Planning application Local Requirements: Guidance notes for documentation H-P
These guidance notes cover documents and information required by Barnet ('Local requirements') for planning applications .
Please see the validation checklists to find out what your planning application will need to include.
See also:
Healthy Urban Development Unit Rapid Health Impact Assessment toolkit required for applications creating 150 or more residential units or 15,000m2 of other use floorspace
Barnet Health Impact Assessment Screening Tool required for residential major development up to 149 units, 1,000-14,999m2 other use floorspace, applications for Hot food Takeaways, Adult Gaming Centres, Amusement Arcades, Betting Shops, Payday Loan Shops, Pawnbrokers and Shisha Bars
Policy Driver or Legislative Background
NPPF Chapter 8
London Plan policy
Barnet Local Plan 2025 policy CHW02
For minor residential single aspect units
Policy Driver or Legislative Background
London Plan para 3.6.5
Barnet Local Plan 2025 policies CDH02 and ECC01
Barnet Sustainable Design and Development Guidance SPD
Heritage Statements address the architectural, historical and archaeological importance of heritage assets including their setting. A heritage asset includes conservation areas, locally listed buildings, buildings which make a positive contribution to a conservation area (positive building) listed buildings, scheduled ancient monuments, sites of archaeological significance, historic parks, gardens and battlefields.
The scope and degree of detail necessary in the written justification will vary according to particular circumstances of each application. Applicants are advised to discuss proposals with either a planning officer or a conservation officer before any application is made.
Applications including listed building consent will require a written statement to include a schedule of works, and an analysis of the architectural, archaeological, historical or other significance of the building/structure, its site and setting, the principles of and justification for the proposed works and their impact on the special character and appearance, its setting and the setting of adjacent listed buildings may be required. Archive drawings should be submitted, where they are available.
Applications including demolition in a conservation area or of a heritage asset will require a written statement to include a structural survey, analysis of the character and appearance of the building/ structure, principles of and justification for demolition and impact on special character of the area.
Applications in or adjacent to a conservation area will require an assessment of the impact of the development on the character and appearance of the area.
Applications involving disturbance of ground within an Area of Archaeological Significance may need an assessment of existing archaeological information in the form of a Desktop Study.
Advice should be sought for information required in connection with developments affecting other heritage assets such as historic battlefields and ancient monuments.
Policy Driver or Legislative Background
NPPF chapter 16
Barnet Local Plan 2025 policy CDH08
Barnet Conservation Area Character Appraisals and Design Guidance
To be included as part of the Design and Access Statement where one is required and should:
• explain the design concept and illustrate how an inclusive design approach has been incorporated into this
• detail what best practice standards and design guidance documents have been applied in terms of inclusive design
• show that the potential impacts of the proposal on people and communities who share a protected characteristic and who will be affected by it have been considered
• set out how access and inclusion will be maintained and managed, including fire evacuation procedures
• detail engagement with relevant user groups, such as disabled or older people’s organisations, or other equality groups.
Policy Driver or Legislative Background
London Plan Policy D5
Barnet Local Plan 2025 policy CDH02
Barnet Sustainable Design and Development Guidance SPD
Details should include:
- Number/ type of lighting installation, beam orientation and schedule of equipment.
- Assessment of existing and proposed lighting levels within and beyond the site.
All applications involving floodlighting schemes and development within or adjacent to rural areas or near the Mill Hill Observatory. Please seek advice from the Planning Service.
- Development proposals where there are known bat habitats, or as identified as a result of Preliminary Ecological Assessment.
- Details of lighting to be provided for all applications which include illuminated advertisements.
Policy Driver or Legislative Background
Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisement) (England) Regulations 2007
London Plan policies G5, G6 and G7
Barnet Local Plan 2025 policies CDH09 and ECC07
Barnet Sustainable Design and Development Guidance SPD
Required where applications propose the loss of uses protected by policies within the development plan eg a change of use from/ loss of office, employment, retail, community use or a public house, including marketing and viability information. Marketing to be for a minimum of 12 months except loss of a public house which is 24 months.
Policy Driver or Legislative Background
Barnet Local Plan 2025 policies TOW02, CHW01 and ECY01
A Noise Assessment is required for proposed development which is likely to be exposed to significant noise and/or vibration or cause a noise and/or vibration impact. For all noise sensitive and noise creating developments the Council will refer to the standards set out for internal and external noise levels in BS8233 (2014) and to the approach of BS4142:2014 (2019). As well as the Noise chapter of the PPG. Such assessments should be provided at application stage for sites where the noise impact is high. This may include locations on or near to a railway or class A road or where the environment has relatively high noise levels.
A Noise Assessment will also be required where potentially noisy development is located close to noise sensitive sites (potentially use classes B2-B8, E(b-d-e-f-g), F1, F2 and similar) and/or where there are noise impacts associated with activities, operations, plant or machinery related to the proposed development, which may effect existing or proposed sensitive development.
The adverse risks and impacts of noise should be minimised, using measures at source or between source and receptor (including choice and location of plant or method, layout, screening and sound absorption) in preference to sound insulation at the receptor, wherever possible.
Applications should be in accordance with the requirements of the Council’s Sustainable Design and Construction SPD
Consult Barnet’s Environmental Health Team for specific advice on 020 8359 7995.
Policy Driver or Legislative Background
London Plan policies D13 and D14
Barnet Local Plan 2025 policies CDH01, CDH02 and ECC02
Barnet Sustainable Design and Development Guidance SPD
Required for proposals that involve significant sources of odour.
Policy Driver or Legislative Background
London Plan policy SI 1
Barnet Local Plan 2025 policies ECC02 and TOW03
Plans should show any areas of existing or proposed amenity space - private and communal, children’s play space and other open space within the application site.
Indicative landscaping also required. Normally required for all major developments and also for developments in conservation areas or affecting the setting of listed buildings.
Where provision for biodiversity net gain is a requirement the soft landscape must be designed to facilitate the delivery of biodiversity net gains and amenity. Details of the Urban Greening Factor of 0.3 shall be demonstrated in accordance with London Plan policy G5
Policy Driver or Legislative Background
Mayor’s Housing Supplementary Planning Guidance
London Plan– policies G4, G5, S4, D6
Barnet Local Plan 2025 policies CDH01, CDH02, CDH07 and ECC07
Barnet Sustainable Design and Development Guidance SPD
Green Infrastructure SPD 2017
All applications which include car parking, proportionate to scale and type of development
Policy Driver or Legislative Background
Barnet Local Plan 2025 policy TRC01 and TRC03
These provide useful background information and can help to show how developments can be satisfactorily integrated within the street scene. Photographs should be provided if the proposal involves the demolition of an existing building or development affecting a conservation area or a listed building.
Policy Driver or Legislative Background
Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015
Many non-householder planning applications will normally incur some planning obligations, to secure appropriate planning benefits necessary to support the development. These operate through legal covenants with the Council; recorded in a ‘Section 106 agreement’ or ‘unilateral undertaking’. These can be discussed in a pre-application meeting and it is advisable to submit a draft agreement or undertaking to include the agreed ‘draft heads of terms’. In almost every case some contribution will be required, but if you have not discussed these with us yet, please refer to the following for details of the contributions required:
Supplementary Planning Document on ‘Planning Obligations’
Supplementary Planning Document on ‘Affordable Housing’
Supplementary Planning Document on ‘Delivering Skills, Employment, Enterprise and Training from Development through Section 106’
The final list and level of contributions will be discussed and confirmed with the planning case officer.
Policy Driver or Legislative Background
NPPF chapter 4
Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 as amended
Barnet Local Plan 2025 Chapter 12
Barnet Planning Obligations SPD
To identify the context and need for a proposed development, including an assessment of how the proposed development accords with relevant national, regional and local planning policies. May include details of pre-application consultation with local planning authority and wider community statutory consultees.
Policy Driver or Legislative Background
Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015
To be at an identified standard metric scale and showing the direction of north. The plan should also show the proposed development in relation to site boundaries and other existing buildings on the site. Neighbouring buildings that may be affected by a development should also be shown.
It should also include, unless not influenced or affected by the development, buildings, roads, footpaths on land adjoining the site, including access arrangements, public rights of way crossing or adjoining the site, all trees on site and adjacent land, the extent and type of hardsurfacing, boundary treatment including walls/ fencing proposed.
Policy Driver or Legislative Background
Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015
Original documentation should be submitted plus 3 copies.