Pre-application advice
Cairngorms Planning Advice Note
Pre-application Advice in the Cairngorms National Park
Updated: September 2022
What is Pre-application Advice?
Pre-application advice is advice given to someone who wants to make a planning application before they do so. It should help the applicant:
- find out whether or not they are likely to get planning permission;
- consider all the things that will be relevant to their application and plan a good development;
- make sure they know what information they must provide in order for the application to be determined; and
- is likely to lead to a faster decision on the application by the planning authority.
Where to get Pre-application Advice?
The local authority covering the area that your proposal is in will, upon your written request, provide you with pre-application advice. You will make any planning application to the same local authority. All advice given will be based upon the policies and advice set out in the Cairngorms National Park Local Development Plan 2021 (LDP).
Some planning applications that are for ‘major’ developments have a formal process to go through before a planning application will be accepted. For most developments, you will be asked to provide some information in writing before the local authority planning team will give you advice. The local authority may charge you for advice.
Pre-application advice and the CNPA
The CNPA give pre-application advice directly to the local authorities to whom the applicant is directed in the first instance, rather than to the applicant. This makes things simpler and more focussed for the customer, and ensures they receive all required advice and not just that of the CNPA who do not otherwise provide pre-application advice directly to applicants.
If you ask for pre-application advice from your local authority, they will ask the CNPA to comment if the development is one that the CNPA is likely to ‘call-in’¹. In those cases, the CNPA will provide a written response to the local authority setting out the relevant points that any application would need to consider. If the local authority thinks a meeting with the person looking for advice is needed then the CNPA staff may attend that meeting.
The local authority will then respond to the person who made the request with advice from the CNPA and, where relevant, from other parts of the local authority such as the Roads or Environmental Health departments. This means that the advice that you get from the local authority covers as many relevant matters as possible.
Getting the most from Pre-application Advice
The quality and usefulness of the pre-application advice you get from your local authority planning team will depend on the quality of information you provide. For accurate advice, you need to provide accurate information about the development you are planning. Some local authorities will have a form for you to complete and asking for information you will have to provide. Most local authorities will not give advice unless you provide information including:
- a location plan for the site
- details of proposals in plan/sketch form
- a planning statement outlining your proposals, your justification for them and any relevant background information
- details of any consultations carried out with other bodies/parties (where applicable)
You might find that the local authority planning team asks you for more information during the process in order to give you better advice. At the end of the process, they will give you a written response that sets out the issues you will need to consider and the information you will need to supply with a planning application. Please note that information should be provided in support of your planning application so as to meet the policies of the Cairngorms National Park Local Development Plan 2021. There may also be additional requirements for supporting information such as those relating to protected species². The local authority will also give an opinion on whether the proposal would be likely to comply with the development plan³ or not. If the proposal was one that would be likely to be called in by the CNPA⁴, then the local authority advice will include any comments from the CNPA.
Further advice
If you want pre-application advice, you should contact your local authority planning team at one of the locations listed on this page. You can contact the CNPA planning team at planning@cairngorms.co.uk or Tel: 01479 873535.
³ The Development Plan is the Cairngorms National Park Local Development Plan and associated Supplementary Guidance, 2021.
Local Authority Planning Offices
Aberdeenshire Council
Kincardine & Mearns and Marr Team Viewmount, Arduthie Road, Stonehaven, AB39 2DQ, Tel: 01569 768300 Email: planning@aberdeenshire.gov.uk W: www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/planning
Angus Council
Planning and Place County Buildings Market Street Forfar DD8 3LG Tel: 01307 473360 or 473342 Email: planning@angus.gov.uk Web: http://www.angus.gov.uk/planning
Highland Council
Badenoch and Strathspey Planning and Building Standards Kingussie Courthouse, High Street, Kingussie, PH21 IHR Tel: 01349 886608 Email: eplanning@highland.gov.uk Web: www.highland.gov.uk
Moray Council
Development Management Environmental Services The Moray Council High Street Elgin IV30 IBX Tel: 0300 1234561 Email: development.control@moray.gov.uk Web: www.moray.gov.uk
Perth & Kinross Council
Development Management Pullar House, 35 Kinnoull Street Perth PHI 5GD Tel: 01738 475300 Email: developmentmanagement@pkc.gov.uk Web: www.pkc.gov.uk/planning