Pre-application advice question list
A homeowner question list for getting useful feedback from a council or planning consultant before applying.
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Use This Before The Project Becomes Expensive
This resource is designed for early planning decisions. It helps you name the issue, record the obvious checks and avoid paying for drawings, applications or contractor commitments before the planning route is clear enough.
Good use
Print it, mark it up, save the source links and use it as a short agenda for a council, designer, consultant or builder conversation.
Not a decision
It is not a formal certificate, approval, legal opinion or replacement for checking the exact property, council and design.
Best next step
Use the planning route planner when the checklist shows the route is still unclear or locally sensitive.
Work Through These First
- Use pre-app only after the project question is clear enough to answer.
- Send drawings, photos and the specific issue you want feedback on.
- Ask focused planning questions rather than asking whether the whole project is okay.
- Record whether the advice is informal and how much weight it should carry.
Pre-application advice question list
Tick these off on paper or copy the text into your project notes. Keep any official links, screenshots and dates with the project record.
Questions to prepare
- What are the strongest planning concerns with this proposal?
- Which policy or design changes would make support more likely?
- Are there validation documents or surveys likely to be needed?
- Would a certificate, householder application or different route be more suitable?
Information to include
- Site address, project description, sketches or early drawings.
- Photos showing context, boundaries, neighbours and street scene.
- Known constraints such as conservation area, listed building, trees or highway issues.
Things Worth Avoiding
- Paying for advice before knowing the main question.
- Sending vague sketches and expecting a clear answer.
- Treating informal advice as guaranteed approval.
- Ignoring feedback that asks for a smaller or clearer scheme.
Questions To Put To The Council Or A Professional
- What decision do I need from this advice?
- What evidence will make the advice more useful?
- What would I change if the feedback is negative?
Official Sources Worth Opening Next
Use these as starting points and then check the relevant council page for the property. Rules, validation requirements and local controls can change by authority and site.
Clean Citation Text
Use this when sharing the resource with a neighbour, designer, builder or adviser.
General Guidance Only
Pre-application advice is usually informal and does not guarantee a planning decision.
Before relying on a borderline route, confirm the latest position with official sources, the local planning authority or a suitable professional.