Pre-Application Planning Advice in London: Is It Worth It and How to Use It

Pre-application planning advice (pre-app advice) is a formal paid service provided by the planning department of each London Borough, in which the planning officer reviews a proposed project — based on drawings, a design statement, and a site description provided by the applicant or their architect — and provides written feedback on the principle of the proposed development, the likely issues, and the planning officer's assessment of the project's chances of approval and what design changes might improve those chances. Pre-app advice is distinct from: a permitted development certificate enquiry (a legal determination of whether PD rights apply — a different process, separately chargeable, provides legal certainty); a formal planning application (which results in a planning decision — either consent or refusal — and is a public document consulted upon by neighbours, statutory consultees, and the public); and informal officer advice (some London Boroughs allow brief informal advice by phone or email before the formal pre-app fee is paid — but this is increasingly restricted and the advice is not documented). Pre-app advice is provided by: the planning officer responsible for the area where the property is located (a duty planning officer or a named officer after the pre-app fee is paid); and in some London Boroughs, by a duty planning officer at a drop-in session for minor applications (kitchen extensions, loft conversions, small side extensions) — where the fee is lower and the response time is faster. Key point about the status of pre-app advice: pre-application advice is an officer's opinion — it is not a decision, it does not bind the Council, and a subsequent formal planning application is assessed by the planning committee or officer independently. However, in practice, a well-prepared pre-app meeting sets up the formal application to be assessed positively — the officer who provided the pre-app advice is often the same officer who processes the formal application.

Each London Borough sets its own pre-application advice fees. As of 2025, the typical fee structure for a householder pre-application in London is: minor householder proposals (single-storey extensions, loft conversions, simple boundary issues): written advice only (no meeting), typically 15-20 business days turnaround: £100-£250. Standard householder proposals (larger extensions, two-storey extensions, outbuildings, wrap-around): written advice with optional meeting, 15-25 business days: £250-£600. More complex householder proposals (listed buildings, conservation area extensions, extensions requiring daylight and sunlight assessment): meeting + written advice with specialist officer involvement: £500-£1,500. Examples of 2025 pre-app fees for selected London Boroughs: London Borough of Southwark (where Victorian terrace density is high and conservation area designation is widespread): householder standard pre-app written advice £350; with meeting £500. Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (many listed buildings, conservation area coverage almost total): householder pre-app written advice £550; with meeting £850. London Borough of Barnet (suburban with significant conservation areas): minor pre-app £150; standard with meeting £450. London Borough of Hackney: minor written advice £100; standard with meeting £350. These are indicative — check the current fee schedule on the relevant London Borough's planning portal before submitting a pre-app fee. Timescales: most London Boroughs' target turnaround for householder pre-app responses is 15-25 working days from receipt of the fee and submission documents. Actual turnaround in many London Boroughs is 4-8 weeks — plan accordingly in your project programme.

Pre-application advice is not always necessary — a standard single-storey rear extension within PD limits clearly does not need pre-app advice. But it is essential (or very strongly advisable) in the following situations: Conservation area: any extension in a conservation area should have pre-app advice, because the planning officer's sensitivity to design, materials, and character is highest in these areas — and the design brief for a refused conservation area application involves much more remediation cost than the pre-app fee. The officer will tell you specifically what materials are required, whether the proposed roof form is acceptable, whether the extension is considered acceptable in principle, and if not, what a revised design would need to address. Listed building: any proposed alteration to a listed building should always have pre-app advice, because the Listed Building Consent process is more stringent and less predictable than a standard planning application — and a refused LBC application causes significant programme delay. Large or complex proposals: any extension that is close to, or exceeds, the Council's development management policy thresholds (e.g., an extension covering more than a specified percentage of the garden, or an extension whose height approaches the ridge of the existing house). Two-storey side extensions: planning officers vary significantly in their approach to two-storey side extensions — some Boroughs are very restrictive, others less so. A pre-app meeting establishes the officer's position and the design conditions before the formal application is submitted. Adjoining sensitive uses: an extension adjacent to a school, a Grade I or II* listed building, a park or green space, or a sensitive ecological designation may trigger specialist consultation requirements — the pre-app meeting identifies these before the formal application is submitted and helps the applicant commission the relevant assessments (ecological survey, tree survey, etc.) in advance. When pre-app advice is probably not necessary: a clear PD proposal (although a PD certificate application provides legal certainty and may be preferable to an informal check); a simple single-storey rear extension on a non-conservation-area property; a basic garage conversion with no external material changes; and straightforward loft conversion proposals in areas without Article 4 restrictions.

The quality of the outcome from a pre-application meeting is largely determined by the quality of the information and questions the applicant brings to it. A poorly prepared pre-app meeting that goes with vague verbal descriptions of the proposed extension and no drawings produces a vague officer response — often 'it depends on the final design'. A well-prepared pre-app meeting with concept drawings, a design statement, and well-structured questions produces a specific officer response that directly informs the formal application design. What to prepare for a pre-application meeting: Concept drawings: at minimum, a block plan (the site within the surrounding area, from Ordnance Survey base), floor plans (proposed ground floor showing the new extension footprint and its relationship to the existing house and boundaries), and proposed elevations (the external appearance of the proposed extension including roof height, materials, and window/door positions). These do not need to be construction drawings — a competent architect's concept drawings at 1:100 scale are sufficient. Design statement: a brief written description of the proposal (what is being proposed, why, and how the design relates to the site, the character of the area, and the relevant planning policies). Site photographs: external photographs of the existing property from the street, from the garden, and showing the relationship with neighbouring properties. Boundary distances: measured distances from the proposed extension to all site boundaries, and from the site boundaries to neighbouring windows (for daylight assessment purposes). A list of specific questions: the pre-app advice is most useful when directed at specific design or policy uncertainties, for example: 'Is the proposed 5.5m rear extension depth acceptable in principle for this location?'; 'Does the proposed single-storey side extension need to be set back from the front elevation by a specific dimension?'; 'Is the proposed flat roof with sedum finish acceptable in this conservation area?'; 'What design changes would be needed for the Council to support a two-storey side extension on this property?'. After the pre-app advice: the planning officer's written response should be shared with the architect and any other relevant professionals before the formal application drawings are finalised. The formal application should address each point raised in the pre-app advice explicitly in the design statement — demonstrating to the planning officer that their feedback has been heard and acted upon.