Pre-application advice

We offer pre-application advice via a pre-arranged meeting or written advice. Advice will be given on one proposal per meeting and only information attached with your submission will be discussed.

If a meeting is held we will not usually provide written advice. If you require a written record of the meeting, you may make a record and ask us to confirm its accuracy. If you require further advice you will need to make another application.

We will advise you of specific constraints affecting your site, key policy considerations (including what infrastructure contributions might be required), what documentation we will expect to be submitted with a planning application, and an opinion as to the likelihood of permission being granted. We may also make recommendations about how your proposal could be improved.

To access this service you will need to complete our pre application advice service form and pay the relevant charge. Pre-application enquiries can either be submitted by email or post.

• Email: planning@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
• By post: Development Planning, Cheshire West and Chester Council, The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BA

You will also need to submit this information:

• a location and site plan (giving post code and grid ref where appropriate), which can be obtained from the Planning Portal website.
• sketches of the proposal
• photographs of the site and surroundings
• a brief summary of the proposals and the condition of the existing site
• a list of any key issues about which you require specific advice

The more relevant information you submit, the more useful the meeting is likely to be. If the information supplied is inaccurate, our advice may not stand when you come to apply for planning permission.

Once we have registered your application you will be contacted by a planning officer. We are unable to make assurances about timescales at present.