Discussions with a planning officer can help identify and where possible eliminate any issues with development proposals, thereby improving the quality of planning applications and reducing the time taken to process them.

Our aim is to provide clear advice to assist developers in the preparation of planning applications. Our  Code of Practice [27kb] sets out more information on the advice you can expect to receive, and the information we need from you in order to give that advice.

Major Developments- Charges for Advice

To ensure that we are able to continue to provide high quality planning advice to developers we have introduced charges for pre-application advice in respect of proposals for 'major' development, defined as:

• New build and conversion schemes for 10 or more residential units;
• Other developments with a floor area of 1000 sq m or more;
• Outline enquiries for residential developments on sites of 0.5 Ha or more; and
• Outline enquiries for non-residential development on sites of 1 Ha or more

The charges will apply to requests for advice received after 1 January 2011, and all new requests must be submitted using the form below.

 Pre-application Enquiry Form- Major Developments [96kb]
 Pre-application Enquiry Form- Major Developments [164kb]

The following charges apply:

The charges are inclusive of VAT. In cases where discussions are already taking place about a major development proposal, any further substantive advice provided after 1 January 2011 will be charged at the rate of £400 per meeting and letter.

Planning Performance Agreements

For larger scale major developments (>200 dwellings or 10,000 sq m floorspace) Nottingham City Council encourages developers to enter into a Planning Performance Agreement (PPA). This is a framework agreed between the Council and a developer for the management of complex development proposals within the planning process. A PPA allows both the developer and the council to agree a project plan and programme which will include the appropriate resources (including an agreed fee for pre-application advice) necessary to determine the planning application to a firm timetable. Pre-application advice and discussions form an important part of a successful PPA.

We have produced a PPA Charter setting out more information about our approach to PPAs which can be downloaded from the links to the right of this page.

Limitations of the Service

All advice is given in good faith on the basis of the information supplied to us. Whilst pre-application advice is more likely to result in a speedier and positive outcome, we cannot guarantee that any formal decision of Nottingham City Council will necessarily be in accordance with this advice. All views are expressed at officer level and are without prejudice to the final decision which is made on the planning application.