🔍 Site Intelligence

Environmental screening, heritage, ecology, flood risk, contamination, and constraint assessment.

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Use these tools early in your project to understand what environmental, heritage, and ecological constraints affect your site. The results will determine which technical reports you need and shape your application strategy.

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Flood Risk Assessment Popular

Check flood zone classification, determine Sequential and Exception Test requirements, SuDS strategy, and required documentation.

When to use: Use when your site is near a river, coast, or in a known flood area. Required for all sites in Flood Zones 2 or 3, and for major development in Zone 1.

📜 NPPF Section 14, PPG Flood Risk

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Flood Screening

Quick NPPF Sequential Test, Exception Test, and EA flood zone vulnerability screening with climate change allowances.

When to use: Use for a fast initial check before commissioning a full Flood Risk Assessment. Helps decide if an FRA is needed.

📜 NPPF Paragraphs 159-169

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Contamination

Phase 1 preliminary risk assessment — source-pathway-receptor analysis, contaminant identification, and investigation requirements per CLR11/BS 10175.

When to use: Use when your site has a history of industrial, commercial, or agricultural use, or is near a petrol station, landfill, or factory.

📜 NPPF Paragraph 183-184, Part 2A EPA 1990

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Ground Stability New

Coal Authority referral check, shrink-swell clay risk, landslip assessment, and mining legacy screening.

When to use: Use when your site is in a coal mining area, on clay soils, or on sloping ground. The Coal Authority must be consulted in defined areas.

📜 NPPF Paragraph 184, Coal Authority Standing Advice

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Ecology

EcIA methodology screening — habitat assessment, protected species triggers (bats, newts, badgers, reptiles), and BNG calculation requirements.

When to use: Use for any development that affects vegetation, trees, buildings with potential bat roosts, or land near water. Most applications need at least a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal.

📜 NPPF Section 15, Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981

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BNG Calculator

Biodiversity Net Gain assessment using DEFRA Metric 4.0 — habitat units, 10% mandatory gain, statutory credit costs, and exemption checking.

When to use: Required for most planning applications since February 2024. Mandatory 10% BNG applies unless your project is exempt (e.g. householder, self-build under thresholds).

📜 Environment Act 2021, DEFRA Metric 4.0

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Trees

BS 5837:2012 tree categorisation (A/B/C/U), Root Protection Area calculation, TPO checking, and replanting ratio guidance.

When to use: Use when there are trees on or near your site. A tree survey is often a validation requirement. TPO trees need consent for any works.

📜 BS 5837:2012, Town & Country Planning (Tree Preservation) Regs 2012

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Heritage

Heritage Impact Assessment wizard — significance assessment, impact analysis, harm level determination, and public benefit test under NPPF paragraphs 199-208.

When to use: Use when your site is within or near a conservation area, listed building, scheduled monument, or registered park/garden.

📜 NPPF Section 16, Planning (Listed Buildings) Act 1990

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Archaeology

Archaeological risk screening — HER records check, period assessment, investigation requirements, and desk-based assessment triggers.

When to use: Use when your site is in an Archaeological Priority Area, near known heritage assets, or involves significant groundworks in historically sensitive areas.

📜 NPPF Paragraphs 194-195

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Landscape

GLVIA3 landscape and visual impact methodology — character assessment, magnitude scoring, AONB/National Landscape and Green Belt sensitivity.

When to use: Use when your site is in or near an AONB (National Landscape), Green Belt, or open countryside where landscape impact is likely to be an issue.

📜 NPPF Paragraphs 174-177, GLVIA3

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Townscape & Visual New

GLVIA3 townscape and visual impact assessment — sensitivity/magnitude matrix, per-viewpoint analysis, materials compatibility, height-to-context ratio, and generated assessment text.

When to use: Use when your development could affect the visual amenity of an area — taller buildings, conservation area settings, open countryside, or sites visible from public viewpoints.

📜 NPPF Paragraphs 130-131, GLVIA3, National Design Guide

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Noise

BS 4142 and BS 8233 noise screening — industrial/commercial source assessment, ProPG residential guidance, and character corrections.

When to use: Use when your site is near roads, railways, airports, industrial premises, or when your proposal generates noise (e.g. plant, extraction, events).

📜 NPPF Paragraph 185, BS 4142:2014, BS 8233:2014

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Air Quality

IAQM/EPUK screening for NO₂ and PM2.5 exposure, DEFRA damage costs, AQMA context, construction dust risk, and mitigation requirements.

When to use: Use when your site is in or near an Air Quality Management Area, on a busy road, or when your development generates significant traffic or emissions.

📜 NPPF Paragraph 186, IAQM/EPUK Guidance

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Transport

Multi-modal transport analysis — trip generation, accessibility scoring, highway safety, parking demand, and Travel Plan requirements.

When to use: Use for major development, or any scheme where access, parking, or traffic impact is likely to be a planning issue.

📜 NPPF Section 9, DfT Guidance on Transport Assessments

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Constraints

Composite constraint scoring — checks Green Belt, heritage, ecology, flood, Article 4, settlement boundaries, and other designation overlaps in one pass.

When to use: Use at the very start of a project to get a quick overview of all constraints affecting your site before diving into individual assessments.

📜 Multiple — cross-references all relevant NPPF sections