Pre-Application Advice
Early engagement can help identify environmental and heritage requirements before submitting a planning application, helping to avoid delays later in the process.
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MEAS Pre-Application Advice
Pre-application advice helps applicants and their representatives make informed decisions about the location, design and type of development before submitting a planning application.
Early advice can help identify environmental surveys, assessments and supporting information that may be required. Some ecological surveys are seasonal and can only be undertaken at certain times of the year, so engaging early may help avoid delays later in the planning process.
What Advice Covers
Pre-application advice may cover planning matters within the technical remit of MEAS, including:
- Archaeology
- Contaminated Land
- Ecology and Biodiversity
- Historic Environment
- Low Carbon Energy
- Minerals
- Nature Conservation
- Sustainable Waste Management
- Waste Planning Matters
- Environmental Impact Assessment (where appropriate)
What You'll Receive
- A single piece of integrated written advice from MEAS specialists.
- Guidance on the information required to support a planning application.
- Advice on survey requirements, seasonal constraints and desk-based assessments.
- Guidance on avoiding, reducing or mitigating environmental impacts.
- A response within 15 working days.
How the Service Operates
For Halton, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral, pre-application advice is usually requested through the Local Planning Authority's pre-application process. The Local Planning Authority recovers the cost of MEAS advice from the applicant as part of its pre-application charging arrangements.
Liverpool City Council directs applicants requiring environmental advice to MEAS through the Discretionary Advice Service.
Important Information
- Advice is provided without a site visit.
- Advice is provided to both the applicant and the Local Planning Authority.
- Additional advice and meetings are charged separately.
- LERC data products, Historic Environment Record data products and Waste Local Plan data products are charged separately.
- Applicants are encouraged to inform the Local Planning Authority if they have previously engaged with MEAS.
Pre-Application Advice Charges
| Development Category | Description | Fee (Excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Householder | Single dwelling extension or alteration within the existing curtilage. | £80.00 |
| Single New Dwelling | Single new dwelling, demolition and rebuild, or construction of one dwelling. | £165.00 |
| Minor Development | 2 to 9 dwellings or up to 1,000m² of commercial development. | £335.00 |
| Major Development | 10 to 24 dwellings or 1,001m² to 3,000m² of commercial development. | £520.00 |
| Major Application | 25 to 50 dwellings or 3,001m² to 4,999m² of commercial development. | £775.00 |
| Large Major Development | More than 50 dwellings or 5,000m² to 10,000m² of floorspace. | £1,035.00 |
| Strategic / EIA Development | 100+ dwellings, more than 10,000m² floorspace, or EIA development. | £1,300.00 |
Additional Advice and Complex Developments
The charges above apply to a single piece of written advice.
Additional advice, express services, specialist regulatory advice, Habitats Regulations Assessment advice and other technical support may be chargeable separately on a cost-recovery basis.
If meetings are requested as part of the pre-application process, these will normally be charged separately through the MEAS Discretionary Advice Service.
For larger, more complex or linear development sites, MEAS may provide a bespoke quotation. Service Level Agreements (SLAs) may also be available where ongoing support is required.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
MEAS does not charge for EIA screening or formal EIA scoping opinions where these form part of the statutory duties of the Local Planning Authority under the EIA Regulations.
Advice relating to EIA matters may be provided as part of the pre-application process where appropriate.
Further Information
For more information about MEAS services, visit: Merseyside Environmental Advisory Service