Woking Borough Council

Glossary

Adoption: The formal approval or acceptance of Local Development Documents by the Council.

Affordable housing: In relation to housing, 'affordable' means accommodation which meets the needs of eligible households including availability at a cost low enough for them to afford, determined with regard to local incomes and local house prices; and include provisions for:

  1. the home to be retained for future eligible households; or
  2. if these restrictions are lifted, for any subsidy to be recycled for alternative affordable housing provision.

In the Council's Housing Strategy, this is taken to mean housing which meets and continues to meet the needs of people on low and middle incomes who would otherwise not be able to attain housing locally on the open market. Affordable housing is that which can be afforded where the dwelling has the smallest number of rooms appropriate to meet the needs of a household which cannot afford to buy or rent on the open market without some form of subsidy.

The preferred means of delivery of affordable housing in order of preference is:

  • social housing either for rent, or through shared equity schemes.
  • subsidised low cost market housing for sale or rent (65-80% market).
  • Off site provision - this is only considered suitable in exceptional circumstances, and can be offered via land, buildings, or financial contribution. This will be controlled with a planning obligation.

Annex 2 of the NPPF provides the definition of affordable housing tenures.

Annual Monitoring Report (AMR): Monitors progress against the Local Development Scheme (project plan for LDF documents) and policy targets.

Area Action Plans: Document for key areas of change or conservation which focuses on proposals for the area and their implementation.

B Uses: B uses are defined in the Use Classes Order 1987 (as amended):

B1: Business

  • Offices (other than a use within class A2 - financial and professional services)
  • Research and development of products or processes
  • Light industry appropriate to a residential area

B2: General industrial

  • The carrying on of an industrial process other than one falling within class B1 (excluding incineration purposes, chemical treatment or landfill or hazardous waste).

B8: Storage and distribution

  • Storage or as a distribution centre (including open air storage)

BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method): The world's most widely used means of reviewing and improving the environmental performance of buildings. The residential version of BREEAM is called EcoHomes.

CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy): Standard charge decided by local authorities and levied on new development. The CIL will be levied as a certain amount per square metre of development. The money will be used to pay for infrastructure. It would be a standard charge on all development rather than the change being calculated individually for each planning permission.

Community: Usually refers to those living within a specific area but can be any group with shared needs or interests living in the Borough.

Community Strategy: Long-term vision for improving the quality of people's lives, with the aim of improving the economic, social and environmental well being of the Borough. Sometimes referred to as a Sustainable Community Strategy.

Core Strategy: Sets out the long-term vision for area and the main strategic policies and proposals to deliver that vision.

Deprivation: Deprivation covers a broad range of issues and refers to unmet needs caused by a lack of resources of all kinds, not just financial. The Council uses the English Indices of Deprivation produced by the DCLG to identify areas of deprivation. The English Indices of Deprivation attempt to measure a broader concept of multiple deprivation, made up of several distinct dimensions, or domains, of deprivation.

Development Plan Document (DPD): Local Development Framework (LDF) documents containing the core planning policies and proposals. These are subject to independent examination. Woking Borough Council is intending to prepare the following DPDs: Core Strategy, Development Management Policies, Site Allocations DPD, Proposals Map.

Economic Development: For the purposes of the policies in this Core Strategy, economic development includes development within the B Use Classes, public and community uses and main town centre uses.

Examination: Formal examination of Local Development Documents by an independent inspector appointed by the Secretary of State.

ecsc: The Energy Centre for Sustainable Communities' is a sustainable energy consultancy that designs and implements projects to create a socially responsible, sustainable energy future. Became part of the Thameswey Group of companies in 2007.

Heritage assets: Parts of the historic environment which have significance because of their historic, archaeological, architectural or artistic interest.

The heritage assets of the Borough include:

  • Listed Buildings (statutory and non-statutory)
  • Conservation Areas
  • Areas of historic or architectural importance
  • Scheduled Ancient Monuments
  • Registered gardens and landscape
  • Sites of archaeological significance
  • Ancient Woodland

Inspector: Representative from the Planning Inspectorate, which is an impartial government agency. Leads the examination of the Core Strategy and other Development Plan Documents.

Local Development Documents (LDD): Comprises of Development Plan Documents, Supplementary Planning Documents and Statement of Community Involvement i.e. both statutory and non-statutory documents.

Local Development Framework (LDF): A folder of Local Development Documents that provides the framework for planning in the Borough and to guide planning decisions.

Local Development Scheme (LDS): Three-year project plan for the production of Development Documents.

Local Sustainable Transport Fund: Has two key objectives; firstly to support the local economy and facilitate economic development, for example by reducing congestion, improving reliability and predictability of journey times or enhancing access to employment and other essential services; secondly to reduce carbon emissions, for example by bringing about an increase in the volume and proportion of journeys made by low carbon, sustainable modes including walking and cycling.

Major developed sites (MDS) in the Green Belt: Green Belts contain some major developed sites such as factories, collieries, power stations, water and sewage treatment works, military establishments, civil airfields, hospitals, and research and education establishments. These substantial sites may be in continuing use or be redundant. They often pre-date the town and country planning system and the Green Belt designation. These sites remain subject to development control policies for Green Belts, and the Green Belt notation should be carried across them, however, infilling or redevelopment is not inappropriate development in sites allocated as major developed sites in DPDs.

Infilling of Major Developed Sites: Limited infilling at major developed sites in continuing use may help to secure jobs and prosperity without further prejudicing the Green Belt. Where this is so, local planning authorities may in their development plans identify the site, defining the boundary of the present extent of development and setting out a policy for limited infilling for the continuing use within this boundary. Such infilling should:

(a) have no greater impact on the purposes of including land in the Green Belt than the existing development;

(b) not exceed the height of the existing buildings; and

(c) not lead to a major increase in the developed proportion of the site.

Redevelopment of major developed sites: Whether they are redundant or in continuing use, the complete or partial redevelopment of major developed sites may offer the opportunity for environmental improvement without adding to their impact on the openness of the Green Belt and the purposes of including land within it. Where this is the case, local planning authorities may in their development plans identify the site, setting out a policy for its future redevelopment. They should consider preparing a site brief. Redevelopment should:

(a) have no greater impact than the existing development on the openness of the Green Belt and the purposes of including land in it, and where possible have less

(b) contribute to the achievement of the objectives for the use of land in Green Belts

(c) not exceed the height of the existing buildings; and

(d) not occupy a larger area of the site than the existing buildings (unless this would achieve a reduction in height which would benefit visual amenity).

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF): Published on 27 March 2012. The NPPF sets out the Governments planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied. It sets out the Governments requirements for the planning system only to the extent that it is relevant, proportionate and necessary to do so. It provides a framework within which local people and their accountable councils can produce their own distinctive local and neighbourhood plans, which reflect the needs and priorities of their communities.

Natura 2000: A European network of protected sites which represent areas of the highest value for natural habitats and species of plants and animals which are rare, endangered or vulnerable in the European Community. The Natura 2000 network includes two types of area Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPA).

Planning Inspectorate (PINS): The Planning Inspectorate holds independent examinations to determine whether or not DPDs are `sound'. The Planning Inspectorate also handles planning and enforcement appeals.

Proposals Map: It is part of the Local Development Documents that identify areas that should be protected, safeguarded sites in the Minerals and Waste Development Framework, areas to which specific policies apply. Also known as the adopted proposals map.

Previously developed land (often referred to as brownfield land): Land which is or was occupied by a permanent structure, including the curtialge of the developed land (although it should not be assumed that the whole of the curtilage should be developed) and any associated fixed surface infrastructure. This excludes: land that is or has been occupied by agricultural or forestry buildings; land that has been developed for minerals extraction or waste disposal by landfill purposes where provision for restoration has been made through development control procedures; land in built-up areas such as private residential gardens, parks, recreation grounds and allotments; and land that was previously-developed but where the remains of the permanent structure or fixed surface structure have blended into the landscape in the process of time.

Ramsar: Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention. The initial emphasis was on selecting sites of importance to waterbirds within the UK, and consequently many Ramsar sites are also Special Protection Areas (SPAs) classified under the Birds Directive.

Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS)/Regional Strategy: It is part of the development plan and new local development documents must be in general conformity with the RSS. The RSS provides broad development strategy for the region for a 15 to 20-year period. The RSS for the South East is called the South East Plan.

Representations: General comments or responses to a consultation which support or object to proposals.

Site Allocations DPD: Produced after the Core Strategy. This will specify exactly where new development will take place in accordance with the policies set out in the Core Strategy.

Site specific allocations: Allocation of sites for specific or mixed-use development.

Sound/soundness: Describes where a DPD is considered to `show good judgement' and also to fulfil the expectations of legislation, as well as conforming to national and regional planning policy.

South East Plan: The title given to the Regional Spatial Strategy for the South East to cover the period to 2026. It was published on 6 May 2009. It was revoked by the coalition government on 6 July 2010 however a legal judgment on 10 November 2010 reestablished the South East Plan as part of the development plan for the time-being. The Government has written to all local authorities and made them aware of its intention to revoke all regional strategies through the Localism Act 2011.

Special Areas of Conservation (SAC): These areas are of international importance because they are home to rare or endangered species of plants or animals (other than birds). SACs are designated under the Habitats Directive.

Special Protection Areas (SPA): Areas which support significant numbers of ground nesting birds and their habitats. SPAs are classified under the Birds Directive.

Statement of Community Involvement (SCI): Sets out the Council's standards for involving the community in the preparation, alteration and review of Local Development Documents and the consideration of planning applications.

Statement of Proposals Matters/Statement of Representations Procedure: The regulations set out that the Council must produce a Statement of Matters which sets out the title of the document, subject matter of and area covered, period for representations, address where representations should be sent and list of places at which the document is available for inspection and the times at which it can be inspected.

Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA): A system of incorporating environmental considerations into policies, plans and programmes. It is sometimes referred to as Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment. The specific term Strategic Environmental Assessment relates to European Union policy.

SuDS: Sustainable Drainage Systems.

Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD): Non-statutory documents that expand upon policies and proposals in Development Plan Documents.

Sustainability Appraisal (SA): A social, economic and environmental assessment primarily used for DPDs, incorporating the requirements of the SEA Directive.

Sustainable Development: United Nations General Assembly defines it as - meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'. (This was the original definition of sustainable development).

  • The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) defines it as - positive growth making economic, environmental and social progress for this and future generations.
  • For Woking, sustainable development means having a Borough:
  • of high environmental quality where people choose to live, work and visit
  • a regional focus of economic prosperity centred on a vibrant town centre that provides a good range of quality shops, jobs, cultural facilities and infrastructure to cater for the Borough's needs
  • distinct communities anchored by attractive district and local centres providing convenient access to everyday needs
  • where the benefits of growth and prosperity are shared throughout the Borough without pockets of deprivation
  • where development respects the character of the area
  • where people will have easy access to good quality green spaces and infrastructure for leisure and recreation and a transport system that caters for all needs in a sustainable manner

The common principles that underpin all the definitions are that sustainable development is about economic, social and environmental aspects of development and how we work to meet our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. These strands of sustainable development must always be considered in a comprehensive manner.

Town Centre Uses:

  • retail development (including warehouse clubs and factory outlet centres)
  • leisure, entertainment facilities, and the more intensive sport and recreation uses (including cinemas, restaurants, drive-through restaurants, bars and pubs, night-clubs, casinos, health and fitness centres, indoor bowling centres, and bingo halls)
  • offices, and
  • arts, culture and tourism development (including theatres, museums, galleries and concert halls, hotels and conference facilities)

Woking Partnership: This represents the residential, business, statutory and voluntary interests of the area. Members include the Primary Care Trust, Surrey Police, Surrey County Council, Woking Chamber of Commerce, Woking Association of Voluntary Service, Community Learning Partnership, and the People of Faith Forum.