A company that specialises in providing advice on planning matters. The Royal Town Planning Institute has an online directory providing information on planning consultancies based within the UK which can be found here.

An executive agency of the Department for Communities and Local Government. It is responsible for determining planning appeals and other related appeals, e.g. enforcement, listed buildings and the public examination of local development plans.

A legally enforceable agreement entered into under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to mitigate the impacts of a development proposal that cannot be controlled through the imposition of planning conditions.

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. (N.B. This definition comes from the National Planning Policy Framework)

An important part of the development plan showing the location of proposals, designations and area based policies in the Local Plan on an Ordnance Survey base map.

A formal procedure for dealing with planning appeals akin to a court of law where parties frequently have legal representation and cross-examination takes place.

A certificate granted by a building control authority where a building has been commenced or completed without a Fire Safety Certificate, where such a certificate is required and certifies that the building work is in compliance with Part B of the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations1997 to 2009.

A planning permission usually outline, may specifically reserve for later consideration some matters not relating to the principles of the proposed development. Matters reserved at outline stage can include access, appearance, layout, scale and landscaping. This can also refer to conditions placed on a full planning permission that require the approval of additional matters such as materials.

An area in which a local planning authority wishes to stimulate development and encourage investment. It operates by granting a specified planning permission in the zone without the need for an application for a planning application and the payment of planning fees.

This document allocates land for specific uses, such as housing and employment, the documents can identify the criteria for control of development on specific sites i.e. details of any specific criteria related to development of that site, like design, access requirements, or level of affordable housing. Any allocations made in these documents will be clearly linked to the Adopted Proposals Map and other planning policy documents like Area Action Plans.