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.