Issue - meetings

Option 1: To introduce charges for both Householder Questionnaire Advice and Pre-Application Advice

Option 2: To introduce a charge solely for Householder Questionnaire Advice

Option 3: To introduce a charge solely for Pre-Application Advice

Option 4: To not introduce charges for either activity

Advantages

This would allow for a more formal and transparent process to the pre-planning application regimes and would provide added certainty for developers pursuing development projects. It would also provide an income stream based on cost recovery which aims to cover the cost of service demands.

This would allow a fee to be levied for permitted development enquiries which are time-consuming and are not a statutory function, also providing an income stream which could potentially support existing service provision for this element.

This would require a new, formal and transparent process to responding to pre-application enquiries which would assist Officers and would provide added certainty for developers pursuing their development projects.  Again this could provide an income stream which could potentially support existing service provision for this element.

No advantages to the Service.  Although the activities would remain free of charge to the user, this free service would need to continue to be limited and this is unlikely to provide any improvements in service provision.

Disadvantages

The new system could potentially be more resource-intensive than the current informal system, dependent upon developer interest.  The introduction of fees for Householder Development advice may be off-putting to some householders, who may choose to continue with a development project irrespective of whether they require permission or not (although with lenders often demanding evidence of PD rights this is unlikely).

The introduction of fees for Householder Development advice may be off-putting to some householders, who may choose to continue with a development project irrespective of whether they require permission or not. 

Introducing a fee for this service activity alone would not respond to the demand for pre-application advice from developers.

The new system could potentially be more resource-intensive, dependent upon developer interest.

This would not assist in addressing the capacity issues and ongoing modernisation of the Development Management Service.

Risks

The process would require annual review to be certain that staffing capacity and fee levels are commensurate with the service being offered.

This is a service that is currently provided free of charge and so it is anticipated that it would not result in an increase in workload which would create staffing capacity issues.

The process would require annual revision to be certain that staffing capacity and fee levels are commensurate with the service being offered.

Service provision would continue in accordance with current priorities, with little capacity for pre-application discussions.