You can seek advice from the planning team before making a formal application. Advice is policy based, and we will not be able to tell you if your proposal will be successful or not. We may be able to offer advice about how to make your proposal more acceptable.
Pre-application advice
If you're a developer or considering a self-build, or there are heritage or conservation issues to consider, you will need to use our chargeable pre-application service.
Send your pre-application request to planning.support@enfield.gov.uk and include:
- the full site address, with postcode
- an ordnance survey (or similar) location plan identifying the site with a red outline
- a schedule of proposed uses
- photographs and drawings showing the existing site, buildings and trees
- an outline plan of your proposal
- draft drawings showing floor plans and the height and scale of the development
You also need to provide a pre-application advice fee. For guidance about fees for our planning pre-application advice service, view our current fees schedule (PDF, 208.92 KB).
Pay pre-application advice fee
The planning officer will consider your request and, if necessary, contact you to arrange a telephone meeting.
The matters suitable for discussion include:
- information on relevant policies and other planning requirements
- the provision of advice on procedure, consultation, and estimated time scale for the planning application
- the required information for making a valid planning application
- an indication of the likely requirement for contributions by the developer, such as levels of affordable housing, highways improvements and health and education payments
- without prejudice comments and guidance on the content, construction and presentation of an application likely to satisfy planning policies
We have the right to decline a request if it is considered inappropriate or unnecessary.
Any views or opinions are given in good faith, without prejudice to the formal consideration of any planning application, which will be subject to public consultation and potentially, a decision by the Planning Committee.
As a result, officers cannot give guarantees about the final decision on a planning application.
However, the written advice is considered when determining future applications if an application is made within 3 years.
Planning performance agreements
For larger and more significant development proposals, or those raising more complex policy or planning issues, we encourage entering into a planning performance agreement.
Planning performance agreements set out an approach that takes a development proposal from conception to delivery. They are voluntary agreements between applicants and local planning authorities which help to:
- bring together the developer, the Local Planning Authority and key stakeholders, to work in partnership throughout the planning process
- ensure complex proposals progress to mutually-agreed timescales
- ensure appropriate resources and expertise are provided to advise on complex proposals
- provide greater opportunity for dialogue through the planning process
- provide quality and timely advice which helps shape projects, giving developers the best chance of gaining approval
This approach works best when applicants come forward to share their vision and engage as early as possible in the process. This allows us to work alongside you to shape a programme and identify resources which will deliver on a shared vision for high quality development and agreed outcomes
Duty planning service
The duty planning service is a free telephone appointment service that gives householders informal advice about simple planning queries.
If you're a resident and want to extend your home, you can get an appointment by emailing planning.support@enfield.gov.uk with the subject 'appointment request'. We need to know the full site address with postcode, and a brief explanation of the work you want to do. Please note this service does not offer advice on the acceptability of a scheme.
For more complex queries, use the pre-application service.