We (Falkirk Council) are responsible for determining applications for planning permission, advertisement consent, hazardous substances consent, listed building consent, conservation area consent, certificates of lawfulness and works to protected trees.
In advance of submitting an application, our Development Management team can provide advice and information to members of the public and developers on the issues which require consideration as part of the application process.
Our pre-application advice service is not compulsory and may not be appropriate in all situations. However, if you know you will need planning permission for your proposed development, we encourage pre-application discussions for all development proposals. This service is supported by the Scottish Government, by assisting the speed of determination and improved performance levels.
Fees are dependent on the scale of development and are separated in to the following:
- Householder - for developments to alter or extend an individual dwelling
- Local - for developments which are neither householder nor national or major
- National or Major - for large scale developments or those which are defined as such in Circular 5, 2009: Hierarchy of Developments
- Advertisement (Signage) Consent - for applications relating to the addition or alternation to signage required under the Control of Advertisements Regulations 1984. For further information please see Advertisements and signs.
| Development type |
Fee (vat inclusive 20%) |
| Householder |
£66 |
| Local |
£198 |
| National or Major |
£660 |
| Advertisements (Signage) |
£66 |
It is important to note that the pre-application advice is not a formal decision. It is given strictly without prejudice to the Planning Authority's determination of any application and does not guarantee any future application will be successful.
The extent and detail of any pre-application advice issued by us, relies principally on the quality of the information submitted with the enquiry. The more information you provide, the more detailed the response.
Pre-application advice does not constitute formal permission and is not an alternative to obtaining planning permission. Pre-application advice does not guarantee that any future application will be successful or provide permission for a development to commence.
Pre-application advice for advertisements (signage)
If you are seeking pre-application advice prior to the submission of an application for advertisement consent, please select the option for Householder/ Advertisement Consent on the My Falkirk Form. It would be beneficial in these circumstances to include specifications of the proposed signage as well as any images/ schematics of the proposal.
What to expect from us
- A written response will be provided, unless an alternative method of communication is agreed by both parties.
- A site visit will be carried out at the discretion of the case officer.
- It is not anticipated that formal consultation will be carried out with other Council departments
- The written response will include a consideration of relevant development plan policies and constraints. Where appropriate, guidance may be given on the level of supporting information required with an application.
How to apply
All pre-application advice requests need to be made in writing using our online form.
NB- Due to server restrictions a maximum of 10 files, with a combined size no greater than 19MB maybe submitted through our online form. In the instance where either the total file number, or combined size is reached, please email these direct to us on dc@falkirk.gov.uk quoting the reference number provided at the end of the form. If the file size on an email is breached (approx. 10MB) please send this over in further emails, which are clearly labelled.
What we need
To allow us to register and assess your proposals, you should submit the following information:
Essential
- A location plan at a scale of 1:1250 (or similar), clearly detailing the site boundary. Ideally this should be with a red outline and any other land owned by the developer outlined in blue.
- A plan showing indicative details of the proposal, for example, location of house units, access, drainage provision etc.
- All dimensions should be metric.
For householder developments please submit a location plan as described above, a plan showing the location of any works and include dimensions measured in metric.
Beneficial
It is also beneficial to include the following additional information:
- Photographs of the site.
- Site layout plans and site sections (at a scale of 1:500 or similar).
- Draft planning/design statement.
- Sketches/plans of existing and proposed elevations as appropriate.