Planning & Design Services
Pre-Application Advice Package
Test your land’s planning potential with the council — before you spend serious money.
from £999
Council pre-application fees are charged separately at cost.
What You Receive
Included in the Pre-Application Advice Package
- A review of your site and its planning context
- Preparation and submission of a formal pre-application enquiry
- Management of the council’s response on your behalf
- A plain-English summary with recommended next steps
How It Works
A clear, managed process
Site review
We assess your land’s planning context — designations, constraints, policy position and relevant local decisions — to frame the strongest possible enquiry.
Enquiry prepared and submitted
Working with our partner consultancy team, we prepare the supporting material and submit a formal pre-application enquiry to the council on your behalf.
Council response managed
We handle correspondence with the planning officer, attend to requests for clarification, and chase the response so you don’t have to.
Plain-English summary
When the council responds, we translate the officer’s letter into a clear summary: what it means, how encouraging it really is, and the recommended next steps for your land.
Turnaround and delivery
Typical turnaround: Subject to council response times — typically 4–8 weeks. Council pre-application fees are charged separately at cost. This service is coordinated by PlotMarket and delivered with our partner consultancy and design teams — you have a single point of contact from enquiry to delivery, and we confirm the scope and fee with you before any work begins.
Common Questions
What is pre-application advice?+
A formal enquiry to the council asking, in effect, "would you look favourably on this?" before a full application is made. The officer’s response signals how the council is likely to treat a future application — for a fraction of the cost of finding out the hard way.
Why are council fees charged separately?+
Each council sets its own pre-application fee, which varies with the scale of the proposal. We pass these on at cost with no mark-up, and confirm the figure with you before anything is submitted.
Does a positive response guarantee planning permission?+
No — pre-application advice is not binding on the council. It is, however, the strongest early signal available, and a positive response materially de-risks the application that follows.
Why does the timescale vary?+
The council controls the response time, not us. Most respond within four to eight weeks; some take longer. We manage the process and keep you informed throughout — we won’t promise a date the council hasn’t committed to.
Start Here
Enquire about the Pre-Application Advice Package
Tell us about your land and we’ll come back to you within one working day.