Major planning applications and Environmental Impact Assessments

What is a 'major' or 'national' development?

What constitutes a 'major' or 'national' development is set out in The Town and Country Planning (Hierarchy of Development) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 and further information can be found in the Scottish Government's associated Circular 5/2009. If you are unsure if your development falls into either of these categories you can complete and submit a Pre-Application Screening Notice (PDF) [161KB]  to developmentmanagement@pkc.gov.uk.

Environmental Impact Assessments

The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 requires an EIA for any 'Schedule 1' development and any 'Schedule 2' development that is screened to require EIA where it is likely to have significant effect of the environment. Schedule 2 developments are explained further in the Scottish Government's associated Circular 1/2017.

Further information on EIAs can be found in our Guide to Environmental Impact Assessments (PDF) [210KB] .

If you are unsure if your development requires an EIA, you can submit a screening request by completing our  Screening Request Form - 2017 Regulations (PDF) [208KB] . If an EIA is required, you can request a scoping opinion of what information your EIA Report must cover. This can be done by completing our Scoping Request Form - 2017 Regulations (PDF) [246KB]  form.

Pre-application advice for major applications

We encourage and welcome early discussions with applicants and developers prior to the submission of any major application. 

If you are seeking pre-application advice in respect of a major development, you should complete the non-householder pre-application enquiry form. Further guidance can be found in our Pre-Application Guidance Note (PDF) [256KB] . 

What do we offer as part of a major pre-application enquiry?

As part of the major pre-application service we offer:

• A designated Case Officer.
• Consultation with relevant consultees, both internal and external.
• An on-site meeting with the appointed Case Officer and any relevant consultees should you consider it beneficial.
• A formal written response from us within 30 working days. This timeframe allows sufficient time for internal and external consultees to contribute to our response. If the proposal is complex, we may need additional time to ensure that a comprehensive response is provided. If this be the case, the assigned Case Officer will be in touch to agree a revised response date.
• A one-hour meeting either in person (at Pullar House in Perth) or via MS Teams to discuss the detail of the response. A further or longer meeting may be held, at the discretion of the planning authority, if considered to be beneficial.

How much does a major pre-application enquiry cost?

The current charge is set out in Table 5: Charges for associated planning services of our fees charter.

What should I include as part of my major pre-application enquiry submission?

You should submit as much information as possible as part of any pre-application enquiry. This will help us give you a more detailed and meaningful response. As a minimum, you should submit the following:

• A scaled location plan
• A detailed description of what is proposed
• Any existing and proposed plans you may have (indicative plans may be adequate)

Pre-application Consultation (PAC)

Applicants proposing major or national developments are required to carry out pre-application consultation. Before doing so, applicants should read our  Guide to Pre-Application Consultation (PDF) [67KB]  and ensure that you have submitted a Proposal of Application Notice (PDF) [62KB]  (PoAN) to Development Management. All consultation events must be advertised in the local newspaper in accordance with the   Pre-Application Consultation Advert Template (PDF) [84KB] .

Our Guidelines for Developers and Individuals on Engagement (PDF) [570KB]  provides helpful tips and guidance on the best way to engage with your community.

Processing agreements

We encourage the use of processing agreements in association with planning applications for major developments. Processing agreements should be discussed as early as possible as it is important that developers know at an early stage in the development process about the level of information required to support an application. This is best done at the pre-application advice stage.

More information can be found in our  Planning Processing Agreement guidance (PDF) [52KB] . Details of the processing agreement will be drawn up between the case officer and the developer. The format should be kept as concise, clear and simple as possible and should adhere to the available Planning Processing Agreement Form (PDF) [553KB] .

What should I provide when I submit my application?

If a processing agreement is in place for the development or is requested then a comprehensive list of the required drawings and information will be provided. In addition, to help ensure that you include all the relevant information, we have produced a  Major Application Checklist (PDF) [205KB] .

Information of planning fees can be found in our Planning application fees pages. There is also a fee calculator available on the Scottish Government's website. Fees can be paid online via ePlanning when you submit your application, by using our online payment system or by credit/debit card (Customer Service Centre, telephone 01738 475000). Please ensure to quote the ePlanning or Perth and Kinross Council application reference when making payment. Please note we no longer accept cheques.

Pre-validation check

Perth & Kinross Council also offer pre-validation checks on all major, national and applications accompanied by an EIA. This service will allow you to pre-submit your plans and documents which will then be checked by a Technician and a Planning Officer. Feedback and guidance will be provided which, if followed will, will ensure that your application is processed through the validation stage as quickly as possible. Please see our Planning application fees for details of the associated fee.

To request this service please use our general enquiry form.