Canterbury District Local Plan


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Glossary

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Allocation: areas of land identified on the Proposals Map for specific land uses, but without planning permission (see commitment).

Ancient Woodland: identified by English Nature as areas of continuous woodland cover since 1600 resulting in the survival of certain rare plants and animals.

Annual Monitoring Report (AMR): will assess the implementation of the Local Development scheme and the extent to which policies are being successfully implemented.

Area Action Plan (AAP): Used to provide a planning framework for areas of change and areas of conservation.

Area Of Archaeological Importance (AAI): the centre of the City of Canterbury is very rich in archaeological remains and has been designated as an Area of Archaeological Importance under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. Prior notice has to be given to archaeologists so that investigations can be undertaken before development starts.

Area Of High Landscape Value (AHLV): area of landscape importance of the former Wantsum Channel and the Stour Valley around Canterbury defined in the Canterbury District Local Plan (Policy R6), which extends beyond the District boundary into the neighbouring districts of Thanet and Dover.

Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB): nationally important areas of great landscape, nature conservation and recreational value, designated on the advice of the Countryside Commission by the Secretary of State for the Environment. The Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was formally designated in 1968.

Article 4 Direction: remove permitted development rights as defined in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995. This is to safeguard the historic and architectural character of the buildings. Owners of affected properties should be aware of the restrictions - detailed advice is available from the City Council.

Biodiversity Action Plan: The Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) is the UK's initiative to maintain and enhance biodiversity. Biodiversity is the richness and variety of wildlife and habitats on earth. At the local level these detail how local authorities will enhance and protect biodiversity.

Brownfield Site: previously developed land that is or was occupied by a permanent structure (excluding agricultural or forestry buildings), and associated fixed surface infrastructure. This includes the curtilage of the development and may occur in both built up and rural settings.

City Centre Management (CCM): is a company set up in 1999 to stimulate and enhance the local economy by implementing and overseeing a sustainable retail and leisure management strategy for Canterbury. This company is made up of representatives from the public, private and voluntary sectors.

Commitment: areas of land with existing planning permissions for specific land uses.

Community Facilities: medical or health facilities, crèches, day nurseries, day centres, residential care homes, playgroups, education and training facilities, public or exhibition halls, church buildings, public conveniences, playing fields and playgrounds.


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Community Strategy: This is prepared by the Local Strategic Partnership and aims to improve the social, environmental and economic well being of the area. It coordinates the actions of local public, private, voluntary and community sectors.

Compulsory Purchase Order: an order made to acquire specified land compulsorily by a local authority or Government department.

Conservation Area: this is designated where it is desirable to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of an area which is of special architectural or historic interest. Development in a conservation area is more strictly controlled than elsewhere, and consent is required to demolish a building or part of a building. This is to ensure that the main features of the area are conserved and that new development is sympathetic in character.

Conservation Area Consent: in order to demolish all or part of an unlisted building or other structure within a conservation area, it is necessary to apply for Conservation Area Consent (planning permission may also be required).

Core Strategy: Sets out the long-term spatial vision for the local planning authority area, the spatial objectives and strategic policies to deliver that vision.

Corporate Plan: The Corporate Plan is the Council’s Action Plan and includes some of the measures/policies identified in the Local Plan.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA): is the central Government department responsible for the interests of farming and the countryside, the environment and the rural economy, and food production.

Department for Transport (DfT): is the central Government department responsible for overseeing the delivery of a reliable, safe and secure transport system that responds efficiently to the needs of individuals and business whilst safeguarding the environment.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport:is the central Government department responsible for Government policy on the arts, sport, the National Lottery, tourism, libraries, museums and galleries, broadcasting, creative industries including film and the music industry, press freedom and regulation, licensing, gambling and the historic environment.

Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG): is the central Government department responsible for the Town and Country Planning system, housing and local government.

Development: the basic concept underlying all planning control, strictly and comprehensively defined in primary legislation and statutory instruments, covering all building operations, demolition, and all changes of use of land and buildings between defined classes of use.

Development Briefs: establish basic principles of design and layout that must be considered when a site is developed.

Development Contributions: Development contributions are often required to assist in the provision of local needs housing; educational places; open space or other local facilities. The Council has prepared a Supplementary Planning Document which gives detailed guidance on this issue.


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Development Plan: Consists of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) and Development Plan Documents (DPDs).

Development Plan Documents (DPD): Spatial Planning Documents that together with the RSS form part of the development plan for the area. They include the Core Strategy, site-specific allocations of land and Area Action Plans and others. The programme for preparing DPDs must be set out in the Local Development Scheme.

East Kent: This is the sub-region referred to in the South East Plan and includes the Districts of Canterbury, Thanet, Dover, and parts of Shepway, Swale and Ashford Districts.

Employment Land Study: This is a joint study carried out annually by Kent County Study and the District Councils to monitor the implementation of planning permissions and land allocations for employment use against the Structure Plan requirement.

English Heritage:English Heritage is the Government's statutory adviser on the historic environment and is responsible for giving advice on listed buildings, conservation areas and Scheduled Ancient Monuments.

English Nature: the organisation appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment with responsibility to advise on nature conservation issues.

Enterprise Grant Area: this has now been replaced by the Selective Finance for Investment in England (SFIE) Tier 3. This scheme is a DTI National Business Support product managed by SEEDA in the southeast. It aims to help businesses located in or moving to areas with above average levels of deprivation.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): is the process of gathering and analysing information about a project: its possible and probable significant effects on the environment. It has the ultimate objective of providing decision makers with an indication of the likely significant environmental consequences of a project or proposal and enables them to make an informed decision. (See also Strategic Environment Appraisal)

Environmental Statement (ES): is the product of the environmental impact assessment process in a formal document.

Examination: an inquiry held by one or more independent Inspectors appointed by the Secretary of State to examine objections to the soundness of a development plan document or Statement of Community Involvement.

Greenfield: land outside the existing confines of built up areas, neither with planning permission nor allocated for new development in a local plan. Land that has not been previously developed for any use, which has neither the benefit of planning permission or being allocated for development in a development plan.

Green Gap: is an allocation on the Proposals Map located in particular areas of the countryside that are under real or perceived pressure for new development. Such development would subsequently result in coalescence between settlements/villages and urban areas, which should be avoided in order to preserve the distinctive character of particular areas.

Housing Land Study: This is a joint study carried out annually by Kent County Study and the District Councils to monitor the implementation of planning permissions and land allocations for residential development against the Structure Plan requirement.


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Housing Needs Study: Detailed study of the housing needs of the communities of the Canterbury District, completed during 2004 by Fordham Research on behalf of Canterbury City Council. The study identifies a significant local need for new affordable homes for local people.

Housing Strategy: The Canterbury Housing Strategy is published by Canterbury City Council and sets out, in detail, the housing needs of the district and how the council and its partners intend to meet these needs. It considers the supply, condition, cost and access arrangements of homes of all tenures, as well as the services needed by households in the district to sustain and remain living in their home.

Kent and Medway Structure Plan (KSP): has been prepared by Kent County Council and provides the broad strategic framework within which district local plans are prepared. The Structure Plan was first approved in 1980. The Structure Plan will be replaced by the South-East Plan when adopted, under the new Local Development Regulations (2004).

Listed Building: a national list of buildings of architectural or historic interest prepared by the Department of National Heritage. Subject to special planning control, buildings are graded in accordance with their importance (Grade I, Grade II*, and Grade II).

Listed Building Consent: is required from the City Council to demolish, extend, or alter a listed building in any manner that would affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The listing includes the building, any structure or object fixed to the building or any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

Locally Listed Building: are buildings on a local list kept by the City Council and which, because of their architectural or historic interest, make a valuable contribution to the character of an area. They do not have statutory protection but the City Council will endeavour, wherever possible, to ensure that they are protected and restored.

Local Development Document (LDD): The collective term of Development Plan Documents, Supplementary Planning Documents and the Statement of Community Involvement.

Local Development Framework (LDF): The name for the portfolio of Local Development Documents, which together with the Local Development Scheme and the Annual Monitoring Reports will provide the framework for delivering the spatial planning strategy for the area.

Local Development Scheme (LDS): Sets out the programme for preparing the LDDs.

Local Nature Reserve (LNR): designated by local authorities in consultation with English Nature under the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act.

Local Strategic Partnership:The Local Government Act 2000 requires Councils to prepare a Community Strategy. The Canterbury District Local Strategic Partnership was set up in 2002 to develop the Community Strategy for the district. The partnership involves public bodies such as the council, police and health service, and representatives from business groups and from the voluntary and community sectors.

Local Transport Plan: sets out the County Council’s transport policies and objectives over a 5 year period.

National Nature Reserves: areas defined by English Nature and considered to be of such national importance as to require preservation. Designated under Section 19 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 or Section 35 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.


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Natural England: a new non-departmental public body created on 1st October 2006 which unites in a single organisation, the responsibility for protecting and enhancing biodiversity and landscapes, as well as promoting greater access and recreation – helping people to enjoy more green spaces both in the countryside and urban environments. Itbrings together English Nature, the landscape, access and recreation elements of the Countryside Agency, and the environmental land management functions of the Rural Development Service.

Ordnance Survey: is the U.K. Government agency that provides comprehensive digital mapping data.

PARC Plan: ‘Park and Ride in Canterbury’ a strategy developed by the City Council to remove traffic from the centre of Canterbury by intercepting vehicles at points on the edge of the city. In order to travel into the City Centre, one parks in a car park on the edge of the city and transfers to a bus.

Pedestrian Priority Areas: areas within Canterbury's city walls where the aim is to reduce traffic to an absolute minimum for the benefit of residents and visitors.

Permitted Development: small-scale developments which are automatically granted planning permission by the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988.

Planning Application: all applications for planning permission other than those relating to mineral extraction or waste disposal must be submitted to the City Council. An application can take three forms: (1) outline permission: submitted to establish the basic principles of a proposed development, but still requiring approval of reserved matters of detail. (2) full planning application: includes all the details of the proposed development - site/building plans and types of building materials to be used. (3) reserved matters: the matters of detail which have to be approved following the grant of outline planning permission.

Planning Policy Guidance/Statements (PPG/PPS): a series of planning guidance notes which set out the Government's policies on different aspects of planning. Such guidance has to be taken into account by local planning authorities as they prepare their development plans, and may be material to decisions on individual planning applications and appeals. The Government has a programme of reviewing these notes and under the new planning system they are now called Planning Policy Statements.

Priority Areas for Economic Regeneration (PAER): PAERs are areas with regionally high pockets of deprivation such as high areas of unemployment, low skills levels and high levels of social deprivation.

Proposals Map: a plan of the District with inset maps showing the land use allocations and policy notations referred to in the Local Plan Written Statement.

Ramsar Site: sites designated under the Ramsar Convention on the Conservation of Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat, ratified by the British Government in 1976. English Nature have the responsibility for identifying Ramsar Sites. These wetland habitats are valued for over wintering and migratory birds, and the feeding grounds they provide. The coast at Reculver and Seasalter, and the lakes at Stodmarsh Westbere are Ramsar sites.


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Regeneration Zones: address a wide range of issues which influence the economy, community and environment, regenerating under performing areas of Canterbury and the Coastal Towns to bring about an urban renaissance.

Regionally Important Geological and Geomorphological Sites (RIGS): These are sites important for their geological formation and are selected and designated by a voluntary local RIGS groups, usually a local forum of geologists. RIGS are important sites which underpin and complement the SSSI coverage. RIGS are generally formed by county or by unitary authority area in England.

Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS): Sets out the regions policies in relation to the development and use of land and forms part of the development plan.

Scheduled Ancient Monuments: a national schedule of monuments with statutory protection. Consent is required from the Secretary of State for Environment for works affecting a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Details of all monuments are kept by the City Council (listed in Appendix 7).

Section 106 Agreements: are legal agreements as defined by Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, which secure planning benefits from particular developments for the community such as affordable housing and open space.

Single Regeneration Budget (SRB): is managed by the South East England Development Agency on behalf of central Government. It complements or attracts other resources - private, public or voluntary. It helps to improve local areas and enhance the quality of life of local people by tackling need, stimulating wealth creation and enhancing competitiveness. The activities it supports are intended to make a real and sustainable impact. It encourages partners to come together in a joint approach to meet local needs and priorities.

Site Of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI): identified by the Kent Wildlife Trust (KWT) and considered to be of County-wide importance for nature conservation.

Site Of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI): an area of particular ecological or geological character, designated by English Nature and subject to strict control. Designated under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act or the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act.

Special Area Of Conservation (SAC): this is an International designation which gives additional protection to the best nature conservation sites in Europe, which are becoming rare, under the European Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC. The aim is to maintain SACs in prime natural conservation condition throughout the European Union. This designation tends to apply to the best examples of all the listed habitats and species occurring in the UK, a number of which are already SSSIs, and it also applies to some marine environments.

Special Landscape Area (SLA): areas of County-wide landscape significance, originally defined in the Kent Countryside Plan (date) and now listed in the Kent and Medway Structure Plan. There are three SLAs in the District: (1) North Kent Marshes, (2) North Downs and (3) Blean Woods.

Special Protection Area (SPA): areas designated under European Directive 79/409 on the Conservation of Wild Birds, requiring the UK government to take special measures to conserve the habitat of rare or vulnerable birds (listed under the directive) and all regularly occurring migratory birds. The government is required to avoid pollution or disturbance to SPAs.


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Statement of Community Involvement (SCI): Sets out the standards the council will achieve with regard to involving local communities in the preparation of Local Development Documents and development control decisions.

Strategic Environmental Appraisal (SEA): A term to describe environmental assessment as applied to policies, plans and programmes.

Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD): Provide supplementary information in respect of the Policies in the Development Plan Documents. They do not form part of the development plan and are not subject to independent examination.

Sustainability Appraisal (SA): A tool for appraising policies to ensure that they reflect sustainable development objectives.

Sustainable Development: PPS12 states that "the sum total of planning decisions should not deny future generations the best of today's environment", and advises that development plans should take environmental considerations into account.

Town And Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Amendment Order 2005 (GDO): lists a number of operations where planning permission is given automatically and a planning application is not required.

Town And Country Planning (Use Classes) Amendment Order 2005: the Statutory instrument approved by parliament which defines broad categories of the use of land and buildings within which changes of use do not constitute development and therefore do not require planning permission.

Tree Preservation Order (TPO): the City Council can make tree preservation orders on single trees, groups or woodlands in order to protect the amenity. Consent has to be obtained from the City Council to lop, top or cut down a tree and the City Council can insist that replacement trees are planted if felling takes place. Where trees are not protected by a TPO in a conservation area, six weeks notice is required before topping, lopping or felling trees can take place, so that a TPO can be made if deemed necessary.

Urban Housing Capacity Study (UHCS): a study to determine the number of houses that could be built in an urban area, depending on various assumptions of densities and car parking provision.

Written Statement: is the document containing all the policies and supporting text of the local plan. It sets out planning framework for the district including land use allocations and provides the policies against which planning applications are assessed.

World Heritage Site: designated by ICOMOS - the International Committee on Monuments or Sites. There is one within the City of Canterbury and it is composed of three sites: the Cathedral and Cathedral Close, St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church.



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