CHARGES introduced by West Devon Borough Council for planning advice for potential development have been described as 'scandalous'.

Anyone who wants to meet a planning officer ahead of submitting a planning application will now be charged from £350 up to several thousand pounds, depending on the number of houses they want to build. Those wishing to seek advice for works or alterations to an existing residential dwelling will continue to receive free advice.

Previously, any pre-application advice was free, charges were only made for planning applications — now an individual wanting to build one will face a bill of of £685 for advice and the application fee.

West Devon planning consultant Peter Rowan said the whole purpose of getting advice from the council was to see whether it was worth pursuing an application in the first instance and secondly what could be done to an application to get officer support, thus saving time and money for both parties later on.

He said: 'To charge members of the public to come and have a meeting about development is frankly scandalous, given that the public pay for the services of the council anyway through the rates system.'

Mr Rowan questioned just how good the advice was going to be and how binding was it going to be on the authority.

'If someone has paid £2,000 for advice from a planning officer what happens when the planning officer changes his/her mind with respect to advice given, as quite often happens? Do they get their money back?'

Borough councillor for Tavistock South Ward Mandy Govier said she was against charging for planning advice: 'In the long run I think it will hold up the planning process because people will not pay the extra for planning advice when it is more than the application fee in some instances.

'The advice should be provided as part of the application fee. People should not have to pay twice.'

A spokeswoman for West Devon Borough Council said a significant part of planning officers' time was taken up with giving pre-application advice.

Enquiries about the development potential of properties and other requests for planning guidance could be very complex and time-consuming and, unlike planning applications, there were no nationally set fees for this work.

Many other authorities also charged for pre application advice, she said. 'We have tried to achieve a fair balance between the costs borne by residents and those charged to the prospective developer.

'The borough council understands that the introduction of charges can be unpopular but considers charging for pre-application advice to be both necessary and reasonable. Free advice continues to be provided over the phone or by the duty officer in response to simple enquiries.'

The charging system can be found on the council's website at: http://www.westdevon.gov.uk">www.westdevon.gov.uk

She said advice from planning officers was not binding on the authority and it was up to the council's planning committee to make final decisions on planning applications.