A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Adoptable Carriageway: Roads built to particular standards which will be owned by the County Council. These roads must meet minimum guidelines in respect of width, junction design and access for refuse vehicles.
Adoption: The point at which the local planning documents are formally agreed after public consultation.
Affordable Housing: A common title for subsidised housing, key worker housing or rented accommodation for local people. These properties are typically owned by registered social landlords or housing associations.
Amenity: An area of recreational space surrounding a development.
Appeal: Planning applications that are refused or not decided upon within a designated timescale can be challenged to the Secretary of State for an independent evaluation of the planning application. Appeals can be heard informally or formally and are currently taking between six and fourteen months to be determined.
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB): An area where a new development has to have due regard for it’s surroundings by way of the current landscaping and buildings. Whilst the designation does not preclude development, any proposal has to be sympathetic to this designation.
B
Backland: Commonly made up of rear gardens from residential properties. Backland is often approached via a narrow access way from a road opening up to a larger site to the rear. Developments on backland have inherent problems with overlooking, privacy, access and the disturbance of the existing character of the road with which they are accessed from.
Brownfield Sites: Any development land which has previously been developed or designated as having a previous use. Gardens that have not previously been developed are still recognised as brownfield sites as they have been categorised as residential land.
Built Up Area: An area within which redevelopment is presumed to be permitted. Land out this area are normally designated as Countryside (see Countryside Policy).
C
Change of use: A formal request to alter the existing use of a building from one use class category to another.
Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs): These powers can be used by Local Government and Local Authorities to acquire property for means of enabling development work which are in the interest of the public.
Conditions: Planning permissions will have a number of conditions attached, ranging from the hours within which the builders can start work on a site to further information that needs to be supplied before the property can be built. Planning conditions can often carry significant cost implications or restrictions to the planning permission.
Contaminated Land: All previous uses of land contain some form of contamination, however most can be cleared up and removed off site. As more contentious sites are being developed, contamination issues are becoming more common and the cost of clearing up some of the most harmful pollutants is increasing significantly.
Controlled Parking Zones: Areas where parking is restricted as a way to discourage occupants of properties from owning or using cars.
Conservation Area: Typically used to preserve the setting of listed buildings or special character areas within towns and villages, with the intention to control any future development to ensure it compliments and does not detract from the existing setting.
Consultation: Large redevelopment proposals require various stages of public consultation in order that the needs and opinions of the local residents and occupants are considered.
County Highways Authority: County authorities responsible for design, maintenance and adoption of roads.
D
Density: Refers to the number of properties that are permitted on a set area of land. These densities are used to compare sites to assess the number of properties that may be suitable on the site.
Detailed Planning Application: Two types of planning application are possible, full and outline, with the full application supplying more information for the planners to consider. Full applications allow the Planners to consider an application in full, as details of internal layouts, external finishes and appearances are supplied.
Determination: The point at which a planning application is decided upon. Applicants can appeal to non determination if a decision has not been given within a designated period.
Development Brief: On larger schemes a development brief is prepared, which are a result and continual explanation of the public consultation period. A development brief will give developers guidance on style, design and extent of development that a major development site is suitable for.
E
Emerging LDF: Local Development Frameworks that are due to be adopted by the Local Authority can be considered together with the existing LDF (Local Plan).
Environmental Appraisal: A method of assessing the impact a residential development will have on the local environment. It measures whether the impact to the environment outweighs the benefit of the increased residential units.
G
Greenbelt: Areas outside villages, towns and built up areas where the Countryside Policies apply, which often precludes redevelopment as a way of preserving the rural ideal, and to prevent the sprawl of towns and villages.
Greenfield Site: Virgin land that has not been previously developed or designated for any development use.
H
Habital Rooms: A measure used by Local Authorities to establish the number of inhabitants who will occupy a new development. This figure can often be used to levy the amount of offsite payments for schools, libraries and highway costs that the new occupant will incur. Habitable rooms include all living rooms and bedrooms.
Housing Associations: (see Registered Social Landlords). Organisations set up to supply affordable houses to replace what were council owned houses or local authority housing.
I
Infrastructure: The wider costs of developing a site often include increases in traffic, more use of local facilities and greater pressures on the local services. Additional payments are often sought to improve these facilities to accommodate the increased number of users that any new development will bring.
Integrated Transport Strategy: A Government Directive which encourages the use of other transport sources to discourage users from using private cars.
L
Landscape Buffers: An area of dense landscaping used to protect a view into a new site. Used to lessen the impact of new developments on adjoining countryside or views from afar.
Listed Building: A building or structure which has been deemed to be of special architectural importance or historical interest. Properties can be Grade I, Grade II Style or Grade II, depending on their merits. The restrictions imposed on a listed building depend on the grading, with Grade I being the most restrictive and Grade II being less restrictive.
Listed Building Consent: A formal permission in addition to planning permission and building regulations to amend, adapt or demolish a listed building.
Local Plan: Now replaced by the Local Development Framework (LDF).
Local Development Framework (LDF): A document prepared by each Local Authority which outlines the type, extent and guidelines for development over the plan period (commonly five to seven years).
Local Planning Authority: A Local Authority Department responsible for the evolution of LDFs/Local Plans and the determination of planning applications within the Borough.
M
Material Consideration: These are the significant issues that are the basis of an application or objections to an application.
N
Non-Conforming Use: A commercial, industrial or recreational facility that is surrounded by other users where conflicts may occur. These properties may have operated in unison for many years, however changes to the non-domestic properties now creates a conflict. Non-confirming users are openly encouraged to move premises to a more suitable location.
O
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM): The Government Department responsible for overlooking planning within the UK and controlling several Government funded agency and advisory associations.
Outline Planning Application: A simple planning application which seeks to establish whether the principle of development or proposals are acceptable. Outline planning applications are simpler to secure, however they frequently come with a number of conditions which may all have financial implications that may need to be discharged before a prospective purchaser acquires an outline permitted site.
P
Permitted Development Rights: These are limited rights that each property or owner has to develop their property in a limited nature, without the need for submitting a planning application.
Planning Obligations: These are matters that the Local Authority wishes you to address before or during new development takes place. Typically planning applications can be to ensure that extra off site works relating to highways are undertaken, or to ensure that the site accommodates some form of affordable housing.
Planning Gain: Two forms of planning gain exist, one for the developer which is a financial gain in securing planning consent, the other is to the local community as they will often gain the benefit of planning obligations to include new or improved facilities within the community.
Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPG): These guidance notes are issued by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), which provides guidance to Local Authorities for planning issues. PPGs are also used by developers and applicants to guide them on development applications.
Private Drives: Roads built to particular standards (less than adoptable carriageways) which will not be adopted by the County Council.
Proposals Map: A simple location plan that shows the site that is subject to the planning application.
Public Open Space (POS): This is land set out within a new development to allow occupants of the surrounding homes to enjoy recreational space. POS can often include Local Education Authority Play Space (LEAPS), Local Authority Play Space (LAPS) and Neighbourhood Equipped Area for Play (NEAPS).
S
Section 106 Agreement: Section 106 Agreements are a legal document between an owner of a site and the Local Authority that contractually obliges the owner to carry out certain works at their own cost, or make future payments in order to satisfy planning obligations as part of a consent.
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSI): A protected area where redevelopment is often precluded due to the rarity of it’s existing eco-systems or habitat.
Special Needs Housing: A more specific type of affordable housing which targets specific needs to an area.
Statutory Utilities: Gas, electricity, water and telecommunications.
Supplementary Planning Guidance: Further explanatory notes which follow planning policy guidelines.
Sustainable Development: A key word within the industry currently which encourages responsible development. Responsible developments are those which identify and meet the needs of all the community without creating developments which will not meet the needs for future generations.
T
Townscape: The overall appearance of an urban area in a wider context.
Traffic Calming: Traffic management measures which are often imposed by the inclusion of new developments in areas to combat the increased traffic flows which the new development will create. Traffic calming is used to reduce congestion and accidents within defined areas.
Tree Preservation Order (TPO): An order imposed by the Local Planning Authority which prevents the owner of a tree from managing or damaging the tree without prior consent. Damaging or destroying preserved trees for planning gain through residential development can hold significant fines.
U
Unitary Development Plans: These replace the former County Structure Plans and establish broad county-wide development plans for the next 15 years (?).
Urban Fringe: The area of land immediately surrounding a built up area where agricultural and urban land meet.
Urban Regeneration: The comprehensive redevelopment of urban areas which address work, living and recreational space.
V
Village Envelope: The boundary within which a village is contained. Village envelopes are imaginary lines which do not necessarily follow defined boundaries. Within this envelope redevelopment is possible. Outside these envelopes redevelopment is subject to the restrictions of the Countryside policies which often preclude redevelopment comprehensively.
Visibility Splays: Areas of land either side of a road junction necessary for car users to see oncoming vehicles. These areas are transferred to the County Council for future maintenance and are often bought from adjoining owners front gardens.
W
Wildlife Corridor: A continual area of flora or fauna which enables wildlife to navigate between habitats.