PEOPLE applying for planning permission from the Forest Council are now required to assess their development’s impact on the environment from the off. 

The district council has updated its planning application process in a bid to help new applicants get their proposals validated successfully. 

A council review showed that 40 per cent of planning applications had previously gone unvalidated because of missing or inadequate information. 

Assessments of environmental factors such as the impact on local flora and fauna and areas of habitat are required by the authority for planning applications.

The council has now introduced a biodiversity self-assessment form, to be completed prior to submission, to help applicants identify areas where where an adverse impact on the environment could affect their application.

The council hopes this will help applicants be more successful in getting their proposals validated, saving them time and resources, as well as getting them to better consider their proposal's environmental impact.

Additionally, new requirements mean aspects such as sewage disposal and air quality will now need to be assessed. 

The authority has updated all of its validation checklists to include the new requirements, which came into effect on February 1.

Leader of the Council, Councillor Tim Gwilliam, said: “Since taking the lead on Planning for the Local Plan Development, I have spent a great deal of time alongside officers talking to Parish councils, developers and members of the public about the issues that they see as being really important to address.

“Changing our planning checklists and improving our guidance will make the process of submitting applications a more positive experience for applicants across the district; improving the likelihood of applications being validated first time. However, what is more significant is the changes that will impact the environment.

“We’re serious about tackling the climate emergency here in the Forest; so, embedding further safeguards of our local environment and biodiversity into our planning process is a step I’m very happy to see.

“These changes will include everything from small applications all the way through to larger housing developments. Showing that, as a council, we are committed to protecting our environment and making this change will enable the forest to develop sustainably into the future.”