Pre-application planning advice
We encourage and welcome enquiries and requests for advice before an application is submitted.
There are two ways to access pre-application planning advice. The first is the statutory service, which has a fixed fee decided by the Welsh Government while the second is an additional, more in-depth service.
Welsh Government statutory pre-application service
The Town and Country Planning (Pre-Application Services) (Wales) Regulations 2016 require all local planning authorities in Wales to provide a statutory pre-application service.
Applicants must submit a completed pre-application advice enquiry form with certain information. As a minimum they will be required to provide:
- name, address and contact details
- a description of the proposal, including an indication of increase in floor space, and/or number of new units proposed
- site address
- location plan
- fee
The fees that can be charged for statutory pre-application services are the same across Wales, although they can vary depending upon the size and scale of the proposed development. The fees are:
- Householder: £25
- Minor development: £250
- Major development: £600
- Large major development: £1,000
The regulations require us to provide a written response to all valid pre-application enquiries within 21 days, unless an extension of time is agreed.
As a minimum, applicants for householder developments should expect to receive the following information in their written response:
- the relevant planning history of the site
- the relevant development plan policies the development proposal will be assessed against
- relevant supplementary planning guidance, for example, design or conservation information
- any other material planning considerations
- an initial assessment of the proposed development, based on the information above
For all other development proposals, applicants should also be informed whether any Section 106 or Community Infrastructure Levy contributions are likely to be needed, and information on what these contributions may include.
We will not accept a pre-application enquiry form unless the appropriate fee is paid.
Additional non-statutory pre-application service
Our aim is to allow and promote high quality development.
The Welsh Government actively encourages local planning authorities to provide a more comprehensive pre-application service than the statutory minimum, and recognises that we will have to charge more for it.
Any additional written advice, meetings or site visits for a pre-application enquiry will not form part of the statutory service.
The document below outlines what you can expect from our additional pre-application planning guidance.
Contact
Planning Department
Bridgend County Borough Council
Email:
planning@bridgend.gov.uk
Telephone:
01656 643155
Address:
Civic Offices,
Angel Street,
Bridgend,
CF31 4WB.