently a backlog of applications in the Planning teams. The Pre-Application Service has therefore been temporarily suspended and we ask for your patience during this period.
Pre-Application requests submitted before close of business on Thursday 20 April 2022 will still be processed but may take longer than advertised. Your case officer will be able to advise you of expected timescales to complete your pre-application request.
The national planning portal website contains useful guides, information and an interactive house to assist you in the majority of planning related queries. In addition, there are a number of Planning Consultants in the local area who are able to provide you with advice along with pre-application support.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause you and assure you we are taking steps to resolve these issues and re-introduce these services as soon as possible.
Pre-application advice is available from the Planning department to help you prepare and submit your planning application. As the planning authority, we positively encourage pre-application discussions as a means of:
- Assisting you in the preparation of your application
- Allowing us to inform you about any additional technical and supporting information that may need to be submitted with your application.
- Improving the quality of proposed developments in accordance with national guidance and Local Development Plan policies
- Helping to avoid delay during the formal consideration of planning applications, which can save time and money later in the process, especially if plans need to be redrawn and re-submitted, which can be expensive
- Reducing the risk of delays in obtaining permission, particularly if an application is refused on grounds which could have been identified and overcome through pre-application discussions
Even though taking pre-application advice from officers does not bind us to make a particular decision, the information you will receive as a result of pre-application discussions forms part of the decision-making process and will support the determination of your application.
In order to receive an effective advice service, we encourage you to contact us at the earliest opportunity to seek advice on your proposals.
This will ensure that the most appropriate officer is assigned to your case and allow the level of pre-application discussion and negotiation to be determined. This will largely be dependent on the complexity of the application and possibly its proposed location. It will also help determine whether or not other agreements, contributions or obligations will be required.
The Council charge for most pre-application advice, exceptions can be found on our Pre-Application Charging Schedule (below). If you are doing any work and you need to know if you require Planning Permission, please complete the Pre-application enquiry form (below), and send it with the appropriate fee to:
Development Control
West Northamptonshire Council (Daventry Area)
Lodge Road
Daventry
NN11 4FP
Email: plancare.ddc@westnorthants.gov.uk
It may help you to consult the Glossary of Planning Terms at the Planning Portal's website.
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