Developers of major housing or industrial schemes and even householders who might want an extension or a dormer window in a loft conversion could benefit from a relaunched planning pre-application advice service. But they will have to pay

Councillors on Swindon Borough Council’s planning committee will debate and vote on a report from officers suggesting the service be reorganised.

The report says that the fees paid by applicants for pre-application advice - £75 to £100 for a householder and 10 per cent of the usual application fee for non-householders - does not cover the costs of the service, and that there are too many fees being exempted.

It also says the service is inconsistent in terms of speed of response and content, and that “delivery of the service is laborious, with limited administrative support and inefficiencies resulting in time wasted.

The new service will be designed to fully recover its costs from fee. Householders will be charged £100, developers of minor schemes up to nine houses £500 plus £500 per meeting and major developments will be charged either £2,000 plus £500 per meeting or 15 per cent of the application fee for major schemes.