« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
GLOSSARY OF PLANNING TERMS
[Please note that the definitions contained in this glossary may be subject to some amendments as secondary legislation and guidance is prepared and revised.]
Action Programme - a document setting out how the policies and proposals in the strategic development plan, or the local development plan, will be delivered, including action by the planning authority, private developers and other organisations.
Adoption - The bringing into force of a local development plan.
Appeals - Applicants aggrieved by the decision of a planning authority to refuse planning permission or grant planning permission subject to conditions have a right of appeal to the Scottish Ministers. Other appeals include those related to listed building consent, advertisement control and enforcement action. They may also appeal if the planning authority has failed to make a decision within the required period. Responsibility for determining most appeals is delegated to the Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit ( SEIRU).
Bad Neighbour Development - Planning applications which are likely to raise major amenity issues as classified in Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992.
Breach of Condition Notice - a notice served by the planning authority where it is considered that a condition in a planning permission has not been complied with properly, or at all.
CAD - Computer Aided Design.
Completion Certificate - a certificate issued to the applicant once the planning authority is satisfied that the development is completed according to the details of the planning consent.
Completion Notice - A notice given to the planning authority by the applicant to confirm that building work has been completed.
Condition - a requirement as part of the planning permission to make development acceptable, for example, the type of building materials used, or the requirement to landscape the site.
Decision Notice - includes a statement of the planning authority's decision on a planning application, any conditions to which that decision is subject and the reasons for the planning authority's decision.
Development - as set out in legislation, development means 'the carrying out of building, engineering, mining or other operations in, on, over or under land, or the making of any material change in the use of any building or other land'.
Development Brief - a document, usually including a map, which sets out guidance on how planning and design should be implemented on a specific site.
Development Plan - This is made up of the strategic development plan and the local development plan for any area. Legally, decisions on planning applications must be based on the development plan in the first instance.
Development Plan Scheme - a document setting out the authority's programme for preparing and reviewing their strategic development plan or local development plan. It includes a Participation Statement.
Development Management - the term (previously known as Development Control) refers to the management of development through the submission of planning applications and their determination by planning authorities, or in some cases, by the Scottish Ministers.
E-planning - making use of new technology, including the Internet, to provide access to planning information and services.
Enforcement - action taken by the planning authority against unauthorised development.
Enforcement Charter - a statement of the planning authority's policies and practice on enforcement action.
Environmental Impact Assessment ( EIA) - an important procedure for ensuring that the likely effects of new development on the environment are fully understood and taken into account before planning permission is granted.
Examination - an assessment by the Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit ( SEIRU) of proposed strategic development plans and local development plans where there are outstanding objections, before plans can be approved/adopted.
Facilitator - someone who skillfully helps a group of people to understand their common objectives and plan to achieve them without personally taking any side of the argument.
Green Travel Plan - a document setting out the ways in which the use of public transport and other more sustainable means of travel will be encouraged amongst employees and customers using a particular development, for example a school or hospital, or for a residential development.
GIS - A Geographical Information System is an electronic mapping system.
Good Neighbour Agreement - is a contract signed by the community, the applicant and/or site operator. It may also involve the planning authority. Issues of concern are identified and the site operator agrees to resolve them, with the aim of working towards improved social and environmental practices.
Local Authority Interest Case - a planning application where the local authority have a financial or ownership interest.
Local Development Plan - sets out a detailed statement of the planning authority's policies and proposals for the development and use of land. Local development plans cover the whole of Scotland and there may be several within a single planning authority area.
Main Issues Report - a report published by the planning authority at an early stage in preparing each strategic development plan and local development plan. It identifies the key issues that face the area and issues where the development plan may need to change.
Major Development - developments not considered to be of national strategic importance but nonetheless are of a size and scale to be considered of major importance. Examples might be a shopping centre, a business park or a large scale housing development. Major developments will be described in regulations.
Material Consideration - A planning matter which is relevant to a planning application and can include national policies, comments by the public and other people the planning authority has consulted, and issues such as the design of a proposal or its effect on the environment. Legally, decisions on planning applications must be based on the Development Plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
National Park Authority - There are two designated National Park Authorities in Scotland: Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park and the Cairngorms National Park.
National Planning Framework ( NPF) - a document published by the Scottish Executive setting out in broad terms how Scottish Ministers consider that the development and use of land could and should occur in the long-term.
Neighbour - for the purposes of neighbour notification, neighbours are identified as owners, lessees and occupiers of land directly adjacent to the site of the proposed development.
Neighbour Notification - a process for notifying those people living next to a proposed development that an planning application has been submitted, allowing them to comment on the application if they wish.
Participation Statement - sets out the ways in which local people and other stakeholders will be involved in the preparation of strategic development plans and local development plans. It forms part of the Development Plan Scheme.
Planning Application - an application made to the planning authority for planning permission for development.
Planning Agreement - an agreement under Section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 between a planning authority and an applicant to regulate or restrict development.
Planning Committee - a group of elected members, Councillors, in a local authority who have the responsibility of taking decisions on planning applications or planning policy, including development plans.
Planning policies - statements by planning authorities or Scottish Ministers of their attitudes or intentions towards existing or future situations which require action. Land use planning policies relate solely to physical land use development, for example, the location of housing or the improvement of the environment. They are limited to those which can be applied by the planning authority itself, or by other public bodies after full consultation and agreement.
Planning proposal - a proposal by a planning authority, a landowner or a developer for a specific development on a specific site.
Planning Register - a record of all planning applications and decisions, held and maintained by the planning authority and available for public inspection.
Pre-application consultation - a requirement for applicants for certain types of development (as defined in regulations) to consult with local people and others before a planning application is submitted.
Pre-application consultation report - where pre-application consultation is required, the applicant must submit with their planning application a report on the consultation undertaken.
Pre-determination Hearing - an opportunity of appearing before and being heard by the Planning Committee before it takes a decision on applications for certain types of development (as defined in regulations).
Progress Notice - a notice submitted to the planning authority giving an update of the progress of building works at regular intervals.
Proposed Plan - the next public stage in the preparation of a strategic development plan or local development plan after the main issues report. The proposed plan should promote a development strategy for the area which has taken account of public representations made on the main issues report.
Reporters -officials from the Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit who hold examinations into development plans and take decisions on most planning appeals on behalf of the Scottish Ministers.
Representations - Comments made on planning issues by members of the public, statutory consultees and other stakeholders. They include objections and letters of support.
Retrospective Planning Application - an application for planning permission for development that has already been carried out.
Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit ( SEIRU) - a department of the Scottish Executive, whose reporters will assess objections to development plans and take decisions on most planning appeals on behalf of the Scottish Ministers.
Scottish Ministers - the group of Ministers that collectively comprise the Scottish government. While the general term Scottish Ministers is used, decisions on strategic development plans and on a limited number of planning applications which raise national issues are taken by an individual Minister.
Start Notice - a notice given to the planning authority by the person who intends to carry out development that has been granted planning permission to confirm the date of the start of development on site.
Strategic Development Plans - plans prepared jointly by groups of planning authorities and approved by Scottish Ministers, which set out a long-term strategy to deal with the key planning issues that extend beyond individual planning authority boundaries. They do not need to cover detailed planning issues as these are covered by local development plans prepared by each planning authority.
Strategic Development Planning Authorities - a group of planning authorities acting jointly to prepare a strategic development plan ( SDP). The SDPs which will be created by the Planning Bill will not cover the whole country - only the four main cities and their surrounding areas i.e. Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Strategic Environmental Assessment ( SEA) - a process for identifying and assessing the significant environmental effects of a strategy, plan or programme so that they may be taken into account before the plan is approved or adopted. All development plans must meet the requirements for SEA.
Supplementary Guidance/Supplementary Planning Guidance ( SPG) - detailed guidance, for example on design, published by the planning authority in connection with a strategic development plan or local development plan. Statutory supplementary guidance forms part of the development plan where it has met requirements on participation and adoption. Planning authorities may also publish other non-statutory supplementary guidance, but it does not form part of the development plan.
Temporary Stop Notice - a notice served by the planning authority on the owner/occupier of land where the authority considers that there has been a breach of planning requirements. The effect of the notice is to stop further development immediately for a period of 28 days.
« Previous | Contents | Next »