Planning, Pre-Application Advice
Pre-application strategy.
Before we rely on the council's view, we build our own. A rigorously tested planning and design case, so that a formal pre-application response, where you still need one, lands on a scheme that has already answered its hardest questions.
Before the council sees it
We build the case. Then, where it helps, the council sees it.
Council pre-application services are stretched. Fees have risen, response times have lengthened, and the advice you get back is not binding, so it is not a substitute for a properly argued case. We do the harder work first: reading the scheme against policy and precedent, and testing the design against the guidance, before anyone outside the practice sees it.
Because architecture and planning sit in one team, that conversation happens continuously, not in a single submission and a single response. By the time a scheme is ready, we already know where its strengths and its risks are.
See our Planning Strategy service Read the guide
What this involves
A rigorously tested case, not a single opinion.
We set out what the development plan and national policy actually allow, what recent appeal decisions tell us, and how the design should respond, so you have a clear, written view of the scheme's strengths and its risks before you commit further.
Typically included
- Development plan and national policy review
- Relevant appeal decisions and precedent
- Site constraints and risk appraisal
- Design tested against the guidance, not developed in isolation
- A clear, written view of strengths and risks
- A recommendation on whether formal pre-application still helps
01
Homeowners & self-builders
Considering a scheme on a constrained or borderline site, and want a straight answer before committing to full drawings.
02
Developers
Testing a scheme's prospects before submission, or before further design fees are committed.
03
Landowners & estates
Weighing diversification or new development on land you already hold, and want the planning risk understood early.
"Kerry navigated every challenge with determination and professionalism. Her strategic approach and deep understanding of the planning system gave us complete confidence, and delivered the outcome we were hoping for."
Private Client, 2025
Get in touch
Considering a scheme, and not sure where it stands?
Send us the site address and a short outline. We will give you a properly tested view, not a queue number.