Before getting in contact to use these services, you may find the information in our planning application section helpful.
No external consultees will be consulted as part of the our pre-application service. Developers should consider using other pre-application advice services. Some statutory and non-statutory consultees, such as the Environment Agency and Thames Water, offer these. You can find details on their websites.
Written advice service
Choose from one of the options below and use the non-householder pre-application enquiry form to ask us for guidance.
Make a non-householder pre-application enquiry
Acceptability of proposal in principal
This service assesses the principle of the proposed development. We will research the planning history of the site and check if the proposed development plan fits the site's designation, such as:
- settlement
- countryside
- Green Belt
You will receive a written response. This will highlight the most relevant policies from the Development Plan and key points from a desktop assessment.
No consultations will take place, except with the Development Plan team if needed. This service does not include site visits, meetings or follow-up discussions.
Detailed advice
Use this service to get a full written response in relation to your proposal. We'll work with key internal experts like the Highway Authority and the Tree Service.
We will tell you the following:
- whether we would be likely to support your proposal if you make an application
- identify the key planning considerations
- set out any changes that could make your proposal more acceptable in planning terms
This advice will be provided following an un-accompanied site visit and will include one meeting with the case officer. If you want other officers (for example, highways, heritage or drainage officers) to be present, the standard meeting rate will apply.
If you wish to follow-up on the advice given, you can give us new or revised information within 12 weeks of your response letter's date. The fee for this is set out in the tables below. To get follow-up advice, you must submit a new non-householder pre-application enquiry and select the follow-up option.
If you want to ask about alternative schemes, the second and any later scheme submitted with the main proposal will cost 30% of the full pre-application fee.
Generally, the pre-application report will be submitted following the meeting. However sometimes it will be agreed that further versions of the plans can be submitted to try and overcome any issues identified.
A fee will be payable for each new iteration of the plans being considered as set out in the tables below.
Planning Performance Agreements
For major or strategic development sites, we can enter into a Planning Performance Agreement (PPA).
This is a project management tool in which we agree on the following:
- timescales
- actions
- resources for handling particular applications
The format, content and fees for these agreements are a matter of negotiation. If this is of interest to you, email development.control@bracknell-forest.gov.uk.
Pre-application service fees
Residential and commercial
The fee to find out if your proposal is acceptable in principle, for both residential and commercial projects, is £400.
Residential units (based on gross new units)
Detailed advice
| Service | Fee including VAT |
|---|---|
| Detailed pre-application | £440 per unit up to a maximum of £22,440 |
| Follow up advice | £250 per unit up to a maximum of £6,250 |
| Consideration of each set of additional plans within pre-application or mid application process | £250 per unit to maximum of £6,250 |
Commercial, non-residential and change of use
Detailed advice
| Number of square metres | Fee including VAT |
|---|---|
| 0 to 200 | £440 |
| 201 to 1,000 | £1,800 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | £4,000 |
| 5,001 to 10,000 | £7,500 |
| 10,000+ | £11,250 |
Follow-up advice following issue of pre-application report
This follow-up advice includes one meeting with officers.
| Scale in square metres | Fee including VAT |
|---|---|
| 0 to 200 | £250 |
| 201 to 1,000 | £750 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | £1,400 |
| 5,001 to 10,000 | £4,400 |
| 10,000+ | £6,250 |
Consideration of additional plans within pre-application or mid-application process
Fees shown are per set of amended plans.
| Scale in square metres | Fee including VAT |
|---|---|
| 0 to 200 | £250 |
| 201 to 1,000 | £750 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | £1,400 |
| 5,001 to 10,000 | £4,400 |
| 10,000+ | £6,250 |
Additional meetings
Additional meetings are charged at an hourly rate per officer.
Discount on alternative schemes
If you want to ask about alternative schemes, the second and any later scheme submitted with the main proposal will cost 30% of the full pre-application fee.
More advice services
We also offer the following advice services.
If this is of interest to you, email development.control@bracknell-forest.gov.uk.
| Advice type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Change of use from a dwelling or change of use of land to garden | £136 |
| Non-householder enquiries to confirm use class or what type of amendment is required to an application (for example, non-material or material amendment) | £108 |
| Master planning advice and associated meetings charged per officer at hourly rate | £181 |
| Letter of confirmation of compliance with an enforcement notice | £260 |
| Requests for amendments to s106 Agreements | £528 |
| Requests for Unilateral Undertaking (obligations dependent) | £364 |
| Research enquiries per hour | £185 |
| Officer meetings charged per officer at hourly rate (minimum 1 hour charge) | £181 |
| Confirmation of deemed advertisement consent (1 to 3 signs) | £180 |
| Confirmation of deemed advertisement consent (more than 3 signs) | £355 |
| Provision of electronic copy of s106, 52, 16 or 299A Agreement | £45 |
| Cost of monitoring response if easily obtainable (response by email) | £40 |
| Provision of electronic copies of CIL forms | £45 |
| Cost of response to CIL enquiry if easily obtainable (response by email) | £40 |