Applicants seeking pre-application advice are required to complete a ‘Request Pre-application Advice’ form which can be submitted online via our pre-application advice page or a copy form can be requested via email. The form sets out the information that is expected from prospective applicants in order for the request to be valid.
Within 1 week of receiving a request for pre-application advice, the service will contact you by email to confirm:
- That your request for advice has been received;
- Confirmation of the pre-app category and associated charge payable with details of how to pay, either online or via the Customer Contact Centre
- Any additional information that is required before pre-application advice is offered; and
- The name of the planning case officer who will be providing the advice and their contact details.
Where a fee has been submitted for advice without all other necessary information and the additional information is not received within 4 weeks of the original submission, the pre-app will be withdrawn and the fee paid will be refunded.
Within 1 week of receiving a valid request, the case officer will contact you and agree a time and date for a meeting where requested. Alternatively, where no meeting has been requested, the case officer will confirm the timescales for issuing their advice. The target date for responding to a valid request will be 4 weeks, although this cannot always be guaranteed for more complex schemes. Meetings will normally be held in a meeting room at 3 Knowsley Place.
Where specialist advice is requested at a meeting, the necessary officers will attend subject to availability.
The Development Manager or senior officer will check the detailed advice note in all cases before it is issued (even if that person did not attend any meeting).
The case officer will:
- Research the history of the site;
- Undertake an unaccompanied site visit;
- Consult with key statutory and non-statutory consultees that would normally be contacted at application stage;
- Identify and assess the prospective application against Council policies and standards;
- Arrange to attend a meeting with the prospective applicant at 3 Knowsley Place where requested. The names of who has attended the meeting and the key issues arising will be summarised and circulated after the meeting;
- Provide a detailed written response in the context of the plans provided and meeting discussions which will include a list of supporting documents that would need to be submitted with any application and a list of statutory and non-statutory consultees that would be consulted if a planning application for a similar proposal were to be submitted together with any responses received through the pre-application process.
Where follow up advice is sought, this must be made in writing and must include the original planning reference given by Bury Council, clear details of the additional advice being requested, and the level of officer you would like to give that advice. Any such requests will be acknowledged in writing within 1 week and will include an estimate of the cost for the additional advice. If you then wish to proceed the fee must be paid in full prior to any advice being issued.
Planning Performance Agreements
Planning Performance Agreements (PPAs) are a collaborative project management process primarily aimed at complex development proposals. A fundamental principal of them is the front-loading of activity, prior to submission, to ensure that applications are of a high quality both in terms of the material submitted and the content of the proposal. There are a number of core components recommended by Communities and Local Government when producing a PPA:
- Project vision and development objectives of the planning proposal;
- Project issues and tasks plan;
- Project team and decision making framework; and
- Project programme.
One of the key advantages for developers to using PPAs is greater certainty of the timescales for the decision making process and significantly reduced likelihood of unexpected issues being raised late in the development management process. When pre-application advice is sought a key area for discussion will be whether the use of a PPA is appropriate. PPAs are likely to be required for more complex proposals including:
- Proposals requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment;
- Larger sites that include a variety of land uses;
- Proposals that have an impact on strategic areas of environmental sensitivity;
- Proposals involving significant non-standard planning obligations;
- Proposals which require referral to a central or regional government body; and/or
- Proposals which would require expansive consultations or involvement from many different stakeholders.
Qualification
Any views or opinions expressed are in good faith, without prejudice to the formal consideration of any planning application, which will be subject to public consultation and ultimately decided by the Council.
It should be noted that subsequent alterations to local, regional and national policies might affect the advice given.
Caution should be exercised in respect of pre-application advice for schemes that are not submitted within a 2 year period of the date of the Council’s advice letter.
Processing of subsequent planning applications
The planning service will seek to process applications within the DCLG prescribed timescale. However, applications submitted following pre-application advice may take less time to determine. Applications that have been submitted in the absence of any pre-application discussions are likely to be refused without further negotiation where significant amendments are required to make the development acceptable.