Pre-application planning advice

Check if your property is within the New Forest District Planning Area

Applying for pre-application advice

We are able to offer advice on your application before you submit it. This can help to identify issues with your application  or the proposed development or when you might need to get specialist advice. It can help us to make a decision once you submit an application. 

We can offer advice in six different categories :

Types of pre application advice

Plus, 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 via our duty planning officer

Duty planner service

How to apply for pre-application advice

To request pre-application advice you will need to complete the form below, submit the required information and pay the appropriate fee. 

When you apply you will be required to submit:

• your contact details
• site address and location 
• description of proposed development 
• current use 
• a plan showing the proposal in relation to the site's boundaries and adjoining properties drawn to scale
• a sketch of the proposal with measurements or to scale
• an indicative site layout plan 
• the relevant fee. 

We may ask for further information if it's needed. You can also include any other details you may feel will assist with the request.  

We offer we will provide written advice only, other than for strategic sites. You will not receive a written response if you book an appointment with the duty planner. 

Apply for pre-application advice

Please note details of all enquiries, other than strategic sites, will be viewable on our planning application pages and responses to householder pre-applications will be published on our website at date of response.

Lawful Development Certificates

If you would rather have a legally binding decision on whether you need planning permission, you can submit a certificate lawful proposed development application form. You should also provide accurate details for your project and the relevant fee. You will receive a formal decision as to whether or not your proposal is permitted development, or if an application for planning permission is required.

Certificate lawful proposed development application form

Any advice is non-binding

Any comments given represent the informal views of our planning officer and are non-binding on the elected Council Members of the Authority or the Executive Head Planning, Regeneration and the Economy.  

The views will be based on the information provided and the research undertaken.  

If a planning application is submitted we must take into account any views expressed by statutory and non-statutory consultees and other interested third parties.  

The eventual recommendation and decision may therefore change when more detailed consideration is given at application stage. The decision notice and the case officer's report will set out in detail the reasons for the decision.   

Environmental Information Regulations 2004 / Freedom of information Act 2000

If the Council receives a request, under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) or Environmental Information Regulations (EIR), to disclose information relating to pre-application enquiries we are obliged to do so unless the information is deemed exempt from disclosure. We can only withhold information that falls under one of the exemptions (FOI) or exceptions (EIR) set out in legislation.

If you consider that your request is covered by an exemption/exception, for example, it is confidential or commercially sensitive; you should inform the Council at the time of submitting the application. The pre-application advice request form contains a section where applicants can set out the reasons why, and for how long, they feel any information relating to the case needs to remain confidential.  We will consult with the applicants should we receive a request before reaching a final decision.  However, whilst we will take account of these views, the final decision on whether the information should be provided or withheld rests with the Council.