A payment may buy a telephone discussion, a written response, a meeting or a limited number of staff hours. Pre-application advice helps identify planning issues but cannot predetermine the eventual planning decision. [1]
Compare the service, not just the price
Before purchasing advice, establish what the package includes. Useful questions are whether the council will assess one design or several, which specialists will be involved, whether you receive written conclusions, and whether a follow-up discussion costs extra. National guidance encourages services proportionate to the nature and scale of the proposal rather than one standard approach for every project. [1]
Make the enquiry specific: for example, ask about the principle of a roof extension, the effect of a conservation-area designation, or the reports required for a proposed conversion. An open-ended request for “everything we could build” is a different brief from asking the council to comment on one drawn option.
Examples of council pre-application services
Redbridge's published householder service illustrates why the scope matters. Its £170 including VAT standard option covers a 20-minute telephone appointment about one development and does not include written advice. The standard service is not the appropriate option for listed buildings or conservation-area proposals. [2]
The council's advanced service is £310 including VAT and provides written advice on one option. A telephone appointment can be added for £170 including VAT. The advanced route addresses more complex circumstances, including conservation areas and listed buildings. These are the prices displayed by Redbridge when checked on 2 October 2026, not a London-wide tariff. [2]
Epping Forest publishes an hourly charge of £250 including VAT for its pre-application service and requires payment before an enquiry is processed. An hourly service cannot be compared directly with a fixed-price telephone appointment: ask what work is included and what further time could be chargeable. [3]
Prepare a brief before paying
Use the enquiry to answer decisions that affect the next stage. A practical preparation list is:
- Define the property, the intended use and the option you want assessed.
- Provide the information required by the council's selected service, with drawings and photographs appropriate to that enquiry.
- Identify the questions on policy, design, neighbour effects and supporting reports.
- Ask for any recommended changes to be linked to the issue they are intended to resolve. [1][2]
Keep the submitted proposal together with the council's response. Advice about one design should not be treated as an assessment of a materially different scheme.
What the fee does not secure
Pre-application engagement is separate from the formal application and its statutory fee. It does not replace consultation on the application or guarantee that permission will be granted. Its value is in clarifying the matters to address before committing to a detailed submission. [1][4]
MHCLG's 16 July 2026 fee-reform response retains a role for voluntary pre-application services and planning performance agreements. It does not create a single national pre-application price. For a later enquiry, check the council's current service terms rather than relying on the examples above. [5]