Planning application submission advice
The Planning and Sustainable Development Service provides an optional validation checking service. This service is upon request and offers expedited validation. Fees for this service are available here: Planning Fees and Charges Document
Why provide a validation checking service?
The council receives a high number of invalid applications. This causes delays to the customer and the planning service in processing planning applications. The benefits of providing a validation checking service include:
- reducing the number of invalid applications received
- providing help to our customers on the validation requirements
- speeding up the validation process
Do I have to use this service?
No. This is an optional service aimed at applicants and agents to expedite validation and avoid delays.
What will be provided under the validation check?
Once the fee has been paid a Validation Officer will:
- Applications that fall within Categories B and C (see category table below)
- Check the application
- Contact the applicant/agent within 2 working days. Set out any missing information in order to validate the application
- Applications that fall within Category A (see category table below)
- Check the application
- Contact the applicant or agent within 3 working days. (This may be longer by agreement if the application is more complex.) Set out any missing information in order to validate the application
The validation checking service categories are as follows:
Category A - Major Development
- Residential development of 10 or more dwellings
- New floor space or change of use of 1,000 square metres or more or where the site area is one hectare or more
- Development subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
- Any number of wind turbines
Category B – Minor development
- Residential development of between 2-9 dwellings or where the site area is below 0.5 hectares
- New floor space or change of use of less than 1,000 square metres or where the site area is less than one hectare<
Category C – Householder and other development
- Householder applications
- Telecommunications development
- Listed Building consent
- Advertisement consent
- Certificate of Lawfulness for existing development
- Proposals for a single dwelling
- Conservation Area consent
- Tree Preservation Order consent
- Trees in a Conservation Area consent
Category D - Exemptions
- This service can not be applied to Non-Material Amendment requests.
There will be no charge for the validation checking service if the following apply:
- Applicants and/or agents are submitting an application for the alteration or extension of a dwelling for the benefit of a registered disabled person
- Applicants and/or agents have submitted a request for a Planning Performance Agreement (PPA). A validation check of the application will be included as part of the PPA process.
- Applicants and/or agents have submitted a pre-application enquiry relating to a listed building application. A validation check of the listed building application will be included as part of the pre- application advice
What will it cost?
The validation checking service fee is in addition to the planning fee for processing the application. For details of both planning fees and validation checking service fees, please see our:
How do I request this service?
The service can be requested by emailing planning@cornwall.gov.uk.
Applications submitted via the Planning Portal drop automatically into our back-office systems. Therefore it is imperative you email including your PP reference to ensure your validation checking request is received.
A member of the Planning Team will then make contact to take payment.
Terms and conditions
- VAT is chargeable at the standard rate in place at the time of the request for advice (currently 20%).
- Standard fees plus VAT must be paid prior to the application being checked
- The request must be submitted electronically through the Planning Portal or by email
- The expediated validation service only applies to the initial validation element of the application process. It does not affect the consideration of your application or the determination dates
Please note:
Any advice is not a formal decision by the Council. We give views or opinions:
in good faith to the best of our ability.
This is without prejudice to the formal consideration of any planning application .
Officers cannot give guarantees about the formal decision that will be made on your planning or related applications.
Accredited agents householder scheme
Cornwall Council also provides a list of accredited agents. Applications are validated and registered swiftly. This streamlines the planning processes.
Please visit the accredited agents householder scheme page for further information.