We recommend you get pre-application advice to make sure your application has the best chance of approval. There is a fee for this advice, but it may save you time and improve your chance of a successful application.
The more information you can tell us about your proposals, the more likely it is that we can give you accurate and useful advice.
Fees and how to pay
We charge a number of fees, listed from category A to Q.
Category A – pre-application advice on a development proposal
The fee for category A is £1,825.
This fee is for:
- new floor-space or a change of use of 10,000 square metres or more (except where the proposal would provide 100 or more dwellings)
- where the site area is two hectares or more
Development is subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
The fee includes:
- a site visit
- up to three meetings with the case officer, up to an hour long each
- one letter
Schemes requiring a greater amount of officer input and/or review of statements by third parties to be agreed on a bespoke basis by the Business Manager, Planning Development.
Category B – large scale major development
The fee for category B is £2,280.
This fee is for residential development of 100 or more dwellings or other major development where the site area is four hectares or more.
The fee includes:
- a site visit
- up to three meetings with the case officer, up to an hour long each
- one letter
For development proposals of a more significant nature, requiring more regular meetings, other officers in attendance or review of statements by third parties a bespoke fee will be agreed.
Category C – major development
The fee for category C is £1,725.
This fee is for residential development of between 50 and 99 dwellings (inclusive) dwellings or other major development where the site area is 0.5 hectares up to less than four hectares.
The fee includes:
- a site visit
- up to two meetings with the case officer, up to an hour long each
- one letter
Where additional advice is required and/or review of statements by third parties a bespoke fee will be determined by the Business Manager Planning Development.
Category D – small scale major development
The fee for category D is £1,160.
This fee is for residential development of between 11 and 49 dwellings (inclusive) dwellings or other major development where the site area is 0.5 hectares up to less than four hectares.
The fee includes:
- a site visit
- up to two meetings with the case officer, up to an hour long each
- one letter
Where additional advice is required and/or review of statements by third parties a bespoke fee will be determined by the Business Manager Planning Development.
Category E – small scale other development
The fee for category E is £690.
Examples include residential development of between two and ten dwellings or where the site area is below 0.5 hectares.
The fee includes:
- a site visit
- one meeting with the case officer, up to an hour long
- one letter
Category F – all other development and consents not within categories A to C but excluding householder development
The fee for category F is £240.
Examples include:
- one new dwelling
- new floor space of less than 300 sqm
- change of use (excluding change of use to two or more dwellings which falls within the above categories)
The fee includes:
- a site visit
- one meeting with the case officer, up to an hour long
- one letter
Category G – wind turbines
The fee for category G is £1,525.
The fee includes:
- a site visit
- one meeting with the case officer, up to two hours long
- one letter
For proposals of a more significant nature, requiring more regular meetings a bespoke fee will be agreed by the Business Manager, Planning Development.
Category H – householders
The fee for category H is £78. This is for works to a house or within its garden.
A fee does not apply:
- to listed buildings in domestic use
- for the maintenance and repair or thermal upgrading advice (unless part of a redevelopment proposal)
- if the building is identified as heritage at risk (for example, if on a recognised heritage at risk register and/or in a conservation area at risk and the proposals would demonstrably contribute to reducing or removing heritage at risk)
Category I – advice which is not covered by any of the above categories or requires a fee to be agreed with the Business Manager Planning Development
A bespoke fee will be agreed in advance, based on:
- the likely time taken
- the level of experience of the officer
- other specialists required to provide any such advice
Category K - Follow-up advice
The fee for category K is half of the above fees for categories A to H.
This is based on an amendment to the scheme in an attempt to make it acceptable but does not include complete alterations to developments that require, for example re-consultation.
Category L – annual fee for pre-application advice for major landowners
The fee for category L is £5,280.
This will cover up to four meetings per year with an officer and provide advice on day-to-day operational proposals associated with the land holding. Site visits will be undertaken throughout the year as required by the proposals being discussed.
Written advice will be provided as required following the meetings. Excluded from this fee would be matters such as development proposals of land for major housing developments which would be subject to the fees in the schedule above.
Category M – pre-application proposals presented by the applicant or developer prior to submission of a planning application or applications presented prior to determination
The fee for category M is £590.
A few applications each year due to their scale and/or complex issues, for example, benefit from involving the community and councillors.
The case officer for these types of application will recommend to the developer/applicant that consultation is undertaken via a Developer Consultation Forum.
The fee is in addition to the fee levels above.
Category N – empty properties (dwelling houses)
There is no fee for category N.
For empty property owners who are working with us to bring their property back into habitable use. This is available at our discretion,
Category O – variations or modifications to a section 106 planning obligation
The fee for category O is £121.50.
Applicable when the variation or modification is not required following submission of a new planning application, for example those variations/modifications sought independently by a developer.
Category P – listed buildings and conservation areas
This fee is for all proposals falling outside of Category H – householder proposals.
Development that requires listed building consent and/or planning permission for proposals that might affect the setting of a listed building and/or a conservation area or other type of recognised heritage asset.
A fee does not apply to listed building projects comprising maintenance and repair advice unless part of a redevelopment proposal (see pre-application categories above), or if the building represents heritage at risk, for example if on a recognised heritage at risk register and/or is located within a conservation area at risk) and the proposals would demonstrably contribute to reducing or removing heritage at risk.
For explicit enabling development or heritage cross-subsidy projects, a meeting/consultation of no more than one hour will be provided free of charge. Thereafter, the fee to be paid will be dependent upon the amount of time that it will take to deal with the enquiry.
Due to the bespoke nature of advice in relation to heritage assets, this will be calculated on a case-by-case basis. The fee will be advised and will be required to be paid prior to providing advice. The hourly rate will be those set out below. For heritage owners who are on Universal Credit or similar, owners of a High Street Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) scheme or owner of a Heritage at Risk property, advice will be provided without a charge.
Evidence of Universal Credit (or similar) must be provided prior to a consultation/meeting.
Category Q – advice regarding conditions on applications requiring approval
Conditions can often be attached to decision notices requiring further information to be submitted either prior to the commencement of development or during the construction of the development for approval by the Local Planning Authority.
We are able to offer advice and clarification on what needs to be submitted in order for the condition to be considered favourably reducing the risk of the formal submission being refused. The rate charged will be dependent upon the number of conditions, the complexity of conditions and whether external advice that is charged to the council is required.
Contact either the planning officer who dealt with your application to establish the cost for this service and/or:
Email planning@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk
You will be provided with the necessary information on how to pay for this service.
The fee is based on the equivalent hourly rate (or part thereof) of the relevant officer dealing with the enquiry.
Returned fees
Where a fee has been submitted for advice without all other necessary information and the additional information is not received within four weeks of the original submission, the fee will be returned, less 5 per cent or £5 administration cost, whichever is the greater.
Development consultation forums
To encourage wider engagement, we also hold development consultation forums for appropriate large-scale and/or contentious developments.
Go to development consultation forums
As part of pre-application process, those developments that might benefit from a forum will be identified to the developer and relevant parties notified of the meeting.
Your data
The personal information you provide will only be used to process the application you have made to us. Find out more in our planning privacy notice.