Make a non-householder development enquiry

Our service will provide you with informal advice on:  

• if planning permission would be necessary for your proposed development 
• whether it is likely to gain approval 

It enables you to: 

• check if you need a planning application and improve your chances of success 
• determine early on if your proposal is likely to be accepted and identify key considerations before making a formal application 

• save you the costs of pursuing a formal application unlikely to gain approval 
• understand which planning policies would apply to your scheme and how 
• save time by reducing the number of negotiations and amendments needed at application stage 
• save time if you sell your property. The conveyancing process may ask you to provide proof that appropriate permissions were sought

Any pre-application enquiry which involves a Listed Building will be subject to an additional charge of £115 (incl. VAT).

For mixed use development; please add the residential and commercial fees together as a cumulative fee will be applicable.

All other proposals will be charged at the hourly rate of £115 (incl. VAT) contact us for further information.

These charges cover the costs associated with an officer providing an initial response to a pre-application enquiry. One further written response will be charged at £115 per hour (or part thereof).

In some instances the Council will wish to refer development proposals to the independent Torbay Design Review Panel. A separate fee will be required to cover the cost of using the Panel

Site Visits and Meetings £115 per officer per hour (please contact us for details)

How we respond 

We will provide advice in writing at the end of the process.  

The advice given in response to your request represents the officer’s informal opinion. We base this on the information you provide. We give this without prejudice to any decision by us. 

We make any future planning application public and discuss it according to our regular procedures. Sometimes, new information may lead to finding more issues that are important for deciding on the application.  

We try our best to predict the outcome of an application before it's submitted. There might be times when, after reviewing feedback from the public consultation, we reach a different decision.  

We don't usually make major changes to a proposal once we receive a formal planning application. The exception would be if its in the public's best interest to do so.  

If you submit an application without pre-application advice, we make a decision on its merits. 

If you have any questions or need any further guidance about our pre-application service, then please contact us. 

Documents required

Please supply the appropriate level of information necessary. This is for us to give you an informed response to your enquiry. The more information that you can provide at this stage, the more informed our response to you can be. 

A typical enquiry should include: 

An accurate site plan -  you can purchase these online . The site to should be clearly marked in red. Draw a blue line around any further land, owned by the applicant, which is close to or adjoining the application site. 

Any further information - necessary to illustrate your scheme. This depends on the scale of your proposed scheme. It may be necessary to supply, where appropriate, any of the following: 

• sketches (please show the site as both existing and proposed) 
• photographs (of the existing site) 
• details from product brochures 
• existing scaled drawings – site layout plan, floor plans and elevations 
• proposed scaled drawings – site layout plan, floor plans and elevations 
• the topography of the site i.e. flat or sloping 
• a plan of the site and its surroundings showing all buildings, trees and other features, e.g. stone walls, hedges etc. 
• an assessment of your proposal in relation to other buildings, trees and other important features and the reasons for the scheme as submitted 

Developments involving new building or access  

Your drawings should show:  

• existing vehicular and pedestrian access points 
• proposed access points 
• visibility splays and gradients and details 
• proposed vehicle and cycle parking and service areas 
• changes in existing and proposed site levels and adjoining land 
• trees and shrubs that will be lost or retained within or next to the site 

Major developments 

• If you are proposing a major development, we expect having early conversations and discussions during the pre-application enquiry process. This is to determine the additional documents we may need to assess your submission.  
• Please note that the above list is not necessarily exhaustive. If necessary, we may ask you for further information. We are unable to return any plans/documents. 
• Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any enquiries. 

Please note: An insufficient level of information may result in us being unable to process your request for advice. In some cases there may be significant doubt about whether the proposal will be acceptable in principle. 

Level of service 

Our pre-application enquiry service, including for major Development, is likely to include: 

• Early agreement over the relevant process and timeline for dealing with the enquiry. 
• For larger, more significant projects, the pre-application process might involve developers presenting their plans to Councillors in the early stages 
• Discussions about technical requirements of the submission and the assessment of the development. This will include the need for an Environmental Impact Assessment/Habitat Regulations Assessment. 
• Sometimes we refer development proposals to the independent Torbay Design Review Panel. A separate fee is required to cover the cost of using the Panel. 

We will aim to give a comprehensive and coordinated response. We take a development team approach to dealing with your enquiry. This will include involvement from relevant internal and external expertise such as:  

• highways engineers 
• transport planners 
• arboricultural experts 
• ecologists 
• environmental health officers 
• engineers 
• bodies such as Natural England, Historic England and the Environment Agency  

Advice is provided in writing at the end of the process