MAKING A PRE-APPLICATION ENQUIRY

There are ways to reduce the risk of the planning department moving from a positive early response to a recommendation for refusal after you have submitted. When you make a pre-application enquiry, ensure that the potentially contentious issues are highlighted. There is a temptation to play down inconvenient features, such as loss of privacy for a neighbouring house, but they are bound to be spotted once the application is examined. So, it is better to deal with them from the start. Most councils will allow you to have a second discussion if you alter the design. If they do, it is essential you take them up on this offer as it will reflect well on you.

If you have meetings or telephone calls, listen carefully to what is being said and keep notes. I have had more than one occasion where a client has chosen to take my services whilst already under the impression that there is full support for their scheme, only to find out later that the planner has a different recollection of their conversation. This can happen because some officers don’t like to give out bad news in person and resort to using ambiguous, bureaucratic language.

Sometimes confirmation bias kicks in. This is a natural tendency where people listen to an explanation and pick out the bits that support what they already want to believe, playing down objections. We all do it – just ask any politician. So, appoint a professional who is used to dealing with planners and knows how policy works before presenting your ideas for scrutiny.