Pre-application advice
Advice on discharge of conditions applications
We now offer pre-application advice on discharge of conditions applications (Major applications only). We - alongside consultees that we work closely with - will offer you advice about your discharge of conditions, before your formal application is submitted. We aim to provide you with a written response within 28 days of the pre-application being validated.
This may help you if you need advice about what is required to discharge your condition. We can work with you to collect all the information that you will need to submit in your formal application.
This advice, which will come in the form of a written response, costs £75. Please note that this fee is per condition type. If you have conditions which surround more than one area, you will be charged for each area (for example, if you have one ecology condition and one highways condition, you will pay £150).
If you have more than one condition of the same type (for example, two ecology conditions), please outline this within your request. You will receive advice on both conditions.
Please note: This type of pre-application advice does not exclude you from submitting your formal discharge of condition application.
Apply for discharge of conditions advice
Get pre-application advice - engage with us and manage the risk
Our pre-application advice service is available to you if you are considering any development, and would like advice before you make a planning application.
We strongly encourage applicants to use our pre-application advice service as a key step in managing the risks associated with planning proposals. This service is designed to help you assess the likely success of your application before submission, enabling you to take a more informed view of the opportunities and risks associated with your scheme.
Engaging with us early allows us to provide you with a clear, informal view on whether your proposal is likely to be supported. Where we anticipate that an application may not be successful, we will explain the reasons for our view. While this advice is not binding and cannot account for every issue that may arise during the formal process, it offers a valuable opportunity to identify and address potential concerns in advance.
Applicants are expected to make informed choices about how they proceed. Where pre-application advice has been sought and followed, we will normally work collaboratively to resolve issues. Conversely, where our pre-application advice has not been taken into account, we will not normally invite amendments, or engage in protracted negotiations, as these can delay decisions and increase uncertainty for our communities. We will proceed and consider your application as you have submitted it.
Using our pre-application service is a proactive way to reduce the risk of refusal and improve the efficiency of the planning process.
Advice is available:
- in writing
- over the phone (or video call)
- in person, onsite
The fee we charge will depend on the size of your proposed development works.
Our pre-application advice service also includes heritage advice (for advice about proposed works to listed buildings) and consultee advice.
Fees
The fees that you pay will depend on the type of enquiry you are making.
Our pre-application advice fees
Apply for pre-application advice
Before you apply, please check which documents you need to include with your pre-application enquiry.
Make a pre-application enquiry
If you have previously received pre-application advice and now need to seek more, please use our separate follow-up online form:
Request follow-up pre-application advice
Expectations and timescales
Alongside other authorities in Suffolk, we have developed a Design Management Process Map. The map details the usual steps a development will take. We will expect to discuss with you how you will bring your project forward, in accordance with the steps listed.
Once we have received your pre-application enquiry, we aim to respond within a set amount of time. The length of time we take will depend on the size of your development, and how you have requested to receive your advice (in person, or otherwise).
Please refer to our pre-application timescales for more information.
We have a quick and easy to use online payment form, for use when you have submitted your pre-application enquiry. It can also be used to make further 'top-up' payments - or to pay for requests for planning histories.
Please make sure to quote your pre-application enquiry reference. This will help us to record your new payment against your current enquiry.