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Within planning, a “householder application” means:
(a) making changes or improvements to an existing house or any structures within its surrounding area. These changes could be for purposes related to enjoying the house. It’s essentially seeking approval to carry out specific development work without needing a separate planning application, or
(b) an application for any consent, agreement or approval. It covers situations where you need approval for things like changes to the building or its surroundings. However, it doesn’t include requests to change how the building is used or alter the number of dwellings within it
For the purposes of the The Dorset Biodiversity Appraisal Protocol (DBAP) standalone barn conversions are defined as conversion of a single barn to a single residential or commercial unit where the barn is being substantially altered, but where there is no other development proposed onsite.
All planning applications are required to protect, conserve and enhance biodiversity in order to meet national and local legislation and policy. Having protected species or habitats on your property does not mean that development cannot go ahead, but rather that as the owner you need to take steps to comply with the relevant wildlife legislation. When submitting a planning application, you will need to complete the Biodiversity Checklist which is integrated into the application form on the Planning Portal to determine whether you need to provide information on biodiversity to support your application.
Application process
Process for householder applications, LBC and standalone barn conversions:
- where the biodiversity checklist indicates that you need an ecological survey you will need to engage with a professional Ecologist to provide this information
- unfortunately, as a local authority we are unable to recommend anyone specific, however a list of environmental consultants is available from one of the published directories of environmental consultants such as Environmental Consultants Directory, or the CIEEM - Member's Directory. It is advisable to ask for a licence number and references before employing a consultant for licensable work and to get a few quotes from different consultants for comparison as prices do vary
- your Ecologist will visit your property to carry out a site survey, they may recommend further surveys depending on what they find, after which they will provide a survey report which details what they found and their recommendations
- in some cases your ecological survey may come back as negative i.e. there are no protected species or habitats which will be impacted by your proposals. In this case you should submit the survey report with your planning application. All planning applications must seek to enhance the site for biodiversity, to ensure your application is in line with the National Planning Policy Framework. This can be easily achieved by providing additional features for wildlife in the form of a bat or bird box, or habitat creation as part of your proposal. This can be added to the plan drawings which will be conditioned to your permission, if granted
- where further surveys are recommended by your Ecologist these must be carried out before you can submit your planning application
where the survey report states that biodiversity mitigation is required your application falls into the scope of the Dorset Biodiversity Appraisal Protocol (DBAP). This means that you will need to submit a Biodiversity Plan (BP) to support your planning application. This is a standard form, available as a word and pdf, and is to be completed by your Ecologist
- the information in the ecological survey report(s) is used by your Ecologist to complete the BP
- your Ecologist submits the BP to the Dorset Council Natural Environment Team (NET) via e-mail (biodiversityprotocol@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk) along with the associated review fee
- at this point the ecological survey report(s) and BP can be submitted to planning to register your planning application
- the NET review the ecological survey report and BP to ensure it meets the applicable wildlife legislation, national and local planning policies. By reviewing these documents, the NET provides a quality assurance in relation to the BP and the risk that objections on the grounds of wildlife impacts being lodged during the decision period that can lead to delay and uncertainty, are substantially reduced. The review process may include the NET requesting changes to the BP before approval, we will liaise with your Ecologist if this is the case
- when satisfied, NET will send your Ecologist a NET signed copy of the BP alongside a Certificate of Approval
- you should then submit the NET signed BP and Certificate of Approval to the planning team prior to a decision being made on your planning application
- should your planning application be granted, the NET signed BP will be conditioned to your permission and you will be responsible for complying with all measures detailed in the BP
See full guidance on the requirements for planning applications which fall under the Dorset Biodiversity Appraisal Protocol. This is technical guidance directed at Ecologists. Most of the Ecologists who often work in Dorset are familiar with the DBAP and this guidance.
Ecological information is required for validation of the planning application and cannot be conducted after the application has been submitted. Surveys cannot be conditioned to a planning approval.
Payment information
Householder and Barn conversion Biodiversity Plan (BP) approvals are charged at £109.
Fees can be paid:
- online
- by card by calling 01305 228602 or 01305 228608. If paying by card please state that the payment is being made for Biodiversity Appraisal and give the site address
- by cheque; made payable to Dorset Council and sent to the Natural Environment Team
Your Biodiversity Plan is valid for 3 years from the date of NET certification.
Amending your plan
If plans change and you require the details in your BP to change within the 3 year validity period, you will need to apply to NET for an amendment. An amendment is charged at a reduced rate of £42.
If your BP runs out before you obtain planning permission, you will need to apply for a new approval from NET. Your ecological surveys will also likely need updating. We charge the full fee for BPs amended beyond the 3 year period and new applications for the same site.
Survey types
In most cases a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) is the first step to identify any direct evidence of protected species and any habitat suitable to support protected species on site, and whether any further surveys are required.
| Survey name | Description |
|---|---|
| Preliminary Roost Appraisal (PRA) | Check for evidence of bats or potential roost locations |
| Breeding Bird Survey | Check for evidence of breeding birds |
| Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) | Initial survey of the potential of the site to support protected species and important habitats (this will often lead to an EcIA being required, depending on what’s found in the initial survey) |
| Phase 2 survey | More detailed survey looking at a specific species. |
| Botanical survey | Detailed survey of the vegetation onsite |
| Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) | Assessment of the proposal and its likely impacts on the identified biodiversity features of the site |
Timing of survey
Some animals and plants are only able to be surveyed at particular times of the year, the Indicative ecological survey season guide shows the optimal survey season. This means your ecologist may have to wait until the right time of year to do their survey, which could cause a delay in submitting your planning application. NET will not accept surveys completed outside of the optimal survey season.
Wildlife licences
It may be necessary for the consultant to apply for a European Protected Species Licence from Natural England where planned work would affect European Protected Species and would otherwise be illegal, e.g., destruction of a bat roost. This will be accounted for in the BP however the process of obtaining a licence is separate to obtaining planning consent and happens after you have been granted permission.