Planning
Pre-Application Advice
What is Pre-Application Advice?
Worcester City Council seeks to provide a positive climate for pre-application discussions, offering an approach with impartial and professional advice within an agreed time frame. The service is structured to provide an ‘in principle' feed back on your proposals as well as more detailed discussions and negotiations on a scheme before you submit a formal application.
The service is not compulsory. However, the Council actively encourages pre-application discussions for all development proposals before submission for formal consideration.
Pre-application advice will provide you with the following benefits:
- An understanding of how our policies will be applied to your proposal
- Identify the need for specialist input at an early stage e.g. for listed buildings, transportation, trees, landscape, noise, health, ecology, contaminated land or archaeology
- Assist in the preparation of proposals for formal submission, which, if you follow our advice, should be handled more quickly and be more likely to result in a positive outcome
- Help to reduce the time that you or your professional advisors spend in working up the proposals
- Identify those proposals that are completely unacceptable, so saving you the cost of pursuing a formal application
Pre-Application Advice Fees 2025/2026
Permitted Development Enquiry
| Proposed Development Type | Cost £ (Flat Rate) |
|---|---|
| Householder | 36.50 |
| Other | 78.00 |
Pre-application and General Advice
Proposed Development Type
| Residential Development* | Development Site Area | Proposed Gross Floor Area** | Cost £ | Cost of additional meetings £ (each) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Householder | - | - | 59.00 | 30.00 |
| 1 dwelling | less than 0.5ha | - | 208.00 | 88.00 |
| 2-4 dwellings | less than 0.5ha | 500m2 or less | 415.00 | 208.00 |
| 5-9 dwellings | 0.6 - 0.99ha | 501 - 999m2 | 885.00 | 295.00 |
| 10 - 49 dwellings | 1.0 - l.25ha | 1000 - 2499m2 | 1480.00 | 588.00 |
| 199 dwellings | 1.26 - 2.0ha | 2500 - 9999m2 | 2950.00 | 1180.00 |
| 200+ dwellings | More than 2ha | 10000m2 + | 4430.00 | 1480.00 |
Other
| Type | Cost £ | Cost of additional meetings £ (each) |
|---|---|---|
| Advertisements | 88.00 | 30.00 |
| Change of Use | 240.00 | 59.00 |
| Telecommunications | 240.00 | 59.00 |
| Glasshouses/Poly Tunnels | 295.00 | 88.00 |
| Works to listed buildings | 88.00 | 30.00 |
| Works to trees | 88.00 | 30.00 |
| Landscape advice | 88.00 | 30.00 |
| Variation or removal of condition/s | 88.00 | 30.00 |
| Amendments to minor/householder application | 30.00 | 14.50 |
| Amendments to other applications | 88.00 | 30.00 |
| Other*** | 177.00 | 88.00 |
| Discharge of conditions - minor applications | 30.00 | 14.50 |
| Discharge of conditions - major applications | 60.00 | 30.00 |
| Data retrieval fee | 18.00 | 0.00 |
| Officer Letter of assurance without site visit | 88.50 | 0.00 |
| Officer Letter of assurance with site visit | 150.00 | 0.00 |
| Enforcement Legal and management costs (To be determined on a case by case basis) | Case by Case | 0.00 |
* Includes one-for-one replacements and conversions/subdivisions
** measured externally
*** includes all other development proposals not falling within any of the above categories such as car parks & roads and certificates of lawfulness, prior approval etc.
Please check that your property falls within Worcester City Council administrative boundary. We are unable to respond to property queries outside of Worcester City (refunds are subject to £10 administrative fee).
- City Centre Masterplan
- Planning Application Search
- Planning Weekly Lists
- Planning Advice
- Environmental Impact Assessments
- Making a Planning Application
- Planning Application Process
- Planning Committee
- Planning Enforcement
- Planning Appeals
- Historic Environment
- Natural Environment
- Building Control
- Planning Policy
- Land Searches and Charges
- Street Naming and Numbering
- Brownfield Register
- Self Build Register
- List of assets of community value
- Hazardous Substance Register
- Public Path Orders