What is pre-application advice?

We offer advice on your proposals before you submit a planning application.

This is useful to:

  • establish whether the principle of development is likely to be supported
  • ensure the proposal is delivering our objectives of securing regeneration and high-quality development in Bolton
  • save time and cost by influencing development before the application is submitted rather than trying to implement suggested changes at a later stage

We will provide you with a written response covering:

  • the planning history of the site, together with some analysis of this where relevant
  • details of any statutory designations applying to the site, such as conservation areas, listed buildings, protected trees and sites of special scientific interest
  • the text of relevant planning policies applying to the site, together with other planning and technical requirements such as space standards or relevant sections of any supplementary planning documents
  • advice on the plans and supporting information necessary to provide a valid planning application
  • advice on the procedure, consultation arrangements and estimated timescale for processing the application
  • informal and without prejudice advice on whether the submitted proposal is likely to satisfy our planning policies after taking any material considerations into account
  • if the proposal cannot be supported in its current form, some advice will be provided as to how it could be made acceptable, where possible
  • advice on any potential planning obligation (S106) and non-standard conditions, together with advice on minimising conditions