Planning pre-application advice

The benefits of pre-application advice include:

• gives you the opportunity to understand how policies and guidance will be applied to your development proposal this includes the requirements for developer contributions for certain applications
• can identify at an early stage where there is a need for specialist input, for example contamination, transport, ecology
• may flag up that the proposal is unacceptable which could save the cost of submitting a formal application
• may lead to a reduction in time dealing with the formal application
• it can improve the overall quality of a development 

Advice we will provide:

• an assessment of the planning merits of a proposal
• how the proposal relates to key local plan policies and guidance
• details of submission requirements
• advice on the likely timescale for completing the planning process
• an outline of the material planning issues
• an opinion, on a without prejudice basis, on whether the proposal is likely to be supported
• suggestions on how the proposal can be improved, if necessary

Please be aware that pre-application advice will be made at officer level only and cannot guarantee whether an application will ultimately be successful. We will not always seek input from internal or external stakeholders, for example Ayrshire Roads Alliance, Scottish Environment Protection Agency or NatureScot at this stage however whether to do so will be considered on a case by case basis and be informed by the nature of the proposals. In our discussions and responses, we will however identify any relevant stakeholders where we think it would be beneficial for you to make contact.

Further details are provided by clicking on the headlines below:

Householder applications, local development, 'not for profit' community organisations and registered charities

Householder proposals

Householder proposals refers to proposals by householders to extend or improve their homes such as:

• garages
• extensions
• decking

Local developments

Local developments under The Town and Country Planning (Hierarchy of Developments) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 and which can include:

• residential development proposals for one house or up to 49 houses
• changes of use of buildings or land (normally under two hectares in area)
• signage and shopfront proposals
• commercial, business/industrial and agricultural development normally under two hectares in site area

Please note this list is not exhaustive.

We provide a written pre-application advice process for these smaller scale proposals offering an initial telephone conversation with the case officer should they consider that would useful and thereafter a written response with the option of a meeting thereafter with planning officers if we consider that to be appropriate based on the nature and scale of the proposal. We can arrange a site visit if we consider this will add value to the overall final response. Our specific approach will depend on the individual proposals and the issues arising from each development proposal.

Our written response will focus on the main determining issues and planning considerations for the specific development and will be subject based and focused on what we consider to be the main matters of interest or to otherwise address any specific questions that you have posed through your application. We will also aim to advise on how the proposal could be improved, if necessary.

We may suggest that for local developments of a larger scale or where they may be of significant local interest, that your enquiry is considered through our Pre Application Engagement Framework as noted below. In such cases we will discuss this matter with you first. This might relate for example, to residential proposals or larger commercial developments towards the upper threshold of local development or where the development is of a complex or challenging nature.

National and major developments

National and Major developments refer to any type of development which meet the thresholds specified in The Town and Country Planning (Hierarchy of Developments) (Scotland) Regulations 2009.

For such developments and larger or complex Local Development proposals which bring investment opportunities, new housing and community services, we offer a Pre Application Engagement approach which is a collaborative process and where consultation with Elected Members can be integrated.

The Planning Service will engage this Framework for National and Major Developments, Environmental Impact Assessment development or those larger scale local developments of a complex nature and/or where there might be significant investment opportunities for East Ayrshire. The Planning service will review which route is most appropriate for each proposal and will advise you accordingly if this pre-application engagement approach is to be utilised.

The Engagement process is as follows:

Stage one

Initial discussions – bringing together key members of the applicants and planning authority teams to undertake preliminary discussions, understand the applicant’s aspirations, timescales and agree the details and workshops for the Engagement process including attendance from key consultees.

Stage two

Meetings and workshops – workshops are critical to the detail of the project and these would be in-person sessions and tailored in a bespoke approach to cover key relevant issues for each individual proposal. There will be a focus on placemaking and environmental issues.  The number of workshops will be dependent on the type of project and the complexity of issues.

Following stages one and two it is anticipated that the applicant will have received a clear direction in terms of the principle of development, pertinent consultees and related key detailed and technical planning issues.

The Engagement process can be tailored to take place either before or alongside the 12 week statutory pre application consultation process for National and Major Developments.

Stage three

Sign-off meeting – this stage would review the outcomes of any elected members awareness sessions and any other outstanding matters in order to facilitate the submission of a planning application.  This can be in person or online giving maximum flexibility.

A formal response will then be issued to highlight pertinent issues together with a record of all Minutes arising from meetings, workshops and elected member awareness sessions, as relevant.

Stage four

This phase in the Engagement Framework would be invoked for any further discussions or late issues arising which permitted further discussion.

Elected members awareness sessions

For proposals of a significant scale, complexity or of local interest, an Elected Member Awareness Session may be appropriate as part of the overall Pre-Application engagement process. Each session invites Elected Members in all 9 Wards who are encouraged by Scottish Government to engage at the pre-application stage in order to add value to the process while continuing to act within the terms of the Councillors Code of Conduct.

An Awareness Session seeks to share information on development proposals that have been the subject of initial pre-application discussion with the Planning Service. The purpose is to make Members aware of the proposals where it is expected that planning and/or related application(s) will be lodged at a future date, with the aim being to improve on the quality of development to the benefit of East Ayrshire overall. There will be no decision or commitment given by elected members at an Awareness Session, it is informative only.

The Awareness Session gives Members an opportunity to understand a proposal and highlight any particular issues which they consider the potential developers may wish to review and consider. Before the Awareness Session, Elected Members are provided with a detailed informative briefing note which is circulated by the Planning Service before the meeting, explaining the proposal in broad terms and the pertinent planning issues and the Development Plan position.

The awareness session is an opportunity for the developer and/or their project team to present their proposals to Members, with the opportunity for Members to ask questions and point out local issues that could affect any application when submitted.

Please contact our development management team at submittoplanning@east-ayrshire.gov.uk if you have a proposal that you consider might benefit from this session.

Should you wish to make a request for pre-application advice, further guidance and an application form can be found below:

Pre-application enquiry form (PDF 314 KB)

The completed form should be returned with all supporting information to the email address below, and your fee if your request is for a chargeable proposal.  If you are unsure what fee is applicable please contact us for clarification or otherwise we will contact you following submission to advise the correct fee however your proposal will not progress until the appropriate fee has been paid.

The pre application advice service is not the appropriate way to find out if the works require planning permission or not.

Certain works to houses and flatted properties or changes of use can be 'permitted development' which means that the works would not require planning permission. Further information can be found at:

• Scottish Government: Development management
• Planning circular 1/2024: householder permitted development rights - gov.scot 

The Planning Service cannot advise you in writing when a proposal is permitted development and not requiring planning permission.

If you wish to find out if a proposal requires planning permission or not,  then you should complete a Certificate of Lawfulness application.

Forms and guidance notes to such an application can be downloaded at ePlanning.scot.

Whether you will be submitting a 'local' planning application (such as changes of use, small scale business/commercial, or proposals for less than 50 houses) or a national or major planning application, pre-application advice helps to:

• highlight key issues early in the process
• identify where further information may be required, and
• identify and suggest opportunities for improvements to your proposal

For national and major developments, key consultees may also be involved, particularly those internal to the council such as Ayrshire Roads Alliance and Environmental Health. In addition, the pre-application process will provide increased certainty on information requirements and processing timescales.

It is important to note that once the pre-application process has been concluded and you submit your planning application, we will consider your application on the basis of the scheme and information submitted at the time of making the actual application.

Obtaining pre-application advice can therefore prove to be very beneficial in providing more certainty for your development proposal and to identify the necessary information which should be submitted with your planning application.  such applications are more likely to be processed quicker and with greater certainty of likely outcome. 

You should provide:

• a planning pre-application enquiry form (PDF 313 KB)
• a location plan sufficient to reasonably locate the property/land in relation to surrounding geography

It is an applicants or agents decision how much information to provide with any pre application enquiry but providing as much detail, information and plans at the outset, will enable us to provide you with a more detailed and helpful response.  helpful additional information that could be submitted with your enquiry could comprise:

• a block plan, at a suitable scale, in order to understand the relationship of the proposal within the context of the boundaries of the site and how the development may impact upon neighbouring properties
• any sketch plans suitable to understand the design of the proposal and how it relates to existing buildings on site
• for proposed changes of use, please provide floor plans, as existing and as proposed
• where possible, photographs of the site and buildings which can be annotated as necessary
• any additional supporting or explanatory statements - such as planning policy statements, design ethos

No charges are applied to householder proposals including accessible home adaptations, and not for profit community organisations and registered charities. There is also no charge for shopfront and advertisement proposals.

For all other proposals chargeable pre-application advice service for non-householder proposals applies and our fee table below notes the fees for all proposals.

For the avoidance of doubt, the chargeable pre-application advice service does not replace or offset the requirement to pay a statutory planning application fee should you choose to submit a planning application.

The Planning Service will commence the processing of your enquiry upon receipt of a completed application form, location plan and the necessary fee:

If you are unsure what fee applies to your project you can contact us for some guidance ahead of submitting your proposal.  Alternatively, you can submit with no fee and this will be advised to you in due course to allow you to make payment via the Council’s online payments system at Payments · East Ayrshire Council.  Please note that the Council will not actively progress your enquiry until the fee has been paid.

Advisory note: Householder proposals refers to proposals by householders to extend or improve their homes such as garages, extensions and decking although this list is not exhaustive.

Local Developments refer to any other proposals and can include:

• residential development proposals for one house or more
• changes of use
• signage proposals
• commercial, business and agricultural although again this list of examples is not exhaustive

National and major developments refer to any type of development which meet the thresholds specified in The Town and Country Planning (Hierarchy of Developments) (Scotland) Regulations 2009). Further guidance is provided in Scottish Panning Series Circular 5 2009: Hierarchy of Developments

We will acknowledge your enquiry and provide contact details for the case officer within 10 days of receipt.

We would expect to deal with your pre application enquiry within the following timescales:

• Pre-application advise (smaller developments) – 30 working days
• Pre-application engagement framework – this is a bespoke service and timescales will be discussed with you in meetings and workshops to agree a mutually acceptable timescale

Some cases may be more complex and take longer to consider. If this happens, the case officer will contact you and explain why it is not possible to respond within the stated timescales and in doing so, will advise you of the amended timescales for a response.

For less complex local applications, we will provide you with our written assessment of your proposals.

We may contact you to suggest a meeting/site visit or a telephone discussion prior to our formal reply however this will be dependent upon the specifics of each case and the complexity of the proposals. A meeting or site visit is not required in every case. We may invite any internal stakeholders to any meeting and in our reply we will generally advise you of any contacts with other organisations that might be relevant.

For national and major development applications which are generally more significant and raise a range of issues, we will usually suggest a meeting(s) and we would invite other internal and external stakeholders as relevant. This could include, for example, officers from Ayrshire Roads Alliance (traffic and/or flooding), Environmental Health, Housing or SEPA.

Any meeting or telephone discussion with a planning officer provides an opportunity for you to explain in further detail your proposal and for a planning officer to understand and discuss the aspects of the development that may influence the assessment at the formal planning application stage.

All pre-application requests submitted will receive a written response, confirming, or otherwise, the likely acceptability of the principle of the development, any aspects that should be amended and any suggestions that we consider may add value and enhance your proposal.

We will endeavour to provide as constructive advice as possible, and:

• identify information that is likely to be required to accompany a planning application such as a design statement or tree survey
• Identify any pertinent planning policy issues including developer contributions and affordable housing requirements if relevant at this early stage so developers can plan for those requirements
• any possible planning obligations or infrastructure/service provisions you may be required to meet as the developer, if known
• generally include an officer view, on a without prejudice basis, as to whether or not planning permission is likely to be granted
• identify any process or timetable issues for processing a planning application
• draw your attention to key consultees and their contact details for you to make contact

We will aim to treat your enquiry on a confidential basis. We may however share the details of your enquiry, as necessary, with other Council services or with external consultees relevant to your proposal in order to be able to provide you with our advice. If you do not wish your application proposals to be shared please make this clear in your submission however please be aware that this may impact on the content and quality of any response we provide.

We will process your personal data in accordance with our privacy statement. Upon request and under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act, any information provided as part of a pre-application enquiry may need to be made available. We cannot therefore give an assurance that confidentiality can be maintained in all circumstances.

Please submit your planning application online using the ePlanning.scot website where there is detailed guidance to help you through the process. There will be no additional administration charge for applications submitted online.

We will charge an administration fee for all paper submissions which is in addition to the relevant statutory application fee and any advertisement fee, if required. Details of the costs for this can be found on our website at Payment of planning and building warrant fees. We therefore encourage all our customers to make online submissions where possible.

Historic planning applications

Historic planning applications are available to search on our website. This may assist in understanding how other proposals were considered.

If you wish the Planning Service to carry out a planning history search for you for a specific building or piece of land please submit your request with details to identify the specific building or land in question to the email address below.

The cost of the historic planning search is payable on submission of your request. We will contact you thereafter to make payment.

Policies and guidance

Further information on development plans and policies and supplementary planning guidance is available to assist in the application process.

Online mapping

Our online mapping service allows you to view Ordnance Survey maps with various layers of map information.