Yes, you can, and we strongly encourage this. It is often a good idea to discuss your proposal with a planning officer before you submit an application. Some local planning authorities (LPAs) charge for this service so it’s a good idea to check first. It is also a question you have to answer on the application form and can assist the local authority in dealing with your application. The level of preparation required depends on what you propose to do. In simple cases, it should be sufficient to look at the main issues governing the grant of permission and decide which of these are relevant to your application.
