Design and Planning
Sustainability Statement
A sustainability statement is a planning document that shows how a development addresses the council's sustainability policies, such as energy, water, materials, waste, transport and biodiversity. We arrange consultants to prepare one written to your council's own checklist.
What is it? A report that brings together the sustainability measures in a scheme and links each to the relevant local plan policy. It is broader than an energy statement, which covers energy and carbon only. Many sustainability statements include the energy statement as one section.
Do you need one? Only if your council asks for it. Requirements are set locally through the local plan and the validation list, so check those first, or ask us to check them for you.
A good statement is short, specific and consistent with the rest of the application. It tells the officer what the scheme does, where on the drawings or in which report the evidence sits, and which policy each measure answers.
Does your project need a sustainability statement?
| Applications with several specialist reports | Use a statement to connect the evidence and expose contradictions before the package is submitted. |
|---|---|
| Small schemes with a council checklist | Confirm the requested topics locally; planning information requirements vary by council. |
| Amended development proposals | Review whether earlier commitments remain compatible with the revised building, access and external areas. |
How a sustainability statement is prepared
01
You send the site address, drawings and design and access statement.
02
We review the council's local plan policies and any sustainability checklist.
03
The consultant gathers information from the design team on energy, water, materials, waste, transport and ecology.
04
Gaps against the policies are identified, with practical measures to close them.
05
The statement is written policy by policy, with supporting evidence.
06
You receive the statement for submission, and we answer officer queries.
07
If the officer asks for more information, the consultant prepares a short addendum.
Sustainability topic and evidence tracker
How this tool decides
Council and requested checklist
Enter the location or project description.
Submission programme
Enter the location or project description.
Topic requested
- Energy
- Water
- Overheating
- Ecology / biodiversity
- Drainage
- Transport
- Materials / waste
Supporting report or evidence held
- Yes
- No / not confirmed
Evidence reference or outstanding action
Enter the location or project description.
topic: energy; held: no: Energy evidence is missing; discuss the linked service. Energy statements
topic: water; held: no: Water evidence is missing; discuss the linked service. Water calculations
topic: overheating; held: no: Overheating evidence is missing; discuss the linked service. Overheating assessments
topic: ecology; held: no: Ecology / biodiversity evidence is missing; obtain the relevant specialist report or design evidence.
topic: drainage; held: no: Drainage evidence is missing; obtain the relevant specialist report or design evidence.
topic: transport; held: no: Transport evidence is missing; obtain the relevant specialist report or design evidence.
topic: materials; held: no: Materials / waste evidence is missing; obtain the relevant specialist report or design evidence.
Otherwise / result rule
Resolve the topic gaps listed below and coordinate the reports against the council checklist before drafting.
The page’s GOV.UK planning sources allow local information requirements; the tracker records the user’s requested topics, not a universal list of compulsory reports. GOV.UK information requirements for planning applications
Typical project: from £750 per statement.
Indicative only. This is a typical UK market range based on prices published by other providers, checked November 2026. It is not a quote. Prices exclude VAT unless stated. Contact us for an accurate price for your project.
Based on one published price.
Checked November 2026.
Next step: Send the recorded project details and the page preparation list with your enquiry so we can confirm scope and quote.
Deadline: Confirm the submission or design deadline with the project team.
What to have ready
- The application drawing register and accommodation schedule.
- The council's sustainability checklist and relevant pre-application correspondence.
- Available energy, water, drainage, ecology and transport reports.
- Proposed materials and construction waste arrangements where already agreed.
- A contact list identifying who owns each outstanding specialist input.
How we work this out
The figures shown are indicative. They are ranges taken from prices that UK providers of this service have published, and they are here to help you budget. They are not a quote, an offer or a price guarantee from National Building Compliance.
Your actual price depends on details this tool cannot see, including the size and layout of the building, how many units there are, access, location, how complete your drawings are, and how quickly you need the work. It may be lower or higher than the range shown.
Unless a figure says otherwise, prices exclude VAT. The date each range was last checked is shown beside it.
For an accurate, fixed price, send us your project details. We will confirm the scope and quote before any work is booked.
Indicative market costs
| Case | Unit | Indicative range |
|---|---|---|
| Typical project | per statement | from £750 Indicative only. This is a typical UK market range based on prices published by other providers, checked November 2026. It is not a quote. Prices exclude VAT unless stated. Contact us for an accurate price for your project. |
Based on one published price.
Checked November 2026.
Sustainability Statements for typical project in England typically costs from £750 per statement before VAT, based on prices published by UK providers and checked in November 2026. This is indicative and not a quote.
Indicative only. This is a typical UK market range based on prices published by other providers, checked November 2026. It is not a quote. Prices exclude VAT unless stated. Contact us for an accurate price for your project.
Comparing approaches to a sustainability statement
| Evidence position | Statement task | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Reports available | Connect conclusions to the proposal | Copying long technical extracts |
| Reports in progress | Track unresolved dependencies | Presenting provisional findings as agreed |
| Design revised | Check affected commitments | Retaining references to removed features |
When a sustainability statement for planning is requested
The National Planning Policy Framework sets the government's policies on sustainable development, which local plans apply through their own policies. Planning practice guidance on climate change explains how councils can address mitigation and adaptation in planning decisions.(Source: GOV.UK: National Planning Policy Framework; GOV.UK: Planning practice guidance, Climate change)
Planning practice guidance on making an application says councils can request supporting information through their local list of information requirements, where it is reasonable. Each council decides whether a sustainability statement is needed and what it covers, so content varies by council. This page does not describe any single council's policy.(Source: GOV.UK: Planning practice guidance, Making an application (local information requirements))
The applicant is responsible for the statement. Measures in it can be secured by planning conditions.
Typical topics include energy and carbon, overheating, water efficiency, materials, construction waste, transport, flood risk and drainage, and biodiversity. Which of these your council expects depends on its policies. Each council publishes its own validation list and local plan, so ask us to check yours before the scope is fixed.
Your a sustainability statement report
A sustainability statement in PDF, structured around the council's policies or checklist, with the energy statement included where needed. Where the council provides a checklist or template, it is completed. The planning officer uses it to assess the scheme against the sustainability policies and to draft any conditions.(Source: GOV.UK: Planning practice guidance, Making an application (local information requirements))
Where specialist reports are needed for a topic, such as ecology or drainage, the statement summarises and cross-refers to them rather than repeating them, so the officer can find the evidence quickly.
Resolving inconsistencies in a sustainability statement
Statements are queried when they list good intentions without linking them to the design, or when they contradict other application documents. Every measure should be traceable to the drawings or another report, and the figures should match across the application.
Using a sample statement from another council is a common mistake. Policies and checklists differ, and officers expect their own to be addressed.
Information for a sustainability statement
- The application drawing register and accommodation schedule.
- The council's sustainability checklist and relevant pre-application correspondence.
- Available energy, water, drainage, ecology and transport reports.
- Proposed materials and construction waste arrangements where already agreed.
- A contact list identifying who owns each outstanding specialist input.
Pricing and scheduling a sustainability statement
The breadth of topics and the quality of existing specialist reports determine the work involved. A statement drawing together agreed evidence differs from one prepared while the design is still changing. Share the council's requested scope and the submission programme so outstanding inputs can be identified before drafting.
- Price
- [[TO SUPPLY: Sustainability Statements price from]]
- Turnaround
- [[TO SUPPLY: Sustainability Statements turnaround time]]
Making sustainability statement evidence easy to check
Give each commitment an evidence reference and an owner. A materials proposal might point to the specification, while a drainage measure should point to the relevant drawing or specialist report. This makes gaps visible without trying to replace the specialist's work. Check references again when the application package is assembled, since report titles and drawing revisions can change independently. Where a topic has not been assessed, describe the outstanding input honestly rather than implying that a general intention demonstrates the final design.
Questions about a sustainability statement
What is the difference between a sustainability statement and an energy statement?
An energy statement covers energy demand and carbon emissions. A sustainability statement covers wider topics, such as water, materials, waste, transport and biodiversity, and often includes the energy statement.
Is there a sustainability statement template?
Some councils publish a checklist or template. Where yours does, the statement follows it. Generic templates rarely match a council's policies.
Can I see an example?
We can show you the structure we follow when you request a quote. The content always depends on your council's policies.
Do householder applications need one?
Rarely, but it depends on the council. Check the local validation list.
How much does a sustainability statement cost?
Published prices: [[TO SUPPLY: price from]]. Turnaround: [[TO SUPPLY: turnaround time]].
Who reads the sustainability statement?
The planning officer, and sometimes consultees such as the council's sustainability or climate team.
Request a quote
Tell us about the project once. We will confirm which services apply and send a quote.
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