Plot screening for self-builders and small developers

For land, the postcode tells you very little. You draw the plot boundary yourself, and the report checks flood, ground and planning constraints across that land before you buy it or pay for surveys.

Constraints that shape a planning application

Flood risk. A planning application normally needs a site-specific Flood Risk Assessment where any part of the site is in Flood Zone 2 or 3, where the site is 1 hectare or more, or where the council has identified other flood risk there. In Flood Zones 2 and 3 the council also applies the sequential test. Surface-water flow routes across a plot affect where you can build.

Drainage. New homes usually have to manage surface water on site, with infiltration first where the ground allows it. The mapped geology is a first indication of whether soakaways might work; only on-site testing to BRE 365 confirms it.

Designations. Conservation Areas, listed buildings nearby, Tree Preservation Order zones and SSSI Impact Risk Zones all affect what you can build and who the council consults.

Coal mining. On the coalfield, sites in a Development High Risk Area need a Coal Mining Risk Assessment with a planning application.

When you need more than a screen

If the plot is in Flood Zone 2 or 3, or you need a drainage strategy for planning, The Property Search can arrange a site-specific Flood Risk Assessment and SuDS drainage design through our flood-risk consultancy. Tell us about your site.

Questions we get asked