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Highways pre-application advice

Highways pre-application advice

Apply for Highways pre-application advice.

È«¹ú̽»¨ County Council (WCC), acting in its role as the Local Highway Authority, is concerned with any development proposals that may result in unacceptable traffic and highway safety impact on È«¹ú̽»¨â€™s highway network. We also seek to ensure that safe and suitable access can be achieved for all users to development sites.

Pre-application advice for emerging or forthcoming planning applications helps to: 

  • speed up the formal planning application process by identifying any potential highways issues early
  • improving the quality of the planning application submission documents
  • avoid unnecessary or abortive work being undertaken

Receiving comments on a scheme provides Applicants with a better understanding of whether a scheme is acceptable and local highways issues.

Early engagement with us is not mandatory, but recommended, particularly where there is likely to be significant public interest, or the proposal is expected to result in a traffic or safety impact on the highway network. Applicants are also advised to review their proposal against the È«¹ú̽»¨ Streetscape Design Guide.

How to apply

If you would like to apply for Highways pre-application advice, follow these steps:

Step 1: Read the information below about the fees, advice and the pre-application advice process

Step 2:  Apply for Highways pre-application advice. If you do not have a WCC online account, please can you create a company account

Fees

We charge for all Highways pre-application advice. Fees are based on the total number of units/dwellings or the total size of the proposed development. Please see the fees below:

Land use class Residential C3 General industry, storage and distribution B2 B8 Non-residential C1 C2 C4 E F1 F2 Sui Generis
Site size Total size and Fee payable Total size and Fee payable Total size and Fee payable
Minor

Altering an access

£350

up to 500m2

£600

Up to 200m2

£600
Minor

1 to 3 units

£350

up to 500m2

£600

Up to 200m2

£600
Minor

4 to 9 units

£650

up to 500m2

£600

Up to 200m2

£600
Major

10 to 29 units

£1,400

500m2

£2,600

200m2 to 9,999m2

£2,600
Major

30 to 250 units

£2,600

500m2

£2,600

200m2 to 9,999m2

£2,600
Strategic

250 plus units

POA

Over 10,000m2

POA

Over 10,000m2

POA

Other: Some sites don’t fall into any of the above categories. In such circumstance, please email us:  highwaysdevcontrol@worcestershire.gov.uk, to discuss your requirements and the associated fees.

Fees are paid by Credit/Debit Card or BACS. All charges are inclusive of VAT at 20%. Charges are correct as of August 2025 and are reviewed annually. The Highway Authority reserves the right to waive charges for charitable organisations.

The fees (above) are for pre-application advice only. Any additional services or data provision are charged separately. Meetings, if required, are charged at £120.00 per hour plus VAT.

Highway Authority pre-application fees apply irrespective of whether the Local Planning Authority is charging for planning pre application advice. 

Our response

Our processes and timescales for responding to Highways pre-application advice requests are set out below.

Minor
  • upon receipt of payment, we will review the information or plans that you have uploaded.
  • minor applications are small projects (e.g. 1 to 3 dwellings and/or a new vehicle access) and applicants typically upload a location map, alongside information on their proposal and/or scheme drawings (including geometric measurements). The more information provided, the more targeted the response will be
  • we provide you with ‘In-Principle’ advice in either an email or letter format and aim to respond within approximately 20 working days
  • we do not undertake internal WCC consultation for Minor Pre-Apps 
Major
  • upon receipt of payment, we review the information or technical documents that you have uploaded
  • applicants typically upload a location plan, including a red line boundary plan, summary of the existing conditions, details of the development proposals, including the proposed site layout and access arrangements (including geometric measurements), trip rates and trip generation. This may be provided in a Transport Scoping Report or draft Transport Assessment
  • we will share your information or documents with our internal WCC team consultees. Internal WCC consultees (8 to 10 different disciplines) include Traffic Management, Road Safety, Public Transport, Travel Plans, Public Rights of Way, S278 Highway Design and Street Lighting
  • the internal WCC consultees provide a written response to the Highways Development Management Team
  • the Highways Development Management Team will provide you with advice in a letter format. The more information provided, the more targeted the response will be
  • responses can include commentary on your technical inputs, provide technical recommendations and outline opportunities for your emerging proposal. Advice will be provided to assist you in preparing further transport reports suitable to accompany a forthcoming planning application(s) submission, as well as confirmation of approaches that the Highway Authority would accept and support e.g. agreeing trip rates or car parking space provision
  • we aim to respond within approximately 20 working days
Strategic
  • Strategic Sites are complex or large-scale projects, typically allocated in an emerging or adopted Local Plan. Many are of a scale of significance or of strategic importance, such as new communities, large scale infrastructure or new hospitals, etc.
  • Pre-Application advice is provided on a POA (Price on Application) basis unless already negotiated with the Local Planning Authority (e.g. District Council) through a Planning Performance Agreement (PPA)
  • please contact us: highwaysdevcontrol@worcestershire.gov.uk to discuss Pre-Application advice for your strategic site

Disclaimer

The advice given by council officers in response to pre-application enquiries does not bind the Council’s decision making or constitute a formal representation by the Council as the Highway Authority. Any views or opinions expressed are given in good faith and to the best of our ability without prejudice to the formal consideration of any future planning application. However, the written advice provided will be taken into consideration by the Council in the representation to a future related planning application(s), subject to the proviso that circumstances and information may change or come to light that may alter that position. In this regard, the weight given to pre-application advice will decline over time.

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