Hockley Area Action Plan - Issues and Options

(1) APPENDIX C: GLOSSARY

Note: this glossary of terms used in planning is intended to provide a simple guide. It is not a statement of the law nor does it claim to be an authoritative interpretation of the law.

Adoption - the final confirmation of a plan as a statutory document by the local planning authority.

Affordable Housing - low cost housing for sale or rent, often from a housing association, to meet the needs of local people who cannot afford accommodation through the open or low cost market, or subsidised housing.

Amenity - the pleasant or normally satisfactory aspects of a location which contribute to its overall character and the enjoyment of residents or visitors.

Backland - land which is behind existing development with no, or very limited, road frontage. Usually applied to describe land previously or currently in use as rear gardens to existing residential properties.

Brownfield Site - land which has been previously developed, excluding mineral workings or other temporary uses.

Change of Use - more correctly referred to as a 'material change of use'. A change in the use of land or buildings that is of significance for planning purposes, often requiring planning permission.

Comparison Goods - 'non perishable' goods for retail sale which are often stocked in a wide range of sizes, styles, colours and qualities, including furniture, carpets, televisions etc.

Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) - notice issued by the government or a local authority to acquire land or buildings for public interest purposes.

Conditions - stipulations attached to a planning permission to limit or direct the manner in which a development is carried out.

Conservation Area - an area designated under Section 69 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, by the local planning authority, as an area where it is desirable to preserve or enhance the character of its special architectural or historic interest.

Conservation Area Consent - consent required from the local planning authority before demolishing an unlisted building in a conservation area.

Consultation - procedures for assessing public opinion about a plan or major development proposal, or in the case of a planning application, the means of obtaining the views of affected neighbours or others with an interest in the proposal.

Density - in the case of residential development, a measurement of either the number of habitable rooms per hectare or the number of dwellings per hectare.

Design Brief - a statement prepared by the Local Planning Authority indicating the preferred way in which the Authority envisages the development may be accommodated.

Design Statement - a document provided by applicants to demonstrate how they have taken account of the need for good design in their development proposals.

Development - the carrying out of building, engineering, mining or other operations in, on, over or under land, or the making of any material change in the use of any buildings or land.

Development Brief - document providing detailed information to guide developers on the type of development, design and layout constraints and other requirements for a particular, usually substantial, site.

Development Plan - the Local and Structure Plans are both development plans. The development plan for the District is comprised of the Essex and Southend-on-Sea Replacement Structure Plan (adopted April 2001) and the Rochford Replacement District Local Plan.

English Heritage (Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) - a national body funded by the government to promote and give advice on building conservation matters.

English Nature - a national body funded by the government to promote and give advice on the conservation of England's wildlife and natural features.

Essex Design Guide - prepared by Essex County Council, the Design Guide forms the basis for the design of housing development in the District.

Green Belt - specially designated area of countryside protected from most forms of development in order to stop urban sprawl and the coalescence of settlements, preserve the character of existing settlements and encourage development to locate within existing built-up areas.

Greenfield Site - an area not previously used for built development.

Infrastructure - permanent resources serving society's needs, including roads, sewers, schools, hospitals, railways, communication networks etc.

Intensification - increasing densities within existing residential areas through the bringing forward for development of unidentified sites.

Listed Building - building or other structure of special architectural or historic interest included on a statutory list and assigned a grade (I, II* or II).

Local Plan - statutory development plan prepared by a local planning authority setting out detailed policies for environmental protection and development.

Local Planning Authority - the local authority or council that is empowered by law to exercise planning functions. This is normally the local borough or district council, but in National Parks and some other areas there is a different arrangement.

Planning Control - the process whereby a local planning authority decides whether a planning application meets the requirements of planning policy, particularly as set out in development plans.

Proposals Map - an obligatory component of a local plan showing the location of proposals in the plan on an Ordnance Survey base map.

Public Open Space (POS) - land provided in urban or rural areas for public recreation, though not necessarily publicly owned.

Residential Land Availability - the annual statement indicating all sites available for housing and their development status for the next 5 years, in order to ensure that adequate housing land will be made available.

Structure Plan - a plan produced jointly by Essex County Council and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, mainly comprising a written statement setting out the strategic policies and framework for development throughout the County. The Plan is approved by the Secretary of State following an Examination in Public, and District Councils then put the flesh on the framework with their Local Plans.

Sustainable Development - environmentally responsible development, commonly defined as "development which meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".

Town Centre - describes city, town and traditional suburban centres which provide a broad range of facilities and services and which fulfil a function as a focus for a community and for public transport.

Town Centre Management - partnership of local organisations, businesses and individuals to promote the common good of a town by developing, managing, promoting and improving facilities, the useful resources, the economy and the environment of a town centre.

Townscape - the appearance and character of buildings and all other features of an urban area taken together as a whole.

Urban Regeneration - the re-use or redevelopment of decaying or run-down parts of older urban areas to bring them new life and economic vitality.