Duty planner service

Please note we are unable provide any planning advice relating to properties located within the New Forest National Park Authority boundary and you will need to contact them directly. You can check this below.

Am I within the New Forest District planning area?

Our pre application advice service is in two parts:

general verbal advice available with our duty officer
detailed advice on whether your scheme could be supported via pre-application charging system

On this page:

What does the duty planning officer service offer?

We offer 15-minutes free general advice and guidance with a duty planning officer to support you, if you are thinking about extending your home or carrying out minor works to your businesses premises.

We will not provide a written record of the advice given and if we feel that you are looking for a level of detail that is best dealt with as a pre-application enquiry we will direct you to that part of the service pre-application advice process.

If you have a query about how to make a planning application, information is available on our website.

Before asking to speak to a Duty Officer, we would like you to look at our planning advice pages by clicking on the web site links below.

You can also see useful advice on the need for planning permission by clicking on this link to the Government's interactive house on their Planning Portal.

Speaking to a duty planner

You can book an appointment up to speak to our duty planner up to 14 days in advance.

Appointments are available every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

The Duty Planning Service is available via phone appointment only and we ask that you provide a direct telephone number to call you back on.

Book an appointment

Alternatively, you can call us on 023 8028 5345. Please select option 1.

Once you have made the appointment, you will receive an email to confirm this. If you do not receive this, please contact us to confirm your booking has been made. You will receive your phone call within 10 minutes either side of the booked time.

The length of an appointment will be 15 minutes and they are available Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9.30am to 12.30pm (last appointment is 12.15am). It is not possible to book appointments on the day so we do encourage you to book in advance.

This service can only be used to provide general advice. If your enquiry does not relate to an area covered by the duty officer service, you will be advised during the call to follow the pre-application advice process instead.

How a duty planner officer can assist

The duty planning officer can assist you with simple questions about the following types of enquiry:

general advice on planning considerations and permitted development rights.
how to apply for pre-application advice and what this service involves.
how to apply for planning permission and general advice can be given on requirements for validating planning applications.
advice on pre-application and planning application fees.

The Duty Planning Officer cannot

provide an opinion on whether planning permission would or would not be granted
discuss the detail of current applications or appeals discuss the technical merits of applications, refusals or appeals
agree to any minor amendments to planning permissions
discuss enforcement enquiries
deal with the discharge any planning conditions on a decision notice.

If your query does relate to a suspected breach of planning control (for example my neighbour has built a big shed, etc), this should be reported.

Report a planning breach.

More information

There is information available on our website on a range topics which may answer your query.

This includes: