Pre-application advice and fees

Pre-application advice is a paid-for service that can speed up the planning process and advise if an application is likely to be approved.

We aim to contact you by email within 10 days of receiving a request. Within 6 weeks of our acknowledgement, we aim to give you advice on your application. 

What we do

Upon receipt of your request, we confirm that we will:

• research the site’s history
• undertake an unaccompanied site visit
• assess the prospective application against council policies and standards
• attend a meeting with you where appropriate
• give a detailed written response without prejudice
• comment on the planning merits and possible areas for improvement
• identify any proposals we are unlikely to support
• identify and confirm consultee requirements
• establish timescales and explain the planning processes

What's not included

Our pre-application advice doesn’t include:

• binding opinions or opinions on lawfulness
• a formal planning decision
• guarantees that an application will be valid or approved
• detailed technical advice or design the proposal for you
• an opinion that is future-proofed against policy changes
• highway, flood risk and drainage advice for developments of five or more dwellings
• developer contributions for highways, drainage and education

Find out about highway, flood risk and drainage advice, and developer contributions advice.

Pre-application advice checklist

When submitting your request for pre-application advice, you will need to include:

• a completed pre-application form: Pre-planning Advice Form - April 2025 (PDF, 764KB)
• a 1:1250 or 1:2500 scale site location plan for the proposed development
• elevation plans (to scale, if possible). You can buy a planning map on the Planning Portal website
• site layout and floor plan
• photographs and/or sketch drawings of the site and its surroundings

Ways to submit and pay

Please submit a completed application form, alongside the relevant plans and documents listed above, to our email address, or to our postal address.

Email: planning4@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
Address: 
Westmorland and Furness Council
South Lakeland House
Lowther Street
Kendal
LA9 4DQ
United Kingdom

Once we have received your application we will acknowledge your submission with a reference number and ways to pay. 

Please quote the application reference when making payment.

Fees

Householder development

Household development can be:

• informal advice on enlargements, improvements or alterations to an existing dwelling
• changes within its curtilage ancillary to the dwelling including house extensions or domestic buildings (garages, car ports, sheds, etc.)

£157 (including VAT) for one site visit (if required) and one letter.

Heritage asset

Pre-application advice for Heritage Asset (Listed Building and Conservation Areas not involving planning permission)

£157 (including VAT) for one site visit (if required) and one letter.

Small minor development

A small minor development can be any:

• new housing (1-3 dwellings)
• change of use (floor space 100-250m²), engineering operations, retail/commercial/industrial/agricultural projects (extensions and new buildings where floor space up to 250m², all infrastructure and plant)
• telecoms (excluding prior notifications)
• variation of conditions (non-householder)

£352 (including VAT) for one site visit (if required) and one letter. £157 (including VAT) for each additional response.

Large minor development

A large minor development can be any:

• new housing (4-9 dwellings)
• changes of use (floor space 250-999m²), engineering operations, retail/commercial/industrial/agricultural projects (where floor space up to 250-999m²)
• energy related schemes up to 0.5Ha

£574 (including VAT) for one site visit (if required) and one letter. £157 (including VAT) for each additional response.

Major schemes

A major scheme can be any:

• new housing (10-49 dwellings)
• changes of use (floor space 1000-2500m²), engineering operations up to 2Ha, retail/commercial/industrial/agricultural projects (where floor space up to 1000-2500m²)
• engineering operations, minerals and waste developments up to 2Ha
• energy-related schemes up to 2Ha

£886 (including VAT) for one site visit, meeting and letter. £157 (including VAT) for each additional response.

Strategic schemes

A strategic scheme can be any:

• new housing (50+ dwellings)
• changes of use (floor space is 2500m²+), engineering operations 2 Ha+, retail/commercial/industrial/agricultural projects (extensions and new buildings where floor space is 2500+m²)
• engineering operations, minerals and waste developments 2Ha+
• energy-related schemes where 2 Ha+

£1,330 (including VAT) for one site visit, meeting and letter. £157 (including VAT) for each additional response.

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
• 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
• proposals which would require expansive consultations or involvement from many different stakeholders

A fee is available upon application on a case-by-case basis.