Developers planning certain types of development in Waltham Forest have to pay for pre-application to reflect the cost to the Council of providing the service. The Development Management Service no longer provides free, informal advice via the duty officer system on the types of proposal covered by the new charging regime.

Homeowners receiving informal advice on planning proposals are exempt from the charges.

Developers receiving pre-application advice are charged according to the size of their development, as set out below. The pre-application advice provided includes a policy assessment, a meeting to discuss the proposal where necessary and a formal written comment on the proposal within an agreed timeframe.

The charges have brought Waltham Forest in line with an increasing number of other Councils in London. The charges are reviewed annually to ensure they are fair and reflect the service provided.

This service means the Council is formally involved in planning proposals at an early stage, helping to improve the quality of design and encourage greater public consultation, and giving greater certainty to developers when developing their proposals. The service also enables the Council to process applications more quickly when they are formally submitted. It should, however, be noted that although any pre-application advice that has been given will be taken into account if a subsequent planning application is made, any advice given is not legally binding upon the Local Planning Authority and does not constitute a formal decision.

The charge will depend on the size of the development.

Pre application advice charges from January 2012

Pre application advice charges to developers
Size of development Definition Charge for pre-application advice (including VAT)
Significant regeneration projects Any mixed use Regeneration Scheme as defined in the Development Plan and any housing (over 100 or more residential units) or mixed use proposal By negotiation
Significant major 25-99 dwellings, or
2000m² commercial floorspace or
large scale mixed use developments		 £2,571
Major development 10-24 dwellings, or
1000m²-2000m² commercial floorspace, or
site area of 0.5ha or more, or
mixed use developments where no category exceeds any of the above		 £1,285
Minor development 6-9 dwellings or
100m2-999m² of other commercial uses or
changes of use 100m2-999m²		 £642
Other developments Single telecommunications and prior approval applications
1-5 dwellings
conversion of dwellings to more than 2 flats		 £321

Please provide information about your proposals on the Council's pre-application form (non householder).

How do I make a payment?

You can make a payment by cheque made payable to the "London Borough of Waltham Forest" or pay online.