Toggle menu
  1. You are here:
  2. South Holland District Council
  3. /
  4. Resident
  5. /
  6. Planning & Building Control
  7. /
  8. Planning
  9. /
  10. Planning Enquiries, Duty and Pre-Application Advice
  11. /
  12. Pre-Application Advice

Pre-Application Advice

South Holland District Council currently offers a free of charge pre-application advice service, that covers all application types. 

If you know that you need to submit a formal planning application for your proposed development, you can submit the details to us before making a formal application. By getting pre-application advice, you will be able to gain an officers opinion as to whether the principle of your proposal is acceptable, in planning terms, before making a formal application.

Benefits of using our pre-application planning advice service:

  • we can detail local and national planning policies that are relevant to your proposal.
  • we can provide an informal view on the likelihood of you gaining planning permission based on the current local and national policy.
  • we can assist in identifying any potential harmful impacts of your proposal.
  • we can detail the planning constraints of the application site and its surrounding area.
  • we can identify at an early stage in the development process the need for specialist input (for example; listed buildings, trees, noise, highways advice, flood risk).
  • we can provide advice on what information you will need to submit for a valid planning application.
  • you can save time, costs and frustration by identifying opportunities for improvement at an early stage and avoid submitting unacceptable proposals.

The advice and response provided by the Local Planning Authority is given in good faith. The advice is an officer opinion only, based on the local and national policy in place at the time of the response, which may change prior to the submission of a formal planning application. The advice does not provide any formal decision by South Holland District Council and is therefore not binding on any formal decision the Council may make following the receipt of a formal planning application.

Pre-application advice is not the appropriate route to gain confirmation as to whether planning permission is required and therefore, confirmation will not be provided through this route.

How to Submit Pre-Application Advice

To request pre-application advice, our Planning Advice Enquiry Form (PDF) [103KB] Form must be completed and submitted to the Local Planning Authority at South Holland District Council. This can be submitted by emailing the enquiry form to planningadvice@sholland.gov.uk. This enquiry form can also be submitted via post, or by delivering a paper copy to the reception desk at:

South Holland District Council

Council Offices

Priory Road

Spalding

Lincolnshire

PE11 2XE

In addition to the Pre-Application Advice Enquiry Form, it is also advised that the following is submitted:

  • A site location plan - this is to ensure that the correct site can be identified (Preferably this will have the boundary of the application site outlined in red)
  • Drawings and additional details of the proposed development, to ensure that the officer can fully understand the development being proposed. Please be aware that the extent of detail contained within the response will be proportionate to the extent of information provided within the submission. Within pre-application advice submissions, drawings can be provided in sketch form, with written dimensions.
  • Photos of the site.

The response provided will be dependable on the detail provided alongside your pre-application advice submission and will be proportionate to the extent of the detail submitted.

Please note that we can only give advice on specific proposals submitted to us. We cannot offer suggestions on what kinds of development is acceptable on a particular area or site. If you are looking for this sort of advice, we recommend you consult a professional planning agent.

Our Planning Officers will help you as much as they can. However, the advice that you will be given is informal and made without prejudice to the final decision of the Council on your planning application. Advice given will be based on a desk-top assessment and site visits are not undertaken for pre-application enquiries unless the proposal relates to a listed building.

Also in this Section