RSUA has today raised concerns about Mid Ulster District Council’s proposal to require a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) for all planning applications as part of its new Draft Planning Application Validation Checklist.
This feedback was submitted in response to a public consultation on the draft checklist, which closed on 27 March 2026.
Non-alignment with other councils
When RSUA met with the District Council’s planning department in September 2025, we were advised that it was reviewing other councils’ validation checklists to ensure broad alignment.
However, of the nine other councils that have drafted or finalised their validation checklists to date, all have instead adopted a Biodiversity Checklist to determine whether a local development proposal is likely to have an adverse impact on biodiversity and natural heritage.
Only where such impacts are identified are further ecological assessments or surveys typically required.
Requesting PEAs proportionately
RSUA suggested the requirement for a PEA should be proportionate to the application in question, rather than applied as a blanket requirement. For example, in Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, the only authority which may request a PEA at the outset, this applies solely to major applications.
Applying the same approach to all applications in Mid Ulster – including local domestic and agricultural developments, and regardless of the specific characteristics of a site – risks imposing unnecessary costs and delays on applicants.
More generally, it also risks embedding inefficiency in the planning process and placing additional pressure on planners’ resources.
RSUA therefore strongly recommended that the Council adhere to established practice and replace the blanket requirement for a PEA with a Biodiversity Checklist instead.
Further engagement
RSUA’s full response can be viewed here.
If you have any queries about this consultation response, please contact Curtis Large, RSUA Policy and Public Affairs Officer, at curtis@rsua.org.uk
