Prior Approval in
Devizes (Wiltshire)
A full planning application isn’t always the fastest way to get building work started in Devizes. Prior approval covers a specific set of projects, larger extensions, certain change of use conversions, demolition, with the council legally required to decide within a set number of days rather than the usual open-ended timeline.
Get StartedThe Statutory Deadline Explained For Devizes
Picking the wrong path for a Devizes project, treating something as needing full planning permission when prior approval genuinely fits, or vice versa, wastes real time and real money. Nailing the classification early matters more than most people expect.
Each prior approval category in Devizes carries its own conditions and its own statutory deadline, generally 42 or 56 days depending on which one applies, with the council’s review confined to specific matters set out in legislation rather than a broad planning assessment.
We confirm which category your Devizes project genuinely falls under before preparing anything, since submitting the wrong type of application wastes both time and the fee involved.
Right Route Confirmed
We check prior approval genuinely applies
Statutory Timescale
42 or 56 days, by law
Focused Submission
Built around what’s actually assessed
Fast Turnaround
Applications moved along quickly
How We Help in Devizes (Wiltshire)
Devizes projects get checked properly against the specific legal conditions for whichever category applies, larger extension, Class MA, Class Q, demolition, or industrial extension.
Once eligibility’s confirmed, the submission gets built around exactly what Devizes’s planning team can genuinely consider under this route, keeping things moving toward that statutory deadline.
Devizes’s planning team works to a strict timescale on prior approval, so we stay engaged throughout to make sure nothing slips through unanswered.
Why Devizes Projects Get The Classification Checked First
Every Devizes project gets weighed against the actual legal conditions for prior approval, never assumed just because it sounds like it might qualify.
We treat the statutory deadline for Devizes projects as something to work with properly, not race against carelessly, since a poor submission can still fail even on a fast track.
Prior approval genuinely doesn’t fit every Devizes project, and we’d rather steer you toward the right route from the start than force a poor fit.
Not sure whether your project needs house extension planning permission instead? We check that too, before recommending prior approval as the route.
Get Your Prior Approval Submission Started
Prior Approval FAQs for Devizes
What projects actually qualify for prior approval in Devizes?
The main categories in Devizes are larger rear extensions, Class MA commercial to residential conversion, Class Q agricultural conversion, demolition, and larger industrial or warehouse extensions, each with its own specific conditions.
How long does a prior approval decision take in Devizes?
It depends on the category, 42 days is common for extensions, with 56 days applying to several other prior approval types, Devizes’s council must work to whichever deadline genuinely applies.
Can Devizes’s council refuse prior approval for any reason they like?
The scope is genuinely limited, Devizes’s council assesses only the specific defined matters for that prior approval category, unlike a full application’s broader planning assessment.
Can I still get planning permission if prior approval isn’t right for my project?
Yes, if your Devizes project doesn’t meet prior approval conditions, we simply prepare it as a standard planning application instead, the route changes but the project can usually still proceed.
Does Class MA prior approval also count as change of use in Devizes?
Class MA is specifically about change of use for Devizes properties, converting shops, offices, and similar commercial space to residential, a category we also cover in more depth on our change of use planning permission.
Is checking eligibility for prior approval free in Devizes?
There’s no charge for the initial Devizes eligibility check, you’ll know exactly which route applies before committing to anything further.