HSE land use planning pre-application advice service
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health.
HSE is a statutory consultee to local planning authorities on planning applications for Hazardous Substances Consent (HSC) and developments near major hazard installations and pipelines. Its role as statutory consultee is to ensure planning decisions are informed by the public safety risks arising from applications.
On 28 July 2014, HSE’s Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) launched an enhanced pre-application service to make it easier and faster for developers and planning authorities to access land use planning information and advice. The Land Use Planning Pre-application Advice service was fully rolled-out in March 2015.
It is a paid for business-facing service that will give better access to HSE’s assessment tools and techniques, intended to:
- Support early and positive engagement.
- Enable better informed planning decisions.
- Generate increased effectiveness and efficiency.
- Create greater transparency in HSE’s decisions and operations.
Three options on offer.
- A free service giving confirmation of whether a proposed development is within an HSE consultation zone.
- Advice for proposed developments within an HSE consultation zone.
- A bespoke service depending on the complexity of the proposed development.
Charges are dependent on the level of advice required.
Peter Brown, head of HSE’s Hazardous Installations Policy Division, said: “By enabling easier and more transparent access to HSE’s Land Use Planning advice, developers and planners will be able to get quick or even immediate answers to queries related to a plot of land they may be interested in purchasing or developing”.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Asbestos.
- CDM Regulations.
- Contaminated land.
- COSHH.
- Deleterious materials.
- Demolition.
- Health and safety.
- Health and Safety Executive
- Health and safety inspector.
- Notify HSE.
[edit] External references
Featured articles and news
A safe energy transition – ECA launches a new Charter
Practical policy actions to speed up low carbon adoption while maintaining installation safety and competency.
Frank Duffy: Researcher and Practitioner
Reflections on achievements and relevance to the wider research and practice communities.
The 2026 Compliance Landscape: Fire doors
Why 'Business as Usual' is a Liability.
Cutting construction carbon footprint by caring for soil
Is construction neglecting one of the planet’s most powerful carbon stores and one of our greatest natural climate allies.
ARCHITECTURE: How's it progressing?
Archiblogger posing questions of a historical and contextual nature.
The roofscape of Hampstead Garden Suburb
Residents, architects and roofers need to understand detailing.
Homes, landlords. tenants and the new housing standards
What will it all mean?
The Architectural Technology podcast: Where it's AT
Catch-up on the latest episodes.
Edmundson Apprentice of the Year award 2026
Entries now open for this Electrical Contractors' Association award.
Traditional blue-grey slate from one of the oldest and largest UK slate quarries down in Cornwall.
There are plenty of sources with the potential to be redeveloped.
Change of use legislation breaths new life into buildings
A run down on Class MA of the General Permitted Development Order.
Solar generation in the historic environment
Success requires understanding each site in detail.
Level 6 Design, Construction and Management BSc
CIOB launches first-ever degree programme to develop the next generation of construction leaders.
Open for business as of April, with its 2026 prospectus and new pipeline of housing schemes.
The operational value of workforce health
Keeping projects moving. Incorporating unplanned absence and the importance of health, in operations.





















