Planning and development
Natural England’s Planning and Development Advisory Services
How we engage with the planning system and the advice we provide on planning and development matters.
Our engagement in the planning system
Natural England works in partnership with local government, developers, local communities and other key stakeholders to ensure every opportunity is taken through the planning processes to protect, and wherever possible enhance, the natural environment.
Our aim is to ensure that the spatial planning system conserves and enhances the natural environment and delivers high quality, environmentally sustainable development. In particular we want to maximise the benefits from Green Infrastructure.
We are a statutory consultee on environmental assessment processes and many development proposals including that of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects and the transport network. We are also a statutory consultee on Development Plans, Local Development Frameworks, Neighbourhood Development Plans & Orders and Community Right to Build Orders.
As well as being the Government’s statutory conservation adviser for England and providing advice to planning authorities, we are also responsible for designated sites, such as National Parks and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and for granting applications for Protected Species licences.
The advice we provide is in line with Government policy and legislation, and we are publicly accountable to uphold it. Our role is to provide advice, but it is the responsibility of the relevant decision-maker to consider our advice when reaching a decision. View the full list of planning & development consultations: (48kb)
which we can be consulted on.
Our customer commitment
At Natural England we are committed to delivering an efficient and effective service to our customers and have published a set of Corporate Service Standards which represent the level of service that customers can expect from all our staff. Within these we will aim to respond to all consultations in which we have an interest within the timescales set by the consulting body, once we have received adequate information on which to base a response.
How our service works
We have established a central hub for our planning and development advisory service. The hub assesses consultations quickly and efficiently, responding to straightforward cases directly. If a more detailed response is required on specific issues, the hub will forward the consultation onto one of our specialist local advisers for further action. We communicate all our formal advice by letter, usually sent electronically.
This system simplifies our processes and allows us to focus on those consultations which need the most detailed advice. We expect our service delivery to improve as a result of these changes and will welcome feedback on how we are doing.
You can help us to respond to your consultation promptly by following these steps:
If possible use e-communications.
If the consultation is particularly large or only available in hard copy, please use the postal address listed below. Send large documents on a compact disc unless otherwise requested.
Be specific about why you are consulting on a particular application. For example, what aspect of the proposals or the site do you require views on. This will help us reply to you more quickly.
Provide all necessary information to Natural England, to enable us to give a substantive reply.
Identify the timescale for a response. Please note the 21 day deadline for Development Management consultations will not start until Natural England, as the statutory consultee, has received all the information it needs to provide an informed response (ODPM Circular 08/2005 - Guidance on changes to the Development Control System).
Further ways you can help us improve our service
How to contact us
Planning and development consultations should be sent electronically to consultations@naturalengland.org.uk. If the consultation is particularly large or only available in hard copy and it is not possible to consult us electronically, consultations should be sent to the following postal address:
Natural England Consultation Service
Hornbeam House, Electra Way, Crewe Business Park, Crewe, Cheshire CW1 6GJ
Planning Enquiry Line
We’ve also established a Planning Enquiry Line - 0300 060 3900 - which you can use to contact Natural England regarding any general planning queries. The enquiries team can help to tell you who is dealing with your consultation and when you can expect a response.
European Protected Species (EPS) Mitigation Licensing
Any queries relating to EPS Mitigation Licensing should be sent to EPS.Mitigation@naturalengland.org.uk
Non-EPS related Wildlife licensing
All other non-EPS related Wildlife licensing queries should be sent to Wildlife@naturalengland.org.uk
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