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What is this template for?

This template is a guide for conducting pre-application meetings. By customizing and refining the steps outlined in the template, you can create a comprehensive guide for your council to ensure that all planners follow the correct process consistently.

The template is intended for internal use only, to improve consistency across the planning department, and is not intended for customers.

Instructions for use

The template can be edited and customised to reflect the preferred process for running pre-application meetings in your council.

Updating text on the internal guide?

The goal of the internal guide is to improve consistency across the planning department, and to ensure that the correct process for running pre-application meetings is being followed. The text provided on the template reflects a common process but will not be the most appropriate process for all councils. You will therefore need to review the text provided carefully and make amendments as appropriate.

Where should the internal guide be available?

This is an internal facing guide and should be easily accessible within internal council systems. This guide should also be provided to all new starters in the planning department and relevant admin staff as part of their onboarding, to ensure the correct process is understood and followed immediately.

Tips to get the most out of this template

For this template to be most effective at your council, we recommend:

  • Customise the template to reflect the correct process at your council
  • Ensure planning and admin staff are familiar with the location and content, so they can best follow the steps in the guide
  • Remove highlighted text prior to publishing the template internally
  • Store a copy where it can be easily located, noting again that this is an internal council document.

Ensuring there is a consistent approach to pre-application meetings across the planning department will increase customer confidence in the system and provide a better service. It will also reduce misunderstandings later in the process, between council and applicant, but also internally between planners.

Page last updated: 01/07/24