Glossary of terms

A

Accessibility
The ability of people to move around an area and reach places and facilities, including elderly and disabled people, those with young children and those encumbered with luggage or shopping.

Active travel
Active travel means walking or cycling as an alternative to motorised transport (notably cars, motorbikes/mopeds etc) for the purpose of making everyday journeys.

Adaptable homes
Residential dwellings that can be changed and modified to the needs of a disabled and older occupants.

Adoption
The final confirmation of a Development Plan Document or Local Development Document status by a local planning authority. Once adopted the plan becomes part of the Statutory Development Plan for the area on which planning decisions are determined.

Affordable Housing
Housing for sale or rent, for those whose needs are not met by the market (including housing that provides a subsidised route to home ownership and/or is for essential local workers). A full definition is available in the Glossary of terms in Annex 2 of the February 2019 National Planning Policy Framework.

Allocation
Land identified (with or without planning permission) within a Development Plan Document for a particular land use or mix of uses.

Amenity
A positive element or elements that contribute to the overall character or enjoyment of an area. For example, open land, trees, historic buildings and the inter-relationship between them, or less tangible factors such as tranquillity.

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
An area with statutory national landscape designation, the primary purpose of which is to conserve and enhance natural beauty. Together with National Parks, an AONB represent the nation’s finest landscapes. AONBs are designated by Natural England.

Archaeological heritage
Evidence of past human activity worthy of protection and of expert investigation at some point.

B

Baseline capacity
This is a fixed point of reference for all the scenarios that is used for comparison purposes.

Biodiversity
The whole variety of life encompassing all genetics, species and ecosystem variations, including plants and animals.

Biodiversity net gain (BNG)
Biodiversity Net Gain refers to development that leaves biodiversity in a better state than before.

Brownfield Land and Sites
Previously developed land which is or was occupied by a permanent structure, including the curtilage of the developed land and any associated fixed surface infrastructure. Also see ‘Previously-Developed Land’.

Brownfield land registers
Registers of previously developed land that local planning authorities consider to be appropriate for residential development, having regard to criteria in the Town and Country Planning (Brownfield Land Registers) Regulations 2017. Local planning authorities will be able to trigger a grant of permission in principle for residential development on suitable sites in their registers where they follow the required procedures.

C

Catchment (in retailing terms)
The geographical area from which a retail destination draws its trade. Sometimes measured in terms of ‘Drive Time’.

Character
A term relating to Conservation Areas or Listed Buildings, but also to the appearance of any rural or urban location in terms of its landscape or the layout of streets and open spaces, often giving places their own distinct identity.

Circular Economy
The circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible.

City Centre
The highest order centre, often a regional or sub-regional retailing and service centre, serving a wide catchment.

Climate Change
Long-term changes in temperature, precipitation, wind and all other aspects of the Earth’s climate. Often regarded as a result of human activity and fossil fuel consumption.

Climate Change Action
Efforts to combat climate change and its impacts, including efforts to involve reducing fossil fuel consumption.

Climate Change Mitigation
Action to reduce the impact of human activity on the climate system, primarily through reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Coalescence
The merging or coming together of separate towns or villages to form a single entity.

Combined District Heating
District heating (also known as heat networks) supply heat from a central source to consumers, via a network of underground pipes carrying hot water that can cover a large area.

Community-led Housing
Community led housing categorises homes that are developed and/or managed by local people or residents in not-for-profit organisational structures. The term refers to genuinely affordable housing, based on incomes and social value rather than market rates.

Co-housing
Intentional communities created and run by their residents. Each household has a  self-contained, personal and private homes but residents come together to manage their community and share activities

Conservation
The process of maintaining and managing change to a geographical or heritage asset in a way that sustains and, where appropriate, enhances its significance.

Conservation Area
Local authorities have the power to designate conservation areas, i.e. any area of special architectural or historic interest. This means the planning authority has extra powers to control works and demolition of buildings to protect or improve the character or appearance of the area. Conservation Area Consent has been replaced by planning permission for relevant demolition in a conservation area.

Core Strategy
A Development Plan Document setting out the spatial vision and strategic objectives of the planning framework for an area, having regard to the Community Strategy. They can also be done collaboratively with neighbouring authorities to create a Joint Core Strategy (JCS), such as the one for the Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury JCS. (See also Development Plan Documents).

Cotswolds National Landscape
Is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covering 790 square miles and is the biggest national landscape in the UK.

County Council
The local authority that is responsible for waste and minerals planning functions in non-unitary, and non-national park, local authority areas. A county council may provide advice and proposals on strategic planning issues. In Gloucestershire, the County Council is Gloucestershire County Council.

D

Decentralised
Local renewable energy and local low-carbon energy sources.

Deliverable
To be considered deliverable, sites for housing should be available now, offer a suitable location for development now, and be achievable with a realistic prospect housing will be delivered on the site within 5 years. In particular:

a) sites which do not involve major development and have planning permission, and all sites with detailed planning permission should be considered deliverable until permission expires, unless there is clear evidence that homes will not be delivered within 5 years (for example, because they are no longer viable, there is no longer a demand for the type of units, or sites have long term phasing plans).

b) where a site has outline planning permission for major development, has been allocated in a development plan, has a grant of permission in principle, or is identified on a brownfield register, it should only be considered deliverable where there is clear evidence housing completions will begin on site within 5 years.

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.

Duty
It places a legal duty on local planning authorities (LPAs)to engage constructively, actively and on an ongoing basis, so that strategic, cross-boundary matters are dealt with in the preparation of local plans.

Demographic Trends
A long range change observed historically in populations within an area.

Design
Illustrations which are informed by design rules and requirements such as accessibility, sustainability, legal and other factors that show the potential physical development of a site or area. A design is often supported by graphic and written components that build upon a design vision such as a masterplan or other design and development framework for a site or area.

Development
Development is defined under the 1990 Town and Country Planning Act as “the carrying out of building, engineering, mining or other operation in, on, over or under land, or the making of any material change in the use of any building or other land.” Most forms of development require planning permission

Development Plan
Is defined in section 38 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, and includes adopted local plans and neighbourhood plans that have been made. Neighbourhood plans that have been approved at referendum also form part of the development plan, unless the local planning authority decides that the neighbourhood plan should not be made.

E

Ecological (or ecology)
The interactions and relationships between plants, animals and their environment.

Economic Development
Development, including those within the B and E Use Classes, public and community uses and main town centre uses (but excluding housing development).

Employment Land
Land reserved for industrial and business use awaiting development.

Evidence Base
Collection of baseline specific data for the authority area which is used to inform the development of all Local Plan policies and Supplementary Planning Documents.

F

Flood plain
Generally low-lying areas adjacent to a watercourse, tidal lengths of a river or the sea, where water flows in times of flood or would flow but for the presence of flood defences.

Flood risk assessment
An assessment of the likelihood of flooding in a particular area so that development needs and mitigation measures can be carefully considered.

Fossil fuels (as a non-renewable fuel)
Carbon-rich fuel (coal, oil and natural gas) formed from the remains of ancient animals and plants. Their combustion is considered to contribute to the ‘greenhouse effect’.

G

Geodiversity
The range of rocks, minerals, fossils, soils and landforms.

Gloucestershire statement of common ground
A statement prepared by the 6 local planning authorities of Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire County Council, and Gloucestershire Local Enterprise Partnership. It include a series of 37 very broad and high level agreements dealing with a range of environmental and land use matters.

Green belt
A designation for land around certain cities and large built-up areas, which aims to keep this land permanently open or largely undeveloped. The purposes of the green belt is to:

• check the unrestricted sprawl of large built up areas
• prevent neighbouring towns from merging
• safeguard the countryside from encroachment
• preserve the setting and special character of historic towns
• assist urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.

Green growth
Green growth is a practical and flexible approach for achieving economic growth and development, while ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which well-being relies.

Green infrastructure
A network of multi-function green and blue spaces and other natural features, urban and rural, which is capable of delivering a wide range of environmental, economic, health and wellbeing benefits for nature, climate, local and winder communities and prosperity.

Greenfield land
Land (or a defined site) that has not previously been developed. It is the opposite of previously developed land.

Greenhouse gases
Naturally occurring examples include water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. Some human activities increase these gases, including fossil fuel combustion within motor vehicles and some power stations.

Ground source heat pumps
A ground source heat pump system harness natural heat from underground which performs the same role as a boiler in a central heating system. It will use ambient heat from the ground, rather than burning fuel to generate heat.

H

Habitat
An area of nature conservation interest.

Habitats regulations assessment (HRA)
A habitats regulations assessment is a stage of assessment to determine if a plan or project may affect the protected features of a habitats site before deciding whether to permit or authorise it. The HRA should take into account the potential effects both of the plan or project itself and in combination with other plans or projects.

Habitats site
Any site which would be included within the definition at Regulation 8 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 for the purpose of those regulations, including candidate Special Areas of Conservation, Sites of Community Importance, Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and any relevant Marine Sites.

Health check (in terms of shopping areas)
A survey, using a variety of indicators, to show the ‘health’ of a town centre or other shopping area. For example, the quality of the environment, footfall, retail sales, commercial yield or number of customers.

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 heritage assets and assets identified by the local planning authority (including local listing).

Historic environment
All aspects of the environment resulting from the interaction between people and places through time, including all surviving physical remains of past human activity, whether visible, buried or submerged, and landscaped and planted or managed flora.

Housing Delivery
To support the Government’s objection of significantly boosting the supply of homes, a sufficient amount and variety of land can come forward where the needs of groups with specific housing requirements are addressed.

Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA)
A strategic assessment reviewing the supply of potential sites to meet future needs for housing, and for economic growth.

I

Infrastructure
Basic services necessary for development to take place, for example, roads, electricity, sewerage, water, education and health facilities.

J

Joint core strategy (JCS)
The Joint Core Strategy sets out a strategic planning framework for the three areas covered by Gloucester City Council, Cheltenham Borough Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council.

K

Key services
Essential or crucial services that are necessary for a community or society to function

L

Layout
The way buildings, routes and open spaces are placed or laid out on the ground in relation to each other.

Local centre
A small group of shops and perhaps limited service outlets of a local centre (for example, a suburban housing estate) serving a small catchment. Sometimes also referred to as a local neighbourhood centre.

Local development scheme (LDS)
The local planning authority’s scheduled plan for the preparation of Local Development Documents.

Local enterprise partnership (LEP)
A body, designated by Central Government, established for the purpose of creating or improving the conditions for economic growth in an area.

Local green space
Local Green Space designation is a way to provide special protection against development for green areas of particular importance to local communities.

Local plan
A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community. In law this is described as the Development Plan Documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. Current core strategies or other planning policies, which under the regulations would be development plan documents, form part of the Local Plan. The term includes old policies, which have been saved under the 2004 Act.

Local planning authority
The public authority whose duty it is to carry out specific planning functions for an area. All references to local planning authority apply to the district council, London borough council, county council, Broads Authority, National Park Authority and the Greater London Authority, to the extent appropriate to their responsibilities.

Low carbon future
Plan-making approach based on energy sources that produce low levels of CO2 emissions.

M

Market housing (Age-Restricted)
This type of housing is generally for people aged 55 and over and the active elderly. It may include some shared amenities such as communal gardens, but does not include support or care services.

Market signals
Refers to unintentional or passive transmission of information or indications among participants in a market i.e. housing or jobs.

Masterplan
A type of planning brief outlining the preferred use of land and the overall approach to the layout to provide detailed guidance for subsequent planning applications.

Mass rapid transit
Mass transit is a public transport system that can move lots of people within urban areas using group travel technologies such as buses and trains.

Mitigation
A measure which is carried out to reduce the impact of certain activities/development on the environment.

Minerals local plan
A statutory development plan prepared by a mineral planning authority, e.g. Gloucestershire County Council, setting out policies for the control of development constituting of the winning and working of minerals or the deposit of mineral waste.

Mixed use
Provision of a mix of complementary uses, such as residential, community and leisure use on a site or within an area.

N

National planning policy and guidance
See National planning policy framework and planning practice guidance

National planning policy framework
Sets out Government’s planning policies for England and how these should be applied. It provides a framework within which plans for housing and other development can be produced by local planning authorities.

Natural flood management
Managing flood and coastal erosion risk by protecting, restoring and emulating the natural ‘regulating’ function of catchments, rivers, floodplains and coasts.

Nature recovery
An expanding, increasingly connected, network of wildlife-rich habitats supporting species recovery, alongside wider benefits such as carbon capture, water quality improvements, natural flood risk management and recreation. It includes the existing network of protected sites and other wildlife rich habitats as well as landscape or catchment scale recovery areas where there is coordinated action for species and habitats.

Need (in retail terms) 
The balance of supply and demand between retailers and consumers. Often expressed as personal expenditure available to support additional shops to extensions to existing shops.

Neighbourhood centre 
A number of shops serving a local neighbourhood and separate from the district centre. Sometimes referred to as a Local Centre.

Neighbourhood plans
A plan prepared by a Parish Council or Neighbourhood Forum for a particular neighbourhood area (made under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004).

O

Older people 
People over retirement age, including the active, newly-retired through to the very frail elderly, whose housing needs can encompass accessible, adaptable general needs housing for those looking to downsize from family housing and the full range of retirement and specialised housing for those with support or care needs.

Open space 
All open space of public value, including not just land, but also areas of water (such as rivers, canals, lakes and reservoirs) which offer important opportunities for sport and recreation and can act as a visual amenity.

Out-of-Centre 
A location which is not in or on the edge of a centre but not necessarily outside the urban area.

P

People with disabilities 
People have a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment, and that impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. These persons include, but are not limited to, people with ambulatory difficulties, blindness, learning difficulties, autism and mental health needs.

Place-Making
Multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of new development and spaces, as well as the protection and enhancement of existing assets.

Planning inspector
The Planning Inspectorate’s work includes national infrastructure planning under the Planning Act 2008 process (as amended by the Localism Act 2011), processing planning and enforcement appeals and holding examinations into local plans and community infrastructure levy charging schedules.

Planning permission 
Formal approval sought from a local planning authority allowing a proposed development to proceed. Permission may be sought in principle through outline planning applications or be sought in detail through full planning applications.

Planning practice guidance (PPG) 
Replaces planning policy guidance and planning policy statements. Maintained and updated by central government setting out its national land use policies for England on different areas of planning.

Pollution 
Anything that affects the quality of land, air, water or soils, which might lead to an adverse impact on human health, the natural environment or general amenity. Pollution can arise from a range of emissions, including smoke, fumes, gases, dust, steam, odour, noise and light.

Preferred development sites
Locations that have been identified and favoured for residential, commercial and employment growth

Previously developed land (Brownfield)
Land which is or was occupied by a permanent structure, including the curtilage of the developed land (although it should not be assumed 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.

Priority habitats and species 
Species and Habitats of Principle Importance included in the England Biodiversity List published by the Secretary of State under section 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.

Public realm 
Those parts of a village, town or city (whether publicly or privately owned) available, for everyone to use. This includes streets, squares and parks.

R

Regeneration 
The economic, social and environmental renewal and improvement of rural and urban areas.

Sub-regional centres 
Out-of-town or out-of-centre shopping centres generally over 50,000 square metres net retail area, typically enclosing a wide range of comparison goods.

Renewable and low carbon energy 
Includes energy for heating and cooling as well as generating electricity. Renewable energy covers those energy flows that occur naturally and repeatedly in the environment – from the wind, the fall of water, the movement of the oceans, from the sun and also from biomass and deep geothermal heat. Low carbon technologies are those that can help reduce emissions (compared to conventional use of fossil fuels).

Rural housing
Areas of housing that generally fall outside of settlements

Rural service centres
Is a settlement within the hierarchy that sits below a Market Town.

S

Self-build and custom-build housing
Housing built by an individual, a group of individuals, or persons working with or for them, to be occupied by that individual. Such housing can be either market or affordable housing. A legal definition, for the purpose of applying the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 (as amended), is contained in section 1(A1) and (A2) of that Act.

Service villages
Is a settlement within the hierarchy that sits below a Market Town, and Service Centres

Settlement hierarchy
Settlements are put in an order and classified based on their size and/or the range of services that they provide for people

Site allocation
A site allocated for a particularly type of development or use, such as housing, employment and leisure, within a development plan.

Site of nature conservation importance (SNCI) or site of biological interest (SBI) 
Locally important sites of nature conservation adopted by local authorities for planning purposes.

Site of special scientific interest (SSSI)
A site designated by Natural England under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as an area of special interest by reason of any of its flora, fauna, geological or physiographical features (plants, animals and natural features relating to the Earth’s structure).

Spatial options
The identification of different development scenarios for new housing

Special protection area (SPA)
Areas which have been identified as being of international importance for the breeding, feeding, wintering or the migration of rare and vulnerable species of birds found within European Union countries. They are European designated sites, classified under the Birds Directive.

Special area of conservation (SAOC)
Areas given special protection under the European Union’s Habitats Directive, which is transposed into UK law by the Habitats and Conservation of Species Regulations 2017.

Standard method
A methodology for assessing local housing need which uses a formula to identify the minimum number of homes expected to be planned for, in a way which includes addressing projected household growth.

Statement of shared intent
A statement signed by the 6 local planning authorities of Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire County Council, agreeing to work together on a county-wide project to tackle transport decarbonisation and achieve Net-Zero emissions by 2045

Statutory development plan 
See ‘development plan’

Strategic employment site 
A key employment site in a strategic location capable of accommodating major investment, often of national or regional significance.

Strategic environmental assessment
A procedure (set out in the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004) which requires the formal environmental assessment of certain plans and programmes which are likely to have significant effects on the environment.

Strategic policies
Policies and site allocations which address strategic priorities in line with the requirements of section 19(1B-E) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. An appraisal of the economic, environmental and social effects of a plan from

Strategic objective
Key ways that will support the vision of the Strategic and Local Plan

Sustainability appraisal
The outset of the preparation process to allow decisions to be made that accord with sustainable development.

Sustainable locations
Locations near existing residential, commercial, public transport and highway links.

Sustainable travel
Any efficient, safe and accessible means of transport with overall low impact on the environment, including walking and cycling, low and ultra-low emission vehicles, car sharing and public transport.

T

Town centre 
Area defined on the local authority’s proposal map, including the primary shopping area and areas predominantly occupied by main town centre uses within or adjacent to the primary shopping area. References to town centres or centres apply to city centres, town centres, district centres and local centres, but exclude small parades of shops of purely neighbourhood significance. Unless they are identified as centres in Local Plans, existing out-of-centre developments, comprising or including main town centre uses, do not constitute town centres.

Transport infrastructure
The fixed installation, structures, and networks that provide a framework for the movement of people and good.

U

Use Class – Use classes order 
The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 puts uses of land and buildings into various categories known as ‘Use Classes’.

V

Viability
In terms of retailing, a centre that is capable of commercial success.

Vitality
In terms of retailing, the capacity of a centre to grow or develop its likeliness and level of activity.

W

Waste local plan
A statutory development plan prepared (or saved) by the waste planning authority, e.g. Gloucestershire County Council, setting out polices in relation to waste management and related developments.