High Halstow Neighbourhood Plan - Regulation 16
Glossary of Terms
Adoption – The final confirmation of a development plan by a local planning authority.
Affordable housing – Includes social rented, affordable rented and intermediate housing, provided to eligible households whose needs are not met by the market. Eligibility is determined with regard to local incomes and local house prices. Affordable housing should include provisions to remain at an affordable price for future eligible households or for the subsidy to be recycled for alternative affordable housing provision. A full definition is available in the NPPF.
Brownfield Site – see Previously Developed Land (PDL).
Conservation Area - An area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which is preserved by local planning policies and guidance.
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) – is the Government department with responsibility for planning, housing, urban regeneration and local government. Previously known as the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and, prior to that, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
Development Plan - Includes the adopted Medway Local Plan and any future adopted Local Plan which may replace it, and Neighbourhood Development Plans which are used to determine planning applications.
Evidence base - The background information that any Development Plan Document is based on and is made up of studies on specific issues, such as housing need for example.
Greenfield site - Land where there has been no previous development, often in agricultural use
Green-space - Those parts of an area which are occupied by natural open space, parkland, woodland, sports fields, gardens, allotments and the like.
Heritage Asset – A building, monument, site, place, area or landscape identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in planning decisions, because of its heritage interest. Heritage assets include designated assets (e.g.: listed buildings) and assets identified by the local planning authority, which may include a local list of assets.
Housing Associations / Registered Social Landlords / Registered Providers – Not- for-profit organisations providing homes mainly to those in housing need
Independent Examination - An assessment of a proposed Neighbourhood Plan carried out by an independent person to consider whether a Neighbourhood Development Plan conforms with the relevant legal requirements.
Infill Development – Small scale development filling a gap within an otherwise built up frontage.
Infrastructure – Basic services necessary for development to take place, for example, roads, electricity, sewerage, water, education and health facilities.
Listed Building – Building of special architectural or historic interest. Listed buildings are graded I, II or II*, with grade I being the highest. Listing includes the interior as well as the exterior of the building.
Local Plan – The Plan for future development of the local area, drawn up by the local planning authority. This forms part of the Development Plan.
Local Planning Authority (LPA) - Local government body responsible for formulating planning policies and controlling development; a district council, metropolitan council, county council, a unitary authority or national park authority. For High Halstow this is Medway Council.
Made – Terminology used in neighbourhood planning to indicate a Plan has been adopted.
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) – Sets out the Government's planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied. The current version of the NPPF was published in July 2021.
Neighbourhood Development Plan – A development plan prepared by a Parish Council for a particular Neighbourhood Area, which includes land use topics. Once made this forms part of the Development Plan.
Outline Application – A general application for planning permission to establish that a development is acceptable in principle, subject to subsequent approval of detailed matters. Does not apply to changes of use.
Passivhaus development – Passivhaus is the world's leading fabric first approach to low energy buildings. The core focus of the Passivhaus standard is to dramatically recue the requirements for space heating and cooling, whilst also creating excellent indoor air quality and comfort levels. See http://www.passivhaus.org.uk for more information.
Permitted Development – Comprises certain categories of minor development as specified in the General Permitted Development Order, which can be carried out without having first to obtain specific planning permission.
Planning Permission - Formal approval granted by a council (e.g. Medway Council) in allowing a proposed development to proceed.
Previously Developed Land (PDL) - Land which is or was occupied by a permanent structure, including the curtilage of the developed land (although it should not be assumed that the whole of the curtilage should be developed) and any associated fixed surface infrastructure. This excludes: land that is or has been occupied by agricultural or forestry buildings; land that has been developed for minerals extraction or waste disposal by landfill purposes where provision for restoration has been made through development control procedures; land in built-up areas such as private residential gardens, parks, recreation grounds and allotments; and land that was previously-developed but where the remains of the permanent structure or fixed surface structure have blended into the landscape in the process of time.
Public Open Space - Open space to which the public has free access and which fulfils, or can fulfil, a recreational or non-recreational role (for example, amenity, ecological, educational, social or cultural uses).
Public Realm – Those parts of a city, town or village, whether publicly or privately owned, which are available for everyone to use. This includes streets, square and parks.
Public Right of Way (PRoW) – Paths on which the public has a legally protected right to pass and re-pass.
Registered Social Landlords (RSL) – See Housing Associations
Section 106 Agreement – Planning obligation under Section 106 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990, secured by a local planning authority through negotiations with a developer to offset the public cost of permitting a development proposal.
Settlement Development Limits Boundary – Settlement or development boundaries (village envelopes) seek to set clear limits to towns and villages. They are designed to define the existing settlement and to identify areas of land where development may be acceptable in principle, subject to other policies and material planning considerations.
Soundness – The soundness of a statutory local planning document is determined by the planning inspector against three criteria: whether the plan is justified (founded on robust and credible evidence and be the most appropriate strategy), whether the plan is effective (deliverable, flexible and able to be monitored), and whether it is consistent with national and local planning policy.
Stakeholder – People who have an interest in an organisation or process including residents, business owners and national organisations and government departments
Sustainable Communities – Places where people want to live and work, now and in the future.
Sustainable Development – An approach to development that aims to allow economic growth without damaging the environment or natural resources. Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Sustainability Appraisal – An appraisal of the economic, environment and social effects of a Plan to allow decisions to be made that accord with sustainable development.
Urban Design – The art of making places. It involves the design of buildings, groups of buildings, spaces and landscapes, in villages, towns and cities, to create successful development.
Use Classes Order – The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (England) regulations 2020 puts uses of land and buildings into various categories known as 'Use Classes'. These regulations came into force on 1st September 2020 and effectively nullify the former use class definitions used within the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987.
It is generally the case that you will need planning permission to change from one use class to another, although there are exceptions where the legislation does allow some changes between uses. It should be noted that the recent regulation changes led to former Use Class A (shops, financial and professional services and food and drink establishments) becoming part of the new Use Class E.
B2 use class: Refers to general industry
B8 use class: Refers to storage and distribution
C1, 2, 2A, 3, 4 use class: Refers to hotels and residential institutions, secure residential institutions, dwellings and House in Multiple Occupations (HMOs)
E use class: Refers to shops, restaurants, financial and professional services, indoor sport, recreation or fitness (not involving motorised vehicles or firearms, health or medical services, crèche, nursery or day centre principally to visiting members of the public, an office, research and development, or any industrial process that can be carried out in any residential area without detriment to amenity.
