Planning advice for business

General planning advice

Our planning policy team can help with initial enquiries regarding planning proposals and policies for commercial expansion / relocation / retention, you can contact them using the details in the right hand column.

Pre-application planning advice

We provide pre-application planning advice on proposals before an application is made to advise on their suitability.

Advice solely related to the uses listed below will not be charged for:

• B1 business - Offices (other than those that fall within A2), research and development of products and processes, light industry appropriate in a residential area.
• B2 general industrial - Use for industrial process other than one falling within class B1 (excluding incineration purposes, chemical treatment or landfill or hazardous waste).
• B8 storage or distribution - This class includes open air storage.
• C1 hotels - Hotels, boarding and guest houses where no significant element of care is provided (excludes hostels).
• C2 residential institutions - Residential care homes, hospitals, nursing homes, boarding schools, residential colleges and training centres.
• D1 non-residential institutions - Clinics, health centres, crèches, day nurseries, day centres, schools, art galleries (other than for sale or hire), museums, libraries, halls, places of worship, church halls, law court. Non residential education and training centres.
• D2 assembly and leisure - Cinemas, music and concert halls, bingo and dance halls (but not night clubs), swimming baths, skating rinks, gymnasiums or area for indoor or outdoor sports and recreations (except for motor sports, or where firearms are used).

Please see our pre-application planning advice page for application forms and further guidance on the application process.

Existing and emerging planning policies

Existing planning policy can be found in the adopted local plan (2004) - the key policies are E2, E3 and E4, which seek to protect business parks and employment areas. You can view the adopted local plan and the key policies on our local plan page.

We are trying to be more flexible in how we view planning proposals within these areas by allowing a range of employment and generating uses that support the business aspects of an area. Our current position is set out in our Position Statement on Housing and Land for Business (2011). You can view a copy of the Position Statement on our Wycombe Development Framework page.

For proposals relating to town centres in High Wycombe, Marlow and Princes Risborough please see the our page on the Delivery and Site Allocations document 2011.

General information and advice

General information and advice on economic development can be found using the links below. The Council provides information and advice about business rates, premises, health and safety at work, licenses and street trading, and selling to the council. Please see our business pages for more information..

Bucks Business First (BBF) handles economic development on behalf of Buckinghamshire County Council. Every business based in the county can join BBF. Please see the link to Bucks Business First below for further information.

Business locations

If you are looking for premises or a development opportunity in the Wycombe district please see the links below for further information.