Apply for our pre-application advice

Making a planning application can be complex and challenging. Many people are unsure how to apply and want to make sure they do not waste their time and money. We offer a pre-application advice service to help you prepare your application.

Always remember to check for changes to national or local planning policy. Do not rely on pre-application advice given before planning policies changed. Do not rely on advice given more than one year ago.

Why use our service?

Using our service means you'll:

• have a clearer idea about whether your planning application is likely to be successful
• avoid the cost of a planning application if your proposal is likely to be unsuccessful
• submit a better application, which will lead to better outcomes and a better development
• reduce the time your professional advisors have to spend on your planning proposal

You can choose between different levels of pre-application advice. This means you'll get the help you want without spending more money than you need to.

You'll get advice from a trained planning officer. The officer can advise you how to overcome problems that might mean your application is rejected. If there's nothing wrong, the officer will suggest you make an application.

You can also tell us if you'd like a meeting on top of the other advice. Make sure to justify why this is the case. The case officer will decide whether or not a meeting would help and, if necessary, set a fee. 

We offer four levels of service. Most small-scale developments do not require anything more than a written response. Therefore, the gold and platinum services are limited to larger developments. Your proposal has to affect either of the following to qualify for gold service:

• more than five residential properties, or
• more than 250 square metres of floor space

To qualify for platinum service, your proposal must affect 10 or more properties.

Regardless of which service you use, you can submit extra plans in the same application. You'll have to pay a fee for each one.

Bronze service

Use this to:

• get advice
• check for planning constraints 
• get our comments on an application you've amended after a rejection

We'll give you a brief bullet point response.  

Silver service

Use this if you want to make a small development. You'll need to send us the plans. A caseworker will visit the site and make written comments on the plans afterwards. As part of this service, we'll consult a conservation or tree officer if needed.

Gold service

Use this if you want more time to discuss your application, or for larger developments. You'll need to send us the plans. We'll send a caseworker to inspect the site and then they'll arrange a meeting with you. You'll get written feedback on the plans as well. As part of this service, we'll consult a conservation or tree officer if needed. You can book extra meetings if the case officer decides they're necessary.

Platinum service

This service is for very large projects and the fee you'll pay depends on your individual case. You need to pay a £500 deposit, and then we'll arrange a meeting to discuss how much detail you need. We'll also decide if you need any consultations. We'll send a caseworker to visit the site and arrange a schedule of meetings with you. You'll also get written feedback. As part of this service, we'll consult with any officers who are needed.

Our fees depend on whether you want to make residential or commercial developments.

Residential Developments

These fees depend on how many properties your plans affect.

Commercial developments

These fees depend on the size of the floorspace your plans affect.

Fee exemptions and discounts

Parish councils get a 50% discount.

You will not pay pre-application charges for advice given during an application.

You do not have to pay for pre-application advice if your proposal relates to works that are required for the use of disabled persons. In some cases a medical practitioner's certificate may be required.

You'll also be exempt from paying if you're a:

• non-profit making organisation
• charity
• hospital
• statutory body (as set out in the General Permitted Development Order)

This is up to the appointment of professional consultants. Once the organisations above have appointed professional consultants, our pre-application fees will be payable in full.

You must have an account and be logged in to submit a pre-planning application. Create your account first, then come back to this page to complete your task using the buttons below.

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Apply for pre-planning advice

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If you have any questions email about your application, email planningenquiries@guildford.gov.uk.

We do not make details of pre-application enquiries available to the public. However, planning applications have a pre-application advice section. We'll give you a reference number which you can put in this section if you wish. If you do this, the details of your pre-application advice will go on your application file.

We have to give details of pre-application advice if someone makes a freedom of information request.