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Make a planning application

Make a planning application

Before applying

Pre-application advice can often help to resolve issues and save you time and expense. We offer a pre-application advice service to provide advice on policy and design issues.

Apply

You must make sure the details submitted are those that you want to undertake, as even minor changes can require a fresh planning application subject to the same process as before.

transaction fee may be charged. You can also download and print an application form. Guidance on the different types of application can be found on the Planning Portal.

Supporting information

Public inspection

All application information is available for public inspection. Before submitting your application please read our privacy notice for details of how your data is used.

Completing the application form is just part of the process, we will also need:

We prefer applications submitted online through the Planning Portal. But you can submit applications by email, on a disc or hard copy. If submitting a hard copy, this Authority requires only one original of any form, plans and documents.

In addition to applying for planning permission, other consents or Building Regulations may also be required.

Other requirements

Detailed requirements for some applications.

Biodiversity is a key aspect of sustainable development.

This SPD explains how biodiversity shall be integrated into the development process to ensure requirements are met - it sets out a biodiversity checklist that can be used to detect features that could be at risk and identify the surveys required. There is a step-by-step guide to building nature into development that should be followed.

All applications (except householder applications such as extensions, and de minimis habitats) will need to complete a Biodiversity Net Gain metric

Biodiversity Net Gain is a current requirement of Policy 4 of the Joint Core Strategy, the Local Plan part 1 for the area. There is also the mandatory requirement of 10% net gain coming in November 2023 for major applications and April 2024 for small sites through the Environment Act.

Each application that meets the requirements must produce a biodiversity metric, that covers the application site, and an accompanying Biodiversity Plan. Further guidance can be found in this short note that details at what stage in the planning process the documents need to be provided. This note also sets out the high strategic significance criteria in North Northamptonshire.

Biodiversity Metric 4.0 is a biodiversity accounting tool that can be used for the purposes of calculating biodiversity net gain.

Impacting East Northamptonshire and Wellingborough areas.

The Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits Special Protection Area and Ramsar site was formally classified by the UK government in 2011 and covers 1358 hectares in North and West Northamptonshire.

Special Protection Areas (SPA) provide increased protection and management for areas which are important for breeding, feeding, wintering or migration of rare and vulnerable species of birds.

A ‘Ramsar’ site is a wetland of international importance designated under the convention of wetlands of international importance, especially as a waterfowl habitat.

The Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site boundaries for the Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits are identical, although the qualifying features are slightly different.

References to the SPA should therefore be interpreted as including the Ramsar site.

Residential developments

For residential developments which result in a net increase in the number of dwellings within 3km of the SPA, it is proposed to avoid and mitigate likely significant effect on the SPA by making a financial contribution per dwelling towards Strategic Access Management and Monitoring (SAMM) or other suitable infrastructure. This would reduce the adverse impact of people visiting the SPA through specific measures and monitoring.

The mitigation strategy identified a fixed contribution per dwelling (indexed linked, with a based date of 2016). As of 1 April 2023, the rate is £363.62.

The Wildlife Assessment Check allows applicants to check whether their proposed site and works are likely to require ecological advice before making a planning application.

The Wildlife Assessment Check is a free online tool, designed to help householders and smaller developers who are making planning applications, permitted developments or works to listed buildings to consider protected and priority species, as well as statutory designated sites that may be impacted by their works.

The partnership is made up of 19 national conservation, planning and development organisations.

Last updated 18 August 2023