Prior Notification - Office to Residential

This is always required, except where the application:

• is for alterations, extensions and so on, to a dwelling house for the benefit of a registered disabled person (please provide evidence from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that the applicant is registered as being disabled).

Fees can be found on the Planning Portal - a guide to the fees for planning applications in England

Further guidance can be found on National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG) - Fees for planning applications

A location plan is always required and must be an up-to-date Ordnance Survey based location plan at an appropriate scale, usually 1:1250 or 1:2500. In the case of large sites other scales may be appropriate.

The plan must show:

• at least two named roads and all surrounding buildings or land (unless this would require a plan greater than a scale of 1:2500)
• the application site (the whole planning unit)
• a north point
• the scale clearly identified

The plan used should:

• not be a Land Registry document
• show OS Crown copyright as an acknowledgement
• not to be copied from existing OS mapping, if using hand drawn maps such as standard streets
• show the correct licence number if you wish to print or copy maps for applications

The application site boundary must be edged clearly with a red line. It should include all land necessary to carry out the proposed development - for example, land required for access to the site from a public highway, visibility splays, landscaping, car parking and open areas around the building.

A blue line should be drawn around any other land owned by the applicant, close to or adjoining the application site.

Site plans may be created through a number of online retailers. You can find guidance on the Planning Portal - Maps plans and planning applications: what to submit

Applications must be accompanied by plans and drawings or information necessary to describe the subject of the application including:

• existing and proposed block plans of the site (for example at a scale of 1:100 or 1:200) showing any site boundaries and neighbouring properties
• existing and proposed elevations (for example at a scale of 1:50 or 1:100). Drawings must show complete elevations, partial drawings are not acceptable
• existing and proposed floor plans (for example at a scale of 1:50 or 1:100). Drawings must show complete floor plans, partial drawings are not acceptable
• existing and proposed site sections and finished floor and site levels (for example at a scale of 1:50 or 1:100)
• existing and proposed roof plans (for example at a scale of 1:50 or 1:100) - required only for complex roof structures

This is required for all applications where the proposed development is likely to have an impact on Biodiversity. The local authority has adopted a Biodiversity checklist in order to identify whether surveys will be required for a proposal. The checklist must be filled out and submitted with all applications.

A project level Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA) may be required where a development is within the Breckland SAC, Breckland SPA or an adjoining constraint zone (constrain zones are defined in the relevant Core Strategy Policy CS2).

Where a scoping survey recommends further surveys need to be undertaken, these should also be provided.

Biodiversity surveys must be up date (normally not more than two years old, or as stipulated in good practice guidance).

More information:

• Association of Local Government Ecologists (ALGE)
• Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM)
• Circular 06/2005
• Forest Heath Local Plan
• National Planning Policy Framework (in particular Paragraphs 109-119)
• Natural England
• St Edmundsbury Local Plan
• Suffolk Biodiversity Partnership
• Suffolk County Council Local Validation Requirements pages 13-21
• Suffolk Wildlife Trust

In order to determine whether you need to submit a site specific flood risk assessment (FRA) as part of your application you need to follow two steps:

1. Establish which flood risk zone your site falls within using the Environment Agency interactive map. Click on and expand the Flood Zones option to be able to show this information on the map
• Zone 3 is an area that could be affected by flooding either from rivers or the sea, if there were no defences. This area could be flooded from:
• a river by a flood that has a 1 per cent (1 in 100) or greater chance of happening each year
• the sea by a flood that has a 0.5 per cent (1 in 200) chance of happening each year
• Zone 2 is the extent of an extreme flood from the rivers or the sea if there were no defences. These areas could be affected by a major flood with up to a 0.1 per cent (1 in 1000) chance of occurring each year
• Zone 1 is the area not shown as being in Zones 2 or 3 and considered to be at low risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Please note that other sources of flood risk are not shown on these maps so your site may still be in an area of risk from surface water or groundwater flooding.
  
  
2. Follow the Environment Agency's Flood Risk Standing Advice which will help you determine when an FRA needs to be submitted.

If a proposal requires a full FRA you are strongly advised to discuss the scope and content of the flood risk assessment with the Environment Agency before you start work on it. Further information may be found on the Environment Agency's website as to the requirements of a flood risk assessment and whether one is required (see links below).

More information:

• Flood risk assessments standing advice
• Flood Zone 1 and critical drainage areas
• Flood Zones 2 and 3
• Sequential tests

This is required for all applications resulting in a sensitive end use (for example, new dwellings, schools, playgrounds, playing fields, nurseries, hospitals, allotments) and all applications that involve development on land that is likely to be contaminated as a result of previous or historic uses. For applications of one or two dwellings on existing residential or greenfield sites an Environmental Search Report and West Suffolk Land Contamination Questionnaire are required. Where the proposal is for more than two dwellings, is on a brownfield site or involves the conversion of an agricultural barn then a Phase 1 Land Contamination Report is required.

A Phase 1 Land Contamination Report should include a detailed search of all available and current records and maps to identify potential on-site and off-site sources, pathways and receptors of contamination. Where the preliminary risk assessment identifies potential land contamination that may be a risk to human health, groundwaters or the wider environment, an extended assessment of contamination may be required (either during the course of the application or by condition on the decision notice), involving an intrusive site investigation and possible remediation of the land.

A land contamination assessment is typically valid for up to two years.

• West Suffolk Contaminated Land Questionnaire

More information:

• Environmental problems

This is required for all new development which may involve a noise generating activity to surrounding areas, particularly where proposed close to existing sites that may be particularly harmed by such development (such as air bases, industrial estates, trunk roads) and for any development for sensitive use (such as new dwellings) situated close to an existing noise generating activity.

You are advised to contact the Public Health and Housing Team to discuss the scope of any noise report submitted.

More information:

• National Planning Policy Guidance - noise guidance
• Noise Policy Statement for England
• Noise

This is required for all development where there is an increase in number of dwellings or bedrooms or for new commercial units proposing parking areas. It should clearly indicate the proposed parking spaces. For smaller developments this may be included in the block plan

More information:

• Suffolk County Council - Parking guidance