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.
Agent of Change – The ‘agent of change’ refers to the applicant for development and who is responsible for managing the impact of any change resulting from that development. Existing businesses and facilities should not have unreasonable restrictions placed on them as a result of development permitted after they were established. Where the operation of an existing business or community facility could have a significant adverse effect on new development (including changes of use) in its vicinity, the applicant (or ‘agent of change’) should be required to provide suitable mitigation before the development has been completed. See paragraph 193 of the NPPF.
Blue infrastructure – Refers to water features, including ponds, lakes, streams, rivers and storm water provision, swales, raingardens, wetlands and canals and their banks.
Brownfield Site – See Previously Developed Land.
Crashmap – Crashmap is an online resource based upon information collected by the police relating to reported injury collisions.
Conservation Area – An area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which is preserved by local planning policies and guidance.
Development Plan – Includes the adopted RBWM 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 Infrastructure – A network of multi-functional green space, urban and rural, which is capable of delivering a wide range of environmental and quality of life benefits for local communities. Includes those parts of an area which are occupied by natural open space, parkland, woodland, sports fields, gardens, allotments and the like.
Housing Associations / Registered Social Landlords / Registered Providers – Not-for-profit organisations providing homes mainly to those in housing need.
Inclusive Design – Inclusive design (also called universal design) makes places usable by everyone, regardless of age, gender, ability, culture and circumstance. It is based on the simple principle that designing for the widest range of people creates better designs and benefits everyone.
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.
Infrastructure – Basic services necessary for development to take place, for example, roads, electricity, sewerage, water, education and health facilities.
Infill Development – Small-scale development filling a gap within an otherwise built-up frontage.
Listed Building – Building of special architectural or historic interest.
Local Planning Authority – 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 Cookham this is the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM).
Major development – Major development is defined as per the NPPF. For housing, a major development is where ten or more homes will be provided, or where the site area is 0.5 hectares or greater. For non-residential development, it means additional floorspace of 1,000sqm or more, or a site of 1 hectare or more.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) – Since 2018, this has been the Government department with responsibility for planning, housing, urban regeneration and local government. Was known as the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) from September 2021 to July 2024. Previously known as the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) – Sets out the government’s planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied.
Neighbourhood Development Plan – A local plan prepared by a Town or Parish Council (or Forum) for a particular Neighbourhood Area, which includes land use topics.
Passivhaus – The world’s leading fabric-first approach to low energy buildings. The core focus of the Passivhaus standard is to dramatically reduce the requirements for space heating and cooling, whilst also creating excellent indoor air quality and comfort levels. More information is available via the Passivhaus website.
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., RBWM) allowing a proposed development to proceed.
Previously Developed Land – 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.
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.
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.
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 is 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 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.
Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) – Sustainable drainage systems slow the rate of surface water run-off and improve infiltration by mimicking natural drainage in both rural and urban areas. This reduces the risk of “flash-flooding” which occurs when rainwater rapidly flows into the public sewerage and drainage systems.
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 allows some changes between uses. 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 Houses in Multiple Occupation (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, creche, 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. The breakdown of uses in Class E is:
E(a): Display or retail sale of goods, other than hot food.
E(b): Sale of food and drink for consumption (mostly) on premises.
E(c): Provision of (i) Financial services, (ii) Professional services (other than health or medical services), or (iii) other appropriate services in a commercial, business or service locality.
E(e): Provision of medical or health services (except the use of premises attached to the residence of the consultant or practitioner).
E(f): Creche, day nursery or day centre (not including a residential use).
E(g): Uses which can be carried out in a residential area without detriment to its amenity, including (i) offices to carry out any operational or administrative functions, (ii) research and development of products or processes, (iii) industrial processes.
F use class: Includes a range of social and community uses, including education, libraries, and community halls, as well as sports and recreation.
Sui Generis: ‘Sui generis’ is a Latin term that, in this context, means ‘in a class of its own’. Certain uses are specifically defined and excluded from classification by legislation, and therefore become ‘sui generis’. Public houses, wine bars, or drinking establishments (previously Use Class A4) are classified as Sui Generis.
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