Accessibility – the ability of people to move about within an area so as to reach facilities and places. This includes young, disabled, old people and those with children and /or baggage.

Active frontage – fronts of buildings that add interest, life, vitality, etc. to the public realm and should consist of frequent doors and windows with few blank walls, articulated facades with bays and porches and lively internal uses that either spill onto the street or visible from outside.

Active Use - land use that results in people actively using/visiting the building or site. Typically this could include shop, cafés and restaurants, high street businesses such as banks and travel agents and some community uses.

Affordable Housing – low cost housing for sale or rent, often from a housing association, to meet the needs of local people who cannot afford accommodation through the open market. (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Air Quality Assessment / Management Areas – Local Authorities must conduct assessments of air quality. If these indicate that National Air Quality Objectives are not likely to be met by 2005, Local Authorities must declare Air Quality Management Areas and make action plans for improving air quality to meet national targets.

Amenity – the pleasant or normally satisfactory aspects of location, which contributes to its overall character and the enjoyment of residents or visitors (definition from the Planning Portal)

Area Action Plans – A type of Development Plan Document focused upon a specific location or an area subject to conservation or significant change (for example major regeneration). (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Back Land Sites – Land which is behind existing development with no, or very limited, road frontage (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Biodiversity – A measure of the number of species and their relative abundance in a community (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Block – an area consisting of buildings and/or spaces bounded by a set of streets and undivided by other significant streets.

Bristol Travel to Work Area – A Travel to Work Area (TTWA) is a broadly self-contained labour market area usually focused on an urban employment centre (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Brownfield Land - Land which has been previously developed, excluding mineral workings or other temporary uses (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms. Greater clarification provided by PPG3: Housing, 2000).

Change of Use – More correctly referred to as a "material change of use". A change in the use of land or buildings that is of significance for planning purposes, often requiring planning permission (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Circular – Guidance, including policy, issued by a government department usually, but not always, in support of legislation (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Character – the combination of a feature of a building or an area such as their spatial relationship landscape and building uses, etc, that give it a distinctive identity

Cluster Units/Dwellings – Self contained flats clustered into units with 4 to 6 bedrooms for students or nurses or catering specially for single people (definition from ODPM Housing Flows Reconciliation form 2002).

Community partnership – a collection of local people, groups, businesses and bodies from within a defined area, usually a local neighbourhood, that come together to influence and/or guide various social, economic, environmental, etc., changes.

Community Strategies – Strategies coordinated by local authorities to improve their areas economic, social and environmental well being and contribute to the achievement of sustainable development. Introduced by the Local Government Act 2000 (definition from the adopted Joint Replacement Structure Plan).

Comparison Goods - Durable goods, including clothing, footwear and textile goods, household goods (including electrical, DIY, furniture and carpets, glass and chinaware), and other non-food goods including stationery, books, pharmaceuticals, watches and jewellery, toys, florists and gardening equipment (definition from the adopted Joint Replacement Structure Plan).

Conservation Area – an area designated by the local planning authority under the Town & Country Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as possessing special architectural or historical interest.

Context – the setting of a site or area, including factors such as traffic, activities and land-uses as well as landscape and built form.

Convenience Goods – Food, drink and grocery goods; newspapers; tobacco and confectionery.

Density – In case of residential development, a measurement of either the number of habitable rooms per hectare or the number of dwellings per hectare. (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms)

Derelict Land – Derelict Land is defined as "land so damaged by industrial or other development that it is incapable of beneficial use without treatment" (DoE, Derelict Land Grant Advice Note 1, 1991).

Design Statement – a document accompanying a planning application setting out the design principles upon which development proposals are based and in relation to the site and its wider context.

Development – 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 land (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Development Plan – a document, a Structure or Local Plan, that sets out in writing and/or maps and diagrams the local planning authority’s policies and proposals for development and use of land and buildings in authority’s area (definition from the Planning Portal)

Development Brief – a document providing planning advice and guidance on how a specific site of significant size or sensitivity should be developed in accordance with local planning policies.

Ecological Assessment – All planning applications which affect a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) should be accompanied by a detailed ecological assessment. The ecological assessment should include the current status of the site; a general description, presentation and analysis of existing ecological data; up to date survey information for the site (carried out at an appropriate time of year), including survey methods; evaluation of the ecological and community importance of the site; impact of the proposed development on the nature conservation of the SNCI; mitigation/compensation proposals and net impacts on the nature conservation interests (definition from the Management of the Environment chapter).

Employment Sites – sites identified in the adopted local plan as suitable for business uses that provide jobs.
Enforcement Action – Procedures by a local planning authority to ensure that the terms and conditions of a planning decision are carried out, or that development carried out without planning permission is brought under control (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) – Under the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988, proposers of certain scheduled developments are required to submit a planning application with an accompanying environmental statement, evaluating the likely environmental impacts of the development, together with an assessment of how the severity of the impacts could be reduced (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Family Housing – housing that is suitable for occupation by a family, usually a two or more bedroom house with its own easily accessible and secure garden

Form – the layout (structure and grain), density, scale (height and massing), appearance (materials and details) and landscape of development.

Grain – the pattern of the arrangement and size of buildings and their plots in a settlement; and the degree to which an area’s pattern of street-blocks and street junctions is respectively small and frequent, or large and infrequent.

Green Belt – Specifically designated area of countryside protected from most forms of development in order to stop urban sprawl and the coalescence of settlements, preserve the character of existing settlements and encourage development to locate within existing built up areas (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

General Development Order (GDO) - A set of regulations made by the government which grants planning permission for specified limited or minor forms of development.

Greenfield Land – An area not previously used for built development (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).
Greenway – Greenways are largely off-highway routes intended for shared use by non-motorised forms of transport (except powered chairs for disabled use). They can be linked together to form a network connecting people to facilities and open spaces in and around the City and linking to neighbouring communities and the countryside. They are for use by people of all abilities and for commuting, utility or leisure (definition agreed between Traffic and Transport Division and Leisure Services, Bristol City Council and contained within the Movement chapter of the Alterations to the Local Plan).

Highways Authority – the local authority that has statutory responsibility for managing and maintaining the roads in an area, usually the local authority, which in this SPD is Bristol City Council

Home Zones – Home Zones aim to improve the quality of life in residential areas by using a range of environmental and traffic calming measures to reduce the impact of motor traffic, and allow streets to be used by residents for purposes other than passage (definition from page 23, PPG13: Transport).

Housing Needs Assessment – Information provided of the housing management areas in the city by the Bristol Housing Needs and Affordability Model, and in addition informed by the views of the local Housing Office (s) in relation to local need (see PAN 12: Affordable Housing, May 2002).

Infrastructure – Permanent resources serving society’s needs, including roads, sewers, schools, hospitals, railways, communication networks etc (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Intermediate Market Housing – A range of options, including both low cost home ownership and sub-market rental, for households on low to medium incomes unable afford market purchase or rental, or to access social housing for rent provided buy Registered Social Landlords or the local authority (definition from Neighbourhood & Housing Services, BCC).Joint Committee for Strategic Planning and Transportation – The committee of members of the four constituent unitary authorities which was set up in 1996 with the responsibility for jointly progressing structure plan and related work (definition from the adopted Joint Replacement Structure Plan).

Joint Strategic Planning and Transportation Unit (JSPTU) – Officer unit supported by the four unitary authorities, which is responsible for reporting to the Joint Committee on structure plan and related work (definition from the adopted Joint Replacement Structure Plan).

Landbank – A stock of reserves with planning permission sufficient to provide for continued extraction over a given time period.

Landfill – The deposit of waste onto and into land and, through restoration, to provide land which may be used for another purpose. Where the tipping raises the level of the land above original ground contours, this is often referred to as landraising.

Landmark – a building or structure that stands out from its background by virtue of height, size, detail, material or some other aspect of design

Landscape – the character and appearance of land, including its shape, form, ecology, natural features, colours and elements and the way these components combine. Landscape character can be expressed through landscape appraisal, and maps or plans.

Landscape Design – involves the collective organisation of human activities, natural processes and physical components in the process of shaping external space. It encompasses both the built environment, and is allied with urban design in sharing the purpose of creating varied, distinctive and engaging places.

Layout – the way buildings, routes and open spaces are placed in relation to each other.

Listed Buildings – A building or structure identified by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport as being of special architectural or historic interest included on a statutory list and assigned a grade (I, II* or II) There are three categories of listing: Grade I (the highest quality), Grade II* and Grade II. (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Local Development Framework (LDF) – The LDF System replaces the development plan system of Structure and Local Plans. The LDF brings together all local planning authority planning policy documents for its area, including the the equivalent of any supplementary guidance, i.e. supplementary planning documents. The core elements of the LDF comprise: area wide planning policies, statement of community involvement and proposals and is mandatory for all local authorities. Authorities have flexibility to add area action plans setting out detailed proposals for change where it is needed.

Local Plan – Statutory development plan prepared by a local planning authority setting out detailed policies for environmental protection and development (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Local Planning Authority – Local Council with statutory responsibility for administering/managing the land-use planning system within its area

Local Regeneration Funds – Funds secured through a planning obligation, to enable local regeneration projects that reasonably relate to the development from which the fund was secured to that placed.

Local Strategic Partnership – The Government requires local authorities to lead the development of Local Strategic Partnerships (LSP) that bring together all those working to improve the quality of life in an area. The core tasks of the LSP will be: to prepare and implement a Community Strategy, to bring together local plans, partnerships and initiatives, to work with local authorities that are developing a local public service agreement and to develop and deliver a local neighbourhood renewal strategy (definition from Bristol’s emerging Community Strategy).

Local Transport Plan – Local Transport Plans (LTPs) were introduced in 2000 to replace the previous Annual Transport Policies and Programmes (TPPs) 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.

LRT – Light rapid transit. Fast modern tram system, usually running on rails (definition from the adopted Joint Replacement Structure Plan).

Master plan – A master plan is a document that charts the master planning process and explains how a site or a series of sites will be developed. It will describe how the proposal will be implemented, and set out the costs, phasing and timing of development (definition from Urban Design Guidance, Urban Design Group).

Massing – the combined effect of the height, bulk and silhouette of a building or group of buildings.

Material Consideration – A matter which should be taken into account in deciding on a planning application or on an appeal against a planning decision (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Mixed land-uses – a mixture of uses within a building, on a site or within a particular area.

Mixed use development - a mix of uses within a building, on a site or within a particular area. 'Horizontal' mixed uses are side by side, usually in different buildings. 'Vertical' mixed uses are on different floors of the same building. (definition from By Design)

Modal Shift – The process of change over time in the proportions using different modes of transport (definition from the adopted Joint Replacement Structure Plan).

Movement – the passage of people or vehicles through buildings, places and spaces.

Natural Surveillance – the discouragement of wrong doing by ensuring that public areas including streets, open spaces, parks, etc., are clearly visible from streets, spaces and windows of adjacent buildings. presence of passers-by or the ability of people to be seen from surrounding windows.

Neighbourhood Partnerships – A network of Neighbourhood Partnerships has been established across the City which will help local communities to express their concerns and priorities, to have greater influence over the delivery of public services and to have more say over the future development of their areas (definition from the draft Community Strategy).

Neighbourhood Renewal Areas/ Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy – The Bristol Partnership is responsible for the management of the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and the delivery of the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy. The Neighbourhood Renewal Fund aims to narrow the gap between more prosperous and deprived areas by changing the way that services are delivered. Ten areas in Bristol have been defined as priority areas for receiving the additional resources that the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund provides and will produce Local Neighbourhood Renewal Action Plans. A key element of the neighbourhood renewal strategy is improving the contribution of mainstream services to neighbourhood renewal and regeneration (definition from the Draft Community Strategy).

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

Permitted Development Rights – Rights to carry out certain limited forms of development without the need to make an application for planning permission, as granted under the terms of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Planning/Site Briefs – The City Council produce when necessary planning briefs to review and re-establish the planning, urban design and implementation parameters for the regeneration of large sites within the City. Planning Briefs provide supplementary planning guidance on relevant policies and proposals of the Bristol Local Plan.

Planning Conditions – In exercising control over development, conditions can be imposed on planning permissions where there is a clear land –use planning justification for doing so (definition from para 37. PPG1: General Policy and Principles, 1997).

Planning Obligations and Agreements – Legal agreements between a planning authority and a developer, or offered unilaterally by a developer, ensuring that certain extra works related to a development are undertaken, usually under Section106 of the Town and Country Planning act 1990 (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPG’s) - A series of documents issued by DTLR setting out government policy and advice on planning issues such as housing, transport, conservation etc (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Planning Policy Guidance – Issued by central government setting out its national land use policies for England on different areas of planning. These are gradually being replaced by Planning Policy Statements. (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Planning Policy Statement – Issued by central government to replace the existing Planning Policy Guidance notes in order to provide greater clarity and to remove from national policy advice on practical implementation, which is better expressed as guidance rather than policy. (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Policy Advice Note (PAN) –Bristol City Council has produced a series of Policy Advice Notes which aim to encourage high standards of development and environmental quality in the City and raise awareness about some of the design issues which the City Council consider priorities in development control. These notes provide supplementary planning guidance in support of Local Plan policies.

Protected Shopping Frontage – Primary - core shopping area within designated shopping centres that contain the main shops.

Protected Shopping Frontage – Secondary – streets adjacent to core shopping areas within shopping centres and providing supporting facilities – occupied by smaller, often independent traders, for example, financial and professional services and/or food and drink uses.

Principal Urban Areas (PUAs) – Identified in RPG10. PUAs include the Bristol conurbation (that is, the contiguous built-up area including parts of South Gloucestershire), Bath and Weston –super Mare (definition from the adopted Joint Replacement Structure Plan).

Public Art – Permanent or temporary physical works of art visible to the general public, whether part of a building or free-standing. For example, sculpture, lighting effects, street furniture, paving, railings and signs.

Public Realm – the parts of a village, town or city (whether publicly or privately owned) that are available, without charge, for everyone to use or see, including streets, open spaces like squares and parks, outside of buildings visible from streets and other public areas.

Regeneration – The process of putting new life back into often derelict older urban areas through environmental improvements, comprehensive development and transport proposals. Regional, District and Neighbourhood Centres

Regional Centre – The principal shopping centre that provides a broad range of other facilities and services and fulfils a function as a focus for public transport and the local and regional community.

District Centres – Groups of shops, separate from the town centre, usually containing at least one food supermarket or superstore, and non-retail services such as banks, building societies and restaurants (definition from Annex A PPG: 6).

Neighbourhood Centre – A small grouping usually comprising a newsagent, a general grocery store, a sub-post office and occasionally a pharmacy, a hairdresser and other small shops of a local nature.

Regional Planning Guidance (RPG) – Regional Planning Guidance note issued by central Government. In the South West, RPG10 was published by the Government Office for the South West (GOSW) in 1994, following advice by the South West Regional Planning Conference (SWRPC). This was superseded in 2001 by new RPG10, which has an end date of 2016 (definition from the adopted Joint Replacement Structure Plan).

Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) – The RTS forms part of the Regional Planning Guidance (RPG) and provides the long term strategic framework (15-20 years) which informs development plans, local transport plans and transport operators in developing their plans and programmes. The RTS also specifies the immediate 5 year regional transport priorities within the long term strategy to assist the development of local transport plans (definition from para 7 of PPG13).

Scale – the impression of a building when seen in relation to its surroundings, or the size of parts of a building or its details, particularly as experienced in relation to the size of a person. Sometimes it is the total dimensions, which give it its sense of scale and at other times it is the size of elements and the way they are combined.

Section 106 Agreement – A binding agreement between a council and a developer associated with a grant of planning permission and regarding matters linked to the proposed development. (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Sequential Approach – In determining the order in which sites identified in development plans for housing (in accordance with the criteria set out in paragraphs 30 and 31 of PPG3: Housing) should be developed, the presumption will be that previously developed sites (or buildings for re-use or conversion) should be developed before greenfield sites (definition from para 32, PPG3: Housing).

Shared Ownership – housing produced by an Registered Social Landlord (RSL), previously, either new or existing properties purchased by an RSL, which the RSL then sells on a part rent/part buy basis. The shared owner buys a percentage of the property, funded by mortgage and/ or savings. The remaining percentage is still owned by the RSL who charges a rent on it. (Source: St Paul's Housing Needs and Aspirations Survey 2004. Final Report)

Spatial Framework – The principles of the emerging Spatial Framework implicitly recognise the role of clustering services and commercial development in centres, providing accessible opportunities in areas where they are needed. It incorporates best practice principles relating to the importance of local accessibility and increased residential densities, enabling the viability of centres to be maintained and enhanced. The Spatial Framework also encourages the application of best practice principles relating to mixed use, such as encouraging the use of upper storeys within our city, district and neighbourhood centres (definition from para 2.7.2, Citywide & Neighbourhood Centres Chapter of the Local Plan).

Streetscape – the overall effect of street facades and linked spaces

Street Scene – that which is visible from the public domain. The street scene is considered to constitute an area particularly sensitive to development proposals, requiring a high standard of design.

Structure Plan – Statutory plan setting out key strategic policies which provide the framework for more detailed policies in local plans (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms). The Joint Replacement Structure Plan (JRSP) provides a strategic policy framework for land use and transport planning decisions for the former Avon area for the period to 2011.

Sui Generis – Uses of land or buildings which do not fall into any of the use classes identified by the Use Classes Order, for example theatres, laundrettes, car showrooms and filling stations (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Supplementary Planning Guidance – Additional advice issued by a local planning authority expanding upon its statutory policies (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Supplementary Planning Document – additional advice or guidance issued by a local planning authority, expanding on its statutory planning policies.

Sustainability – The principle that the environment should be protected in such a condition and to such a degree that ensures new development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own need.

Sustainable Communities – The Government has placed a clear expectation that "sustainable communities" will be achieved (Sustainable Communities – Delivering Through Planning). This expectation is based on a belief that positive planning can be used to create and sustain mixed and inclusive communities and that local communities can be involved in a more positive way in planning our cities, including Bristol (definition from the Introduction Chapter of the Local Plan).

Sustainable development – as defined by the Bruntland Commission (1987, and quoted in PPG1) as 'Development which meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to achieve their needs and aspirations.

Sustainable Development Profile – For large new developments developers will be asked to complete a profile describing their approaches to delivering Sustainable development (definition from Bristol Sustainable Development Construction Guide, BCC).

Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDs) – SuDs are physical structures designed to receive surface water runoff in order to reduce the negative impact of development on the water environment. They can usually be incorporated into the planted or paved area of the development.

Townscape – The physical form and character of part of a built-up area

Transport Assessment – Where developments will have significant transport implications, Transport Assessments should be prepared and submitted alongside the relevant planning applications for development. The coverage and detail of the Transport Assessment should reflect the scale of development and the extent of the transport implications of the proposal. It should also give details of proposed measures to improve access by public transport, walking and cycling to reduce the need for parking associated with the proposal and to mitigate transport impacts. Transport Assessments replace Traffic Impact Assessments (definition from para 23, page 12 PPG13: Transport).

Travel Plan – Strategy by employers or schools to increase awareness of sustainable travel behaviour and encourage staff and pupils to use more sustainable modes (definition from the adopted Joint Replacement Structure Plan).

Tree Preservation Orders (TPO’s) – Direction made by a local planning authority that makes it an offence to cut, lop, uproot or wilfully damage or destroy a tree without that authority’s permission (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Unitary Authority (UA) – An all purpose local authority. In this area, four UA’s were formed in 1996 to take over the functions of Avon County Council and the six District Councils (definition from the adopted Joint Replacement Structure Plan).

Urban design – the art of making places. Urban design involves the design of buildings, spaces and landscapes, in villages, towns and cities, and the establishment of frameworks and processes which facilitate successful development.'

Urban Fringe – Predominantly open land on the edge of an existing urban area (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Urban Renaissance – A term given to the processes of reinventing urban areas to once again make urban living desirable.
Urban Task Force – Group established by the Government in 1999, under Lord Rogers, to review policy in urban areas (definition from the adopted Joint Replacement Structure Plan).

Use Classes Order – The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 puts uses of land and buildings into various categories, planning permission not being required for changes of use within the same use class. In practice changes between use classes are likely to require planning permission (definition from the Planning Portal glossary of planning terms).

Very Sheltered Housing – Very Sheltered Housing is a form of affordable housing which provides around fifty one and two bedroom flats within a wider scheme including communal facilities such as restaurant and shops/health facilities which will also cater for older people in the local neighbourhood. All flats and communal facilities will be fully accessible for wheelchair users and residents care and support around the clock will be available to residents if needed (definition from Housing Services, BCC).

Visual amenity – The value of a particular area or view in terms of what is seen.

Waste Audit – Analysis of waste arising from a specific development project, together with the steps for its minimisation, re-use and disposal.

Windfall Sites – Sites which come forward on ad-hoc basis and are not identified either in local plans or through other formal planning policies.

Zero Carbon Development – By combining energy efficiency, passive solar design and sustainable energy supply it is now possible to design new developments with net zero carbon emissions (definition from Bristol Sustainable Development Guide for Construction, BCC).

This Glossary is neither a statement of law nor an interpretation of the law, and its status is only an introductory guide to planning issues and should not be used as a source for statutory definitions.