This glossary is regularly updated to include the latest terms and expressions used in planning and local government. It is a useful tool for newcomers to the sector, as well as veteran planners.
If you have a term that you think should be included in the glossary, please email it to pas@local.gov.uk
Disclaimer
This glossary is not a statement of law or an interpretation of the law. It is an introduction to commonly used terms in planning. It should not be used as a source of legal definitions.
Acknowledgements
The definitions here come from a variety of sources but notably the Planning Portal and glossaries attached to central government documents.
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- Parish/town councils
- Parish plans
- Pendleton criteria
- Permitted development (PD)
- Planning Aid
- Planning application
- Planning brief/framework
- Planning performance agreements (PPAs)
- Planning delivery grant (PDG)
- Planning inspectorate (PINs)
- Planning permission
- Planning policy guidance notes (PPGs)
- Planning policy statements (PPS)
- Planning portal
- Planning portfolio holder
- Planning register
- Prior approval
- Public inquiry
- Public realm
- Public service agreements (PSAs)
- Public transport accessibility levels (PTALs)
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- Shared ownership
- Simplified planning zones (SPZ)
- Sites of nature conservation importance (SNCI) or sites of biological importance (SBI)
- Sites of special scientific interest (SSSI)
- Social housing
- Spatial development strategy (SDS)
- Spatial planning
- Statement of community involvement (SCI)
- Statement of consultation/statement of compliance
- Strategic environmental assessment (SEA)
- Structure plan
- Submission document
- Supplementary planning documents (SPDs)
- Sustainability appraisal (SA)
- Sustainable communities/neighbourhoods
- Sustainable community strategy
- Sustainable development
- Section 106 agreements (s106)
- Sequential test/approach