Local Plan - Glossary

A1 - use as a shop for the sale, display or provision of goods and services (except hot food) to visiting members of the public.

A2 - use for the provision of financial or professional services (other than health or medical services) or any other service (including use as a betting office) appropriate to a shopping area where the services are provided principally to visiting members of the public.

A3 - use for the sale of food or drink for consumption on the premises or for hot food for consumption off the premises.

Accessibility - the ease and convenience of access by a choice of means of travel.

Affordable Housing - both low cost, market and subsidised housing, irrespective of tenure, ownership or financial arrangements, that will be available to people who are unable to resolve their housing needs in the local private sector market, because of the relationship between housing costs and income.

Aggregates - sand, gravel crushed rock and other bulk materials used in the construction industry for purposes such as the making of concrete, mortar, asphalt for roadstone, drainage or bulk filling materials.

Allocation - site identified in a Local Plan as appropriate for a specific land use(s) in advance of any planning permission for that use.

Alternative Energy - alternative sources of energy are more efficient than conventional non-renewable forms. Examples include the anaerobic digestion of waste and combined heat and power generation.

Archaeological Resource - historical remains, structures, sites and artefacts which are a finite and non-renewable resource.

Aquifer - porous and permeable rock.

B1 - use as an office (other than within class A2), for research and development of products or processes, or for light industrial use where the use can be carried out in any residential area without detriment to the amenity of that area by reason of noise, vibration, smell, fumes, smoke, soot, ash, dust or grit.

B2 - use for any industrial process other than Class B1.

B8 - use for storage or as a distribution centre.

Biodiversity - nature conservation term used to refer to the diversity of richness of species and habitats.

Brownfield Land - see previously developed land.

Building Regulations - a set of national standards set by government to ensure that buildings are constructed in a safe manner. New building work and most refurbishment requires Building Regulations consent from the local authority.

CCTV - see close circuit television.

Circular - document issued by Government giving interpretation of Acts of Parliament.

Close Circuit Television - the use of cameras as a measure of surveillance on streets, building entrances and car parks. CCTV can, in certain circumstances, make a useful contribution to crime control and act as a deterrent of crime.

Combined Heat and Power - form of energy generation where the waste heat from electricity generation is passed through a second cycle to extract the energy from the heat.

Commuted Payments - instead of providing for an essential part of a development, such as car parking spaces, the developer makes a payment so the council can provide the facility off-site.

Comparison Shopping - high value, non-food products, such as clothing, furniture, electrical goods, for which the consumer generally expects to invest time and effort into visiting a range of shops before making a choice.

Conservation Area - area of special architectural or historical interest where it is desirable to preserve or enhance its character or appearance.

Conservation Area Character Appraisal - a study of the current state and desired condition of a Conservation Area, defining what is special in the particular Area.

Conservation Area Consent - is required if anyone is seeking to demolish buildings in a Conservation Area. Separate consent is needed if the building is Listed, an ancient monument or an ecclesiastical building.

Contaminated Land - land which may be contaminated with noxious substances due to the way in which they have been used in the past.

Convenience Shopping - goods such as food, newspaper and drinks, which tend to be purchased regularly.

Decibels (dBa) - measure of sound level.

DEFRA - Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is responsible for administering policy for agriculture, horticulture and fisheries. DEFRA also gives grant aid and advice on conservation.

Deposit Plan - plan issued after taking account of the views expressed at public consultation. There are now two versions of the deposit plan; firstly an initial and then a revised deposit Plan. These versions are approved as council policy and are material considerations in determining planning applications.

Derelict Land - land so damaged by industrial or other development that it is incapable of beneficial use without treatment.

Developer Contributions - payments by developer for services, the need for which arise from the development itself.

District Centres - the city's main shopping areas outside the city centre, usually containing at least one food supermarket or superstore and a range of comparison shopping and non-retail services such as banks, building societies and restaurants.

District Chilling - use of cooled water from electricity generation to provide chilled water for air conditioning plants.

District Heating - use of waste heat from electricity generation to directly heat homes or industrial buildings.

Dwelling - any type of living accommodation including house, bungalow, flat, maisonette, annexe etc. however provided (new build, conversion, sub-division or change of use) apart from institutional use.

Edge-of-Centre - location within easy walking distance of the city or district centres (200-300m for shopping; 500m for leisure or offices).

Egan Principles - standards on improving the quality and efficiency of UK construction following the report of the Construction Taskforce Rethinking Construction for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

Employment Land - land for office, industrial and warehousing uses (Use Classes B1, B2 and B8).

English Heritage - Government's advisor on listed buildings, conservation areas and scheduled ancient monuments.

Environment Agency - statutory consultee on development plans and individual development control consultations. A Government Agency responsible for: conserving and managing water resources; river pollution control; flood defences; protection of freshwater fisheries; water conservation and recreation as well as pollution control and other activities.

Environmental Assessment - process of collecting information of the effects of individual development projects on various aspects of the environment.

Environmentally Sensitive Area - this is an area in which incentives are given to encourage farmers to adopt agricultural practices which would safeguard and enhance parts of the country of particularly high landscape, wildlife or historic value.

Environmental Statement - formal document produced as a result of an environmental assessment.

Flood Defence - the drainage of land and the provision of flood warning systems.

Flood Plain - all land adjacent to a watercourse or the coast over which water flows in time of flood or would flow but for the presence of flood defences where they exist.

Fossil Fuels - coal, oil and natural gas, formed from animal and plant material during the carboniferous era.

Full Planning Permission - application where all details are approved.

General Industry - See B2.

Geothermal - energy source from water naturally heated by the Earth's hot interior.

Global Warming - process by which the Earth is getting warmer due to more of the Sun's heat being trapped by the Earth's atmosphere as a result of increased concentration of greenhouse gases released by human activity.

Greenfield Land - undeveloped land such as countryside and open space.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions - gases from fuel combustion, industrial processes, agriculture, land use change and waste including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide which contribute to global warming.

Greenways - a linear network of open space based on the city's stream valleys.

Green Transport / Travel Plans - a method by which alternatives to the private motor car are encouraged. They can also contribute towards a reduction in traffic speeds and improved safety particularly for pedestrians and cyclists. In part or full they will be made legally binding through the use of planning conditions or section 106 agreements.

Greywater - the use of recycled greywater - waste water discharged from washroom basins, baths and showers (but not WCs).

Habitat - the normal locality of wildlife.

Hazardous Uses - operations or land uses (including storage) where hazardous substances are used, or a potential risk is created for surrounding areas. Sites usually notified by the Health and Safety Executive. Consultation and advice sought for relevant applications.

Home Working - 'live/work' mixed use housing developments or the provision of work space within homes which allow flexible working patterns, often the developments are integrated into the telecommunications network.

Home Zones - an attempt to strike a balance between vehicular traffic and pedestrians, cyclists, business people and residents. This can be achieved through the design of streets and roads in an area to reduce speeds to 10 miles per hour.

Houses in Multiple Occupation - see shared housing.

Incubator Units - Shared and linked academic or research or commercial development space that enables a business interface between academic research and development/ innovation.

Infilling - the completion of an otherwise substantially built up frontage by the filling of a narrow gap taking only one or two dwellings.

In situ - in its (original) place.

Knowledge-based Industries - those industries that result from research and development or technology transfer from higher education establishments to businesses.

Land Availability - the amount of land which has permission or is allocated in the plan for development, but has yet to be constructed.

Learning Hubs - the promotion of lifelong learning by all citizens through working closely with the Southampton Learning Alliance, whose members include, the University, and higher education institutions, business representatives, schools, trade unions and others committed to promote lifelong learning.

Life-time Homes - houses built to a set of design standards which meet the varying needs of occupiers as their lives change and are capable of being adapted easily.

Light Industry - see B1.

Light Spill - light that is not illuminating the intended object, and is therefore 'spilling' onto non-intended targets.

Listed Building - a building of architectural or historical importance, graded according to its importance (Grade I, II*, II). The list is kept by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Buildings on the list are subject to special control.

Listed Building Consent - required to demolish, extend or alter any aspect of a listed building, including any object or structure within its curtilage erected before July 1948.

Local Centres - small groups of shops and services in smaller towns providing a limited range of facilities and serving a local catchment area.

Local List - produced by Southampton City Council to protect buildings and structures valued for their contribution to the local scene or for their historic associations from decay and damage.

Local Plan - part of the statutory development plan which sets out the council's detailed land use policies to be used in determining planning applications.

Local Transport Plan - local transport plans replace the previous annual Transport Policies and Programmes and represent a new mechanism for drawing up transport strategies which cover all modes of transport. They cover a five year period and include a bid for government resources.

Mineral and Waste Local Plan - part of the statutory development plan which sets out detailed policies for decision making on planning applications for minerals and waste developments. The Hampshire, Portsmouth & Southampton Minerals and Waste Local Plan was adopted in 1998.

Mixed Uses - Integration of uses into an area so that people can live in close proximity to all the facilities they need reducing the need to travel and making places more attractive through activity.

Modal Split - The proportion of trips by different types of transport, such as walking, cycling, bus, train and car; ferry.

New Deal for Communities (NDC) - government programme which aims to bridge the gap between some of the poorest members of society and the rest of Britain by focusing on the most deprived areas. Through local partnerships it will address unemployment, health, crime and educational achievement.

Outline Planning Permission - submitted to establish the general principle of development. The exact details are reserved for later approval.

Passive Solar Gain - design to optimise the amount of the suns energy that heats and lights a building naturally.

Permitted Development Rights - development which is granted planning permission by virtue of the General Permitted Development Order 1995.

Photo-Voltaics - method of generating electricity directly from the sun.

Planning Conditions - placed on a planning permission to enhance the quality of the development and/ or to ameliorate any adverse effects that might otherwise arise from the development.

Port Operational Land - use of land for the purpose of shipping, or in connection with the embarking, disembarking, loading, discharging or transport of passengers, livestock or goods within the port. This is granted planning permission by virtue of the General Permitted Development Order 1995. Outside the port, planning permission is needed.

Port-Related - development which is connected with the port, but not directly necessary for port activity.

PPG - Planning Policy Guidance notes set out Government policy on aspects of planning.

Previously Developed Land - land which is or was occupied by a permanent structure (excluding agricultural or forestry buildings), and associated fixed surface infrastructure. The definition covers the curtilage of the development. Previously-developed land may occur in both built-up and rural settings. The definition includes defence buildings and land used for mineral extraction and waste disposal where provision for restoration has not been made through development control procedures.

Priority Area for Economic Regeneration (PAER) - areas of regional significant deprivation which require individually tailored regeneration strategies backed up by the appropriate resources.

Primary Care Facilities - covers General Practice surgeries, dentists and health centres.

Primary Shopping Frontage - the most important shopping area of the city centre, usually characterised by having the highest rents and pedestrian flow and national retailer representation.

Proposals Map - a map of the city showing the Plan's proposals and where policies apply.

Public Art - works of art such as street sculpture, murals and lighting as well as the design of street furniture and surfaces to improve the public realm and contribute to place character and identity.

Public Open Space - land, such as parks and playing fields to which the public has free, unrestricted access.

Public Safety Zone - areas of land at the end of airport runways within which development is restricted.

Public Transport Corridors - areas where public transport services (bus and/or train) are most frequent.

Ramsar Site - areas designated under the Ramsar Convention to protect wetlands of international importance particularly as water fowl habitats. All Ramsar sites are SSSIs.

Regional Planning Guidance (RPG) - guidance issued by Secretary of State which sets out broad strategic policies for land-use and development where there are issues which, though not of national scope, apply across regions or parts of regions and need to be considered on a scale wider than the area of a single authority.

Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) - are now the main providers of new social housing, they are independent social landlords - most are housing associations but there are also trusts, co-operatives and companies. RSLs run as businesses but they do not trade for profit.

Renewable Energy - energy flows which occur naturally and repeatedly in the environment, such as wind and solar.

Resource Conservation - reducing the overall use of energy, water and building materials in new developments through the reuse of buildings and materials, design and layout, use of natural heat and light, harnessing renewable energy sources and managing water uses.

Retail Impact Study - an investigation into the effect of a proposed development upon existing retailers in an area.

Retail Warehousing - large single-level stores specialising in sale of household goods and bulky DIY items, often in out-of-centre locations.

River Test Heritage Area - an environmental designation due to the River Test's ecological and scenic value. (Test Valley)

SAM - see Scheduled Ancient Monuments.

SAC - see Special Area of Conservation.

Safe Routes to School - an area based approach to be created in partnership with primary and secondary schools on a phased basis to cover both cycling and walking and linked wherever possible to the city's overall cycling and walking networks.

Scheduled Ancient Monuments - archaeological remains of national importance entered into a schedule compiled by Secretary of State for National Heritage under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

School Safety Zones - in the vicinity of the school entrance the road environment will be improved to enhance road safety with measures such as parking controls and reduced speed limits.

Secondary Shopping Frontage - shopping areas of secondary importance where it is desirable to restrict the use of ground floors to retailing, financial and professional services and food and drink.

Section 106 Agreement - a voluntary legal agreement, under Section 106 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990, between a local planning authority and a developer, intended to regulate the development or use of land in a way that cannot be controlled by planning conditions.

Sequential Approach - a locational approach, which is aimed to apply to all key city centre uses which attract a lot of people, including retail, commercial / public offices, entertainment, leisure and other such uses. Adopting a sequential approach means that first preference should be for city centre or district centre sites, where suitable sites or buildings suitable for conversion are available, followed by edge-of city or edge-of district centre sites and only then out-of-centre sites in locations that are accessible by a choice of means of transport.

Shared Housing - house in which several people (usually unrelated) live together not as a single household and share facilities such as kitchen and bathroom. Where a property is shared by six or fewer people, planning permission consent is not required. This definition does not include hostels.

Single Regeneration Budget - provides Government resources to support regeneration initiatives carried out by local regeneration partnerships. Its priority is to enhance the quality of life of local people in areas of need by reducing the gap between deprived areas and other areas and between different groups.

Site of Importance for Nature Conservation - sites within Southampton that are of particular importance for nature conservation, containing habitats or features which are effectively irreplaceable (excluding statutorily designated sites).

Site of Special Scientific Interest - Areas notified under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, by English Nature. They are biological or geological sites considered to be of national or international importance for nature conservation. Consultation and some form of agreement with the national statutory conservation agency is mandatory before any listed, potentially damaging development, change in land use etc, can be carried out.

South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) - SEEDA is the lead body at the regional level, promoting wealth creation and social inclusion whilst protecting and enhancing the region's environmental heritage. Responsible for developing and implementing the Regional Economic Strategy for South East England.

SPA - see Special Protection Area.

Special Area of Conservation - Designated under the European Union Habitats Directive as part of a Community-wide network called Natura 2000. They are areas of habitat of European importance including habitats of specific threatened species listed in Annexes of the Directive. SACs are
automatically part of the Natura 2000 network.

Special Protection Area - the habitats of species of wild birds which are of international importance to ensure their survival and reproduction, designated under the Wild Birds Directive.

SPG - see Supplementary Planning Guidance.

SRB - see Single Regeneration Budget.

SSSI - see Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Special Industrial Groups - see B4-B7.

Strategic Gap - an area of countryside which immediately adjoins the built up area of the city, designated to prevent the coalescence of the urban areas around the city's boundaries. Such areas can be a source of conflict between land use and environmental considerations, requiring a positive approach to planning and management.

Structure Plan - a development plan which sets out key, strategic policies and provide a framework for local plans. The Structure Plan is the joint responsibility of Southampton City, Portsmouth City and Hampshire County Council.

Supermarket - self-service store selling mainly food with a gross trading floorspace of between 500 and 2,500 square metres.

Superstore - self-service store selling mainly food with at least 2,500 square metres gross trading floorspace.

Supplementary Planning Guidance - guidance on specific or sensitive planning issues which adds detail to policies in the Plan.

Sustainability Appraisal - process of testing the effects of the Plan's policies on the environment, the economy and reducing social exclusion.

Sustainable Development - concept, first defined by the Brundtland Commission, which requires that development must not deny future generations the best of today's world.

Tall Building - any building in a location identified as making a significant impact on the city's skyline or that is substantially higher than its neighbours.

Telecommunications - all forms of telecommunications by electrically, optical, wire and cable and radio signals (whether terrestrial or from satellite), both public and private.

Town and Country Planning Act 1990 - the major legislation governing land use planning.

Transport Assessment - should be submitted alongside applications for major developments and will help local planning authorities to assess the application. These assessments should illustrate the likely modal split of journeys to and from the site, together with details of proposed measures to improve access by public transport, walking and cycling and reduce the number and impacts of motorised journeys associated with the proposal.

Twenty-Four Hour City - a concept for the city centre which extends the economic and leisure use of the city centre from the traditional nine-to-five hours.

University Development Area - the area in which expansion of the University of Southampton for predominantly academic purposes will be permitted.

Unstable Land - areas of land liable to sudden failure due to damage by industrial activities or are naturally unstable.

Urban Capacity Study - a method to establish how much additional housing can be accommodated within urban areas taking into account the density of development, levels of car parking different residential layouts and mix of housing types.

Use Classes Order - statutory instrument which defies broad categories of use of land and buildings. The orders identify activities in a particular class within which planning permission is not required for any change of use. Activities changing from one class to another generally require permission.

Viability - viability is a measure of a city centre's or district centre's capacity to attract investment for maintenance, improvement and adaptation to the changing needs of the local population.

Vitality - a measure of how busy a city centre or district centre is.

Warehouse Clubs - Out-of-centre businesses specialising in bulk sales of reduced priced goods in unsophisticated buildings with large car parks. The operator may limit access to businesses, organisations or classes of individual, and may agree to limit the number of lines sold.

Windfall Sites - sites not identified in the Local Plan for any use which may become available for development during the plan period. They usually consist of infill sites, disused land or sites currently in another use which become available.

Zone A rents - the rental value for the first 6 metres depth of floorspace in retail units from the shop window.