Supporting documents

You are required to submit a biodiversity survey and report where any development is likely to affect a local or national designated nature conservation habitat or one which has impact on a designated species.

Please use the relevant Biodiversity checklist below to help you identify such development and submit the checklist along with your application.

Please see our dedicated page on Biodiversity Net Gain for more guidance: Biodiversity Net Gain – New Forest National Park

You need to prepare and submit a flood risk assessment for most developments within one of the Environment Agency Flood Zones.

This includes developments:

• in flood zone 2 or 3 including minor development and change of use;
• more than 1 hectare (ha) in flood zone 1;
• less than 1 ha in flood zone 1, including a change of use in development type to a more vulnerable class (for example from commercial to residential), where they could be affected by sources of flooding other than rivers and the sea (for example surface water drains, reservoirs);
• in an area within flood zone 1 which has critical drainage problems as notified by the Environment Agency.

You don’t need to do a flood risk assessment for a development that’s less than 1 ha in flood zone 1 unless it could be affected by sources of flooding other than rivers and the sea, for example surface water drains.

More guidance regarding this can be found on the Government website under ‘Flood risk assessments if you’re applying for planning permission’.

If you need to refer to our Strategic Flood Risk Assessment documents they can be found on the New Forest District Council website by following this link New Forest District Council and New Forest National Park Authority joint Strategic Flood Risk Assessment.

See the Environment Agency’s Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) template here:

Environment-Agency_Flood-Risk-Assessment-Template.docx

You may need to supply a short heritage statement which helps us understand the historic and archaeological importance of a site or building, and how a proposed development may affect it. Learn more on our page: Heritage statements

Find out more on our webpage: Mitigating recreational and nutrient impacts – New Forest National Park

All planning applications for major developments (10 dwellings or more; or 1,000sqm non-residential floor space) are required to ensure that Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) are put in place for the management of surface water drainage and run-off.

Local Planning Authorities are required to ensure that the standards of operation of the SUDS are appropriate and ensure that there are clear arrangements in place for the on-going maintenance over the lifetime of the development.

A Surface Water Drainage Statement is required to be submitted with all major applications. More information on these requirements can be found in the Surface Water Consultation Checklist and by visiting the SUDS page on Hampshire County Council’s website.

All planning applications must include a Sustainability Statement.

This statement explains how your proposal will help reduce carbon emissions and limit its impact on climate change. It should clearly set out the measures you are proposing and how they will contribute to a more sustainable, low-carbon development.

The aim is to show how sustainability has been considered as part of your design and decision-making process. A template for the statement is included here: Sustainability Statement