Planning pre-application services

The pre-application meeting service covers complex changes of use proposals, for example if you're changing a flat into a shop.

This includes:

• flat conversions
• small scale residential development (especially infill and backland housing projects up to 25 units)
• commercial developments (100 to 999 square metres)
• developments involving impacts to heritage (conservation, listed buildings and locally listed buildings)
• developments involving impacts to protected trees
• planning condition discharge (major developments post planning permission)
• detailed discussions around variations to planning conditions
• minor material or non-material amendments to planning permissions
• development that is likely to have associated traffic and highway safety impacts
• display of advertisement hoardings
• telecommunications roll outs

You can also use this service if you need:

• valuation
• pre-auction advice, we can only give advice before the publication of site auction or marketing details
• any form of advice to help you with your application

Affordable housing requirements

You may need to speak to us early in the planning process, to make sure you meet planning regulations, such as providing affordable homes.

What you need to provide

The more information you can give us, the more we can help you with your application. 

You'll need to provide:

• a covering letter describing your proposal
• existing plans
• site location plans, floor plans and elevations of your proposed development
• any other information you think will be useful to us
• the upfront fee for the service level you require

How much it costs

How much you pay will depend on the type of development you're proposing.

We will contact you to take the fee once we've received your application. We won't validate the request until the fee has been paid.

Download our pre-application advice customer advice note (PDF, 438KB), which explains our pre-application fees, updated on 1 May 2025. 

Complete the form and pay the fee

Complete the pre-application form (DOC, 82KB) and make sure you tick the appropriate service level (Service Level B to G) you require on the form.

Email your request

You can send your application and supporting documents to development.management@croydon.gov.uk.

We will contact you to take the fee once we've received your application. We will not validate the request until the fee has been paid.

What happens after you've requested a meeting

1. After we've received your request, we will contact you within 20 working days to set up a meeting at a mutually agreed time.
2. A letter will then follow the initial meeting within 15 to 30 working days. It will set out the advice that has been reviewed and signed off by a senior officer of the Development Management Service.
3. You will then be allocated a planning officer.

Planning case officer

The planning officer will:

• visit your site
• research the planning history of the site
• carry out any consultations they see necessary internal to the council

The planning officer may decide to have a meeting with you to discuss specific topics related to your proposal, such as heritage and design issues, and possible transportation or highway considerations.

If you need a follow up meeting or a design review

You may need to have a follow up meeting to discuss any issues or design modifications that arise out of our initial response, especially around any issues regarding viability and affordable housing delivery.

Up to 2 follow up meetings within 12 months of the initial advice letter will cost 60% of the initial service level meeting fee. You'll need to pay this before the meeting takes place.

If your development is complex and needs further input, we may also recommend you have a Place Review by the Croydon Design Review Panel.