For such a scheme, I would expect that it would be likely that you could get to meet the Planner, provided the scheme has any hope of getting Planning.
(i.e. you are not trying to build an estate in the middle of an A1,A2 or A3 zone).
Ring the Planning Dept. at the times indicated above, ask to speak to the Planner for the area concerned, and discuss it with him/her.
You will need to have your architect draw up a proposa of some kind, so that the meeting will have something to go on.