Find the planning constraints before you pay for surveys.
A desk screen of one site in Great Britain that flags the constraints most likely to cause trouble for a solar, battery or wind scheme, and lists the studies you will probably need.
The checks are built and appear today inside our feasibility reports. The standalone screen is in early access.
Why developers choose it
Avoid a wasted survey
See the issue that could sink an application before you commission fieldwork.
Plan the studies
Get the list of field studies the site will probably need.
One view of the site
Land, heritage and protected-site constraints together, with how much of the site each one covers.
What the screen reports
Farmland
How much of the site falls in each agricultural land grade, and how much of that rests on a detailed survey.
Peat
How much deep peat there is and how far away it is.
Heritage
Listed buildings, monuments, parks and gardens, battlefields and World Heritage Sites on and around the site.
Protected sites
National Parks, designated landscapes and habitats, ancient woodland and wild land, with share and distance.
Other constraints
Flood zones, green belt, open access land, and distance to aerodromes and built-up areas.
The study list
The field studies the application will probably need.
Who is it for?
Solar, battery and wind developers
Check a parcel before you pay for surveys.
Planning consultants
Start a site review with the constraints already mapped.
Land agents
Back a conversation with a landowner with evidence.
How it works
Send the site
A boundary, or a point and a size, and the technology.
We screen it
Farmland, peat, heritage, protected sites and other constraints.
Plan your next step
You receive the screen and the likely study list.
Good to know
- The screen covers Great Britain.
- Farmland grades come mostly from predictive and provisional maps. A soil survey confirms them on the ground.
- Peat depth needs probing on site. The screen reports mapped peat only.
- Glint and glare, conservation areas and archaeology records are not included.
- The screen does not predict a planning decision.
Questions about Planning risk screen
Does it tell me if my site is best and most versatile land?
It reports how much of the site is mapped as grades 1, 2 and 3a, and how much of that comes from a detailed survey. Where the map is predictive, it says so, and a soil survey is still needed.
Does it cover Scotland?
Yes. In Scotland it uses prime agricultural land, mapped peat classes, heritage data and designations.
Which listed buildings does it count?
Those on the site and in the area around it, with the highest grades counted separately, and the distance to the nearest of each.
Does it replace a consultant's survey?
No. It helps you decide whether surveys are worth paying for.
Does it predict planning outcomes?
No. It reports constraints and the studies you will probably need. The planning authority decides.
Related: Battery storage siting report · Grid pre-screen
Want a site screened for planning risk?
Send us the boundary and the technology. We will confirm what the screen covers and when you will have it.
Request a screen →Prefer email? Write to hello@arithim.com.