Glossary of Terms

This glossary gives definitions of terms which appear in the Written Statement which may not be readily understood. The definitions are set out in alphabetical order below.

Accessibility

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

Defined in Section 336 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as "any word, letter, model, sign, placard, board, notice, device or representation, whether illuminated or not in the nature of, and employed wholly or partly for the purposes of advertisement, announcement or direction, and (without prejudice to the previous provisions of this definition) includes any hoardings or similar structure used, adopted for use, for the display of advertisements".

Affordable Housing

Those dwellings built specifically to meet local housing need in perpetuity on part of sites allocated for general housing. Affordable housing encompasses:

Social rented housing – Housing where rents are no greater than rents set by the Housing Corporation for housing association tenants.

Intermediate rented – Housing where rental costs, including service charges, are affordable to households on low or moderate incomes.

Shared ownership and shared equity housing – Shared ownership is housing which is partly sold to occupiers and partly rented to them by a Registered Social Landlord. Unlike shared ownership, with shared equity there is no rent to pay. The Council or Registered Social Landlord holds a legal charge on the property to protect its share.

Agriculture

Defined in Section 336 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, it includes "horticulture, fruit growing, seed growing, dairy farming, the breeding and keeping of livestock (including any creature kept for the production of food, wool, skins or fur or for the purposes of its use in the farming of land), the use as grazing land, meadow land, osier land, market gardens and nursery grounds and the use of land for woodlands where that use is ancillary to the farming of the land for other agricultural purposes".

Agricultural Land Classification

Agricultural Land Classification Maps are produced by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) primarily for planning purposes. Land is graded according to the degree to which its physical characteristics impose long-term limitations on agricultural use.

Agricultural Worker’s Dwelling

A dwelling restricted in occupation to a worker employed in agriculture/forestry.

Allocated Land / Allocations

Land which is defined in the Local Plan as being acceptable in principle for development for a particular purpose and which is not already in use for that purpose. The development of such sites will be dependent on planning permission being obtained.

Amenity Open Space

Areas of open land which contribute to the overall character and enjoyment of the area in a passive sense.

Areas of Nature Conservation Value (ANCV)

Sites designated by Chester City Council for their important nature conservation value.

Areas of Special County Value (ASCV)

Areas in Cheshire which are particularly important because of their landscape, ecology, archaeology or history, and which merit protection from inappropriate forms of development. The broad extent of ASCVs is set out in the Cheshire Structure Plan Alteration. The detailed boundaries are established by district councils in their local plans.

Article 4 Direction

A Direction which brings certain categories of permitted development within planning control, as defined by Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995.

Brownfield land / Previously developed land

A site which is or has been occupied by a permanent (non-agricultural) structure and associated infrastructure, including the area of land attached to a structure as well as the structure itself (e.g. a house and garden). The definition excludes land and buildings used for agricultural purposes, forest and woodland and urban open space, such as parks allotments and recreation grounds.

Business Park

A site with a high standard of development and landscaping, low density of development and accommodating a mixture of business uses (light industry, offices, research and development).

Circular

Circulars provide interpretation and elaboration of Government Guidance and are taken into account in assessing planning applications and appeals.

City Centre

The area defined on the Proposals Map Inset for the city centre.

Committed Sites / Commitments

Land which is already considered as being acceptable for a particular purpose by virtue of having an approved or past planning permission, an existing allocation, or which is presently under construction.

Conservation Area

An area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. Such areas are designated by Local Planning Authorities under Section 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

Development

Defined in Section 55 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as "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 buildings or other land".

Development Brief

A document, approved by the Council, relating to a specific site and setting out principles on how the site should be developed for a particular use or uses. The document also acts as a basis for the consideration of any planning applications which may subsequently be submitted in respect of the site.

Development Plan

The Development Plan for Cheshire comprises the Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West (RSS13) and the relevant Local Plans.

District Archaeological Statement

This Statement, which is being prepared by the Council and Cheshire County Council, outlines a four-tier ranking system for known archaeological sites in Chester District.

Dwelling House

Class C3, as defined in the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order.

Dwelling in Multiple Occupation

A dwelling which is occupied by more than one household, where each household lives independently from any other within the same building unit, although some facilities may be shared.

Employment Land

Class B1, B2 and B8 uses, as defined in the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order and applicable "sui generis" uses. It does not include land used for any retail purposes.

Environmental Improvement

Enhancement works, which may include hard and soft landscape and/or other measures, undertaken in order to improve the appearance, character and use of an area.

General Housing

Housing built for sale on the open market.

Granny Flat

Residential accommodation provided for an elderly relative so that the occupants of the main dwelling can play a supportive role in looking after that relative.

Greenfield Site

Land on which no development has previously taken place. See also “brownfield land”.

Green Belt

A defined area of land, largely rural in character, which is adjacent to the main urban areas and which is protected from development by permanent and severe restrictions on building. The emphasis is on restricting the sprawl of urban areas, preventing the coalescence of neighbouring towns and preserving the individual character of settlements, although a Green Belt may also provide suitable locations for recreational development.

Green Network

A network of interlinked routes or corridors and spaces which may connect urban and rural areas important for their wildlife, recreation and/or landscape. In an urban area these corridors may connect a wide range of open "green" spaces and facilities to form a more comprehensive resource.

Within the plan area the Green Network is formed from the amalgamation of "Strategic Wildlife Corridors", "Strategic Recreation Corridors", "Strategic Open Space", "Urban Corridors" and "Other Greenspace" where this is adjacent to one of the above areas. (See policy ENV 26)

Hazardous Industry

An industry or related installation which, because of the nature of its process or the raw materials used, presents a potential threat to the safety of employees or the general public. It will have been certified as a hazard by the Health and Safety Executive.

Health and Safety Executive

A body set up under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, responsible for safeguarding the health, safety and welfare of workers and the public, as well as providing an advisory service to Local Planning Authorities on hazards and risk assessments.

Housing Land Availability

Land available for housing development which either has planning permission or is allocated in the Local Plan and includes sites under construction.

Infilling / Infill Development

The construction of one or two dwellings in a small gap in an otherwise built-up frontage (see Policy HO 4 in the Housing chapter).

Infrastructure

When referring to a particular site it is the system of communications and services (such as water supply, electricity, gas and drainage) required before new development can begin. When referring to a wider area, the term includes the provision of more general services such as schools, shops and public transport.

Inset Village

A village formerly surrounded by the Green Belt but not forming part of the Green Belt. These villages are now “washed-over” by the Green Belt (see “Washed-Over Village”).

Joint Use

Centres provided as part of schools or colleges which are used both by pupils or students and members of the public.

Landscape / Townscape

Landscape is the character and appearance of the land, including its shape, form, ecology, natural features, colours and elements and the way these components combine. In towns the term “townscape” describes the same concept.

Legibility

The extent to which a place can be easily understood and moved through.

Listed Building

A building included in a list compiled by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport as being of special architectural or historic interest.

Living Over the Shop (LOTS)

An initiative aimed at bringing empty accommodation above retail premises back into residential use, usually through grants to the owner/leaseholder for renovation purposes. In return, the owner/leaseholder agrees to let the property to a nominated tenant. The property is then managed by the local authority or a housing association.

Local Area for Play (LAP)

A smaller play area catering for younger children, close to where they live (within 1 minute / 100 metres). The site should have a minimum area of 100 square metres, and be surrounded by an appropriate buffer zone.

Local Distinctiveness

The combination of characteristics and qualities that combine to give a place its own particular identity and atmosphere and provide people with a sense of civic pride.

Local Equipped Area for Play (LEAP)

A larger play area, with equipment for 5 different activities and a small games area. LEAPs should be a minimum distance of 400 metres / 5 minutes walking time of new housing and should have a minimum area of 400 square metres and be surrounded by an appropriate buffer zone.

Local Housing Need

Housing for those people who live or work in an area, or have longstanding links with an area.

Local Plan

Any Plan proposed or adopted by a Local Planning Authority for part or all of the area of a Structure Plan. Most Local Plans are prepared by District Councils and are detailed plans for land use, transport and environmental matters.

Low Cost Housing

Dwellings built, on an exceptional basis, immediately on the edge of a rural settlement to meet local housing need in perpetuity. (See also “Affordable Housing”).

Mass / Massing

The combined effect of the height, bulk and silhouette of a building or groups of buildings.

Mersey Community Forest

The Mersey Forest is one of twelve community forests being established throughout England. The proposed community forests will cover large areas on the edge of towns and cities, filtering into urban areas where possible to create well-wooded landscapes. The Mersey Forest is being achieved through a partnership of the Forestry Commission, Natural England, nine local authorities, The Mersey Forest Team and other organisations and individuals.

Monitoring

Continuous survey aimed at discovering and measuring significant deviations from the underlying assumptions of the Plan. The Council draws up an Annual Monitoring Report every year containing monitoring information on housing, employment, transport, local services, flood protection, renewable energy and other key issues.

Neighbourhood Equipped Area for Play (NEAP)

A larger play area that should have a minimum of 8 different activities and a hard-surfaced kick-about / skating / cycle play area. Each site should be of a minimum area of 1000 square metres and surrounded by an appropriate buffer zone. NEAPs should be within a minimum distance of 1000 metres / 15 minutes walk of new housing.

Non-Conforming Use

The use of a piece of land or building which is considered not to be appropriate because of its detrimental effect on the existing, general character/use of the area. Also known as "bad neighbour" development.

Office

A use within either Class A2 or Class B1 of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order. Class A2 includes financial and professional services (e.g. bank, estate agent or building society) whilst Class B1 includes offices for research and development, studios and laboratories.

Open Countryside

That part of the rural area outside the Green Belt and excluding settlements.

Original Dwelling

The dwelling as at 1st July 1948.

Other Greenspace

Open space, including publicly and privately owned land, which is of a smaller scale than "Strategic Open Space" but which makes an important contribution to the quality of life, the character and identity of Chester, its neighbourhoods and the villages. (See policy ENV 17)

Pedestrianisation

The prohibition of traffic from a part of the highway network and its use solely by pedestrians. Partly pedestrianised areas may allow access to service vehicles or other traffic at certain times of the day.

Permeability

The degree to which an area has a variety of pleasant, convenient and safe routes through it.

Permitted Development

Development for which planning permission is granted under the terms of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 and no further permission is required.

Planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG)

A Note issued by the Department of the Environment which is a Government statement of planning policy on a particular subject. Guidance Notes are material planning considerations which must be taken into account in preparing development plans and determining planning applications.

Planning Policy Statement (PPS)

Planning Policy Statements (PPSs) are being prepared to replace Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPGs). PPSs are prepared by the government after public consultation to explain statutory provisions and provide guidance to local authorities and others on planning policy and the operation of the planning system.

They also explain the relationship between planning policies and other policies which have an important bearing on issues of development and land use.

Previously-developed land

See “Brownfield land”.

Primary Shopping Street

Streets in the centre of Chester in which additional non-retail uses will not be permitted (See Policy RE 2 in the Retail chapter).

Public Open Space

Informal and formal recreation areas to which the public has regular access.

Redevelopment

Development that takes place after the demolition of existing buildings or structures.

Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS)

Overarching strategy produced by the Regional Planning Body, with broad land-use, transport and over policies, for a region for a fifteen to twenty year period. The RSS also informs the preparation of local authorities’ own development plans. The Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West is prepared by the North West Regional Assembly (NWRA).

Registered Social Landlord (RSL)

RSL applies to housing landlords that are registered with The Housing Corporation. RSLs are obliged to have publicly available policies and procedures for allocating tenancies.

Retail

A use within Class A1 of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order. Retail uses include:

Convenience retailing - the provision of everyday essential items, including food, drinks, newspapers/magazines and confectionery.

Comparison retailing - the provision of items not obtained on a frequent basis, such as clothing, footwear, household and recreational goods.

Retail Warehouse

A large, single-level store specialising in the sale of household goods (such as carpets, furniture and electrical goods) and bulky DIY items, catering for car-borne customers and often in an out-of-centre location.

Rural Area

That part of the plan area outside the urban area (see "Urban Area" below).

Scale

The impression of a building when seen in relation to its surroundings, or the size of the different elements of a building or its details, particularly in relation to human scale. Sometimes it is the total dimensions of a building which give it its sense of scale: at other times it is the size of the elements and the way they are combined.

Scheduled Ancient Monument

Sites designated by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which are considered to be of national importance for their archaeological features.

Secondary Shopping Street

Streets in the centre of Chester in which the establishment of additional service uses (Class A2) and eating establishments (Class A3, A4 and A5) may be permitted.

Section 106 Agreement

An Agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 for the purpose of restricting or regulating the development or use of land.

Self-policing / Surveillance

The discouragement of crime by the presence of passers-by or the ability of people to be seen from surrounding windows.

Sites and Monument Record

A database which aims to record all archaeological sites and spot finds within Cheshire. This record is maintained by Cheshire County Council.

Site of Biological Importance (SBI)

A non-statutory designation referring to areas which are considered by Cheshire County Council and Cheshire Wildlife Trust to contain important habitats. There are three levels of SBI: "A" sites are of County importance, "B" sites are of District importance and "C" sites which are of more local importance.

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

A statutory designation notified by Natural England - the Government advisory body on nature conservation - relating to land or areas of water of national importance because of their animals, plants, rock formation or other natural features.

Strategic Open Space

Large areas of open space which penetrate into the heart of Chester and secure a link between the built environment and the open countryside. (See policy ENV 15).

Strategic Recreation Corridor

An existing or potential countryside corridor considered to be of strategic importance to the District for its recreational use, usually following a linear feature such as a river. (See policy SR14).

Strategic Wildlife Corridor

An existing or potential countryside corridor considered to be of strategic importance to the District for its nature conservation value. This could be a tract of land or river which offers the potential for animals or plants to move along from one part of the District to another. (See policy ENV 30).

Structure Plan

Structure Plans are prepared by the County Planning Authority. The Structure Plan provides the strategic framework for Local Plans and Development Control. In doing so, the Structure Plan takes account of national and regional policies as they affect the physical and environmental planning of the area concerned. It does not deal with individual properties nor show the boundaries of areas where particular policies are to apply. The plan for Cheshire is Cheshire 2016: Structure Plan Alteration.

Sui Generis

A term which means that the particular use is in a class of its own and does not fall within one of the specified Use Classes. Sui generis uses include uses such as theatres, nightclubs, retail warehouse clubs, amusement arcades, launderettes, petrol filling stations and motor car showrooms.

Supermarket

Self-service stores selling mainly food, with a trading floorspace less than 2,500 square metres, often with car parking.

Superstore

A single level, self service store selling mainly food, or food and non-food goods, usually with at least 2,500 square metres gross floorspace with dedicated car parks at surface level.

Supplementary Planning Document

A document which expands or supplements policy in development plan documents, for example design guidance, guidance on developing particular sites, parking standards, etc. Under the new system, supplementary planning documents have statutory status but are not part of the statutory development plan.

Supplementary Planning Guidance

Supplementary planning guidance is non-statutory local authority approved policy which could be a material consideration in terms of determining planning applications.

Sustainable Development

Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS)

A range of sustainable approaches to surface water drainage management, including rainwater recycling, infiltration measures that allow water to soak into the ground, vegetated features that hold and drain water downhill mimicking natural drainage patterns, porous pavements to allow rainwater and run-off to filter into the ground and basins and ponds to hold excess water.

Townscape

See “Landscape”.

Traffic Calming

Physical measures which slow down traffic to make areas safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

Traffic Management

The promotion of the more efficient movement of traffic and appropriate use of street systems by rearranging the flows, controlling the intersections and regulating the times and places for parking by means of traffic orders. Traffic management can give priority to different forms of transport, such as public buses, or to pedestrians.

Transport Assessment

A Transport Assessment is a comprehensive and systematic process that sets out the transport issues relating to a proposed development. It identifies what measures will be taken to deal with the anticipated transport impacts of the scheme and to improve accessibility for all modes of travel, particularly for alternatives to the car such as walking, cycling and public transport.

Tree Preservation Order (TPO)

An Order made by the Local Planning Authority to prohibit the felling, lopping or wilful destruction of a single tree, group of trees or a substantial woodland specified in the Order without the consent of the Local Planning Authority.

Trunk Road

Major roads for which the Department of Transport is the Highway Authority and for which the construction and maintenance are funded by Central Government.

Urban Area

The area shown on the Proposals Map Inset for the Urban Area.

Urban Corridors

Linear landscape features which follow transport routes through Chester. Such corridors are important for their landscape, amenity, ecological and recreation value. They also form an integral part of the Green Network. (See policy ENV 19).

Urban Grain

The pattern and size of buildings and plots in an urban area or village; and the degree to which the pattern of buildings and streets is small scale or large and infrequent.

Urban Regeneration Sites

The re-use of rundown and underused sites within the urban area for the purposes specified in the Local Plan.

Use Classes Order

The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order specifies various use classes. Generally, where a change of use of buildings or land falls within the same use class, then development is not involved. A material change of use from one class to another involves development and will normally require planning permission.

Village Design Statement

An advisory document, usually produced by a village community, suggesting how development might be carried out in harmony with the village and its setting. A village design statement can be given weight by being approved as a Supplementary Planning Document.

Warehousing

A building used primarily for the storage of goods.

Washed-Over Village

A village wholly contained within the Green Belt within which Green Belt policies apply.

Windfall Sites

Sites which it has not been possible to identify at the time the Local Plan was formulated but which may come forward for consideration for development, especially for housing, during the plan period. It may or may not be appropriate to grant planning consent for these sites, having regard to the overall aims of the plan.