6 Glossary

Affordable Housing
Housing provided with a subsidy to enable the sale price or rent to be substantially lower than the prevailing market prices or rents in the locality, and where mechanisms exist to ensure that the housing remains affordable for those who cannot afford to access market housing. The subsidy will be provided from the public and/or private sector.

Amenity
A positive element or elements that contribute to the overall character or enjoyment of an area. For example, open land, trees, historic buildings and the inter-relationship between them, or less tangible factors such as tranquillity.

Ancillary use
A subsidiary or secondary use or operation closely associated with the main use of a building or piece of land.

Annual Monitoring Report (AMR)
Produced by the Council annually to review the progress made against milestones set out within the Local Development Scheme and the performance of planning policies. The monitoring period runs from 1st April to 31st March.

Aquifer
Underground rock layers that hold water, which are often an important source of water for public water supply, agriculture and industry.

Arboriculture
Arboriculture is the management of trees where amenity is the prime objective.

Archaeological Assessment
A study of the extent and quality of any archaeological remains that may exist within a site. The study and resulting report(s) must be performed by a suitably qualified professional and will be examined by the West Sussex County Archaeologist, from whom advice on the form and nature of the assessment may be sought.

Area Action Plan
(See Joint Area Action Plan.)

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
A statutory landscape designation, which recognises that a particular landscape is of national importance. The primary purpose of the designation is to conserve and enhance natural beauty of the landscape.

Biodiversity
The whole variety of life on earth. It includes all species of plants and animals, their genetic variation and the ecosystems of which they are a part.

BREEAM / Eco-Home standard
Standards laid down for the design and building of businesses and homes to be more sustainable, including wildlife friendly design, use of recycled materials, and energy, heating and water conservation methods.

Brownfield
Previously developed land (PDL). In the sequential approach this is preferable to Greenfield land. Previously-developed land is that 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. A precise definition is included in Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 'Housing' (or Planning Policy Statement 3 'Housing' once adopted).

Built-up area boundaries
These identify the areas in the District of primarily built form, rather than countryside. They identify areas within which development of brownfield land may normally be appropriate, including infilling, redevelopment and conversions in accordance with Government guidance in PPG3 ‘Housing’. They do not include a presumption for the development of greenfield land such as playing fields and other open space, as indicated in PPG 17 ‘Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation’. Identified built-up area boundaries do not necessarily include all existing developed areas.

Carbon neutral
Offsetting or compensating for carbon emissions (for example from burning fossil fuels) by schemes such as planting trees to absorb carbon or through careful use of design to promote energy efficiency and to avoid carbon emissions.

Changes of Use
Legal uses of property are defined as use classes. A change of use within the same use class under the ‘Use Classes Order’ does not need planning permission, but a change to a different use class usually does.

Community facilities
Facilities available for use by the community. Examples include village halls, doctors’ surgeries, pubs, churches and children play areas.

The Core Strategy
The Core Strategy sets out the key elements of the planning framework for the area. It is comprised of a spatial vision and strategic objectives for the area; a spatial strategy; core policies; and a monitoring and implementation framework with clear objectives for achieving delivery. Once adopted, all other Development Plan Documents must be in conformity with it.

Curtilage
The area occupied by a property and land closely associated with that building.  E.g. in terms of a house and garden, the garden normally forms the curtilage of the property.

Defined Retail Frontage
(See Retail Frontage)

Derelict
A building so damaged by neglect that it is incapable of beneficial use without rebuilding.

Ecological (or Ecology)
The interactions and relationships between plants, animals and their environment.

Employment Protection Zones
Commercial land/ premises within the built-up area boundaries of settlements, to be protected from alternative use redevelopment proposals.

Enabling Development
A development that would normally be rejected as contrary to established policy, but which may be permitted because the public benefits would demonstrably outweigh the harm to other material interests.

Farm diversification
The introduction of non–agricultural enterprises (such as bed and breakfast) to support an existing farm business.

Green corridor
An area of natural or semi-natural habitat providing easy access for species of plants and animals to move from place to place. They often link areas of high wildlife value such as woodland.

Green Travel Plan
A framework developed by businesses and organisations for changing travel habits in order to provide an environment which encourages more sustainable travel patterns and less dependence on single occupancy private car use. For example, an employer may use the plan to introduce car sharing schemes or secure cycle parking facilities. Travel Plans must have measurable outcomes and should be related to targets in the West Sussex Local Transport Plan.

Greenhouse gases
Gases including water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Some human activities are increasing the amount of these gases, in the earth’s atmosphere, and is resulting climate change.

Greywater recycling
Water conservation techniques involving the collection, storage, treatment and redistribution of water from sources such as bathing, laundry washing, and household cleaning.

Habitat
The natural home or environment of a plant or animal.

High Weald Joint Advisory Committee
This organisation has been set up to manage the High Weald AONB.

Historic Landscape Assessment
A study made of the impact of any proposal within or adjacent to an historic park or garden on the character and quality of the site. The report should include appropriate conservation and enhancement measures. 

Home zone
 A street or group of streets designed primarily to meet the interests of pedestrians and cyclists rather than motorists, opening up the street for social use.

Horsham District Community Strategy
Produced by the Horsham Community Partnership (see Local Strategic Partnership), the Community Strategy outlines the needs and priorities of the community, and which also shapes the activities of the organisations within the partnerships to fulfil those needs and priorities.

Horsham District Biodiversity Action Plan
A strategy prepared for the District aimed at conserving and enhancing biodiversity.

Horsham Town Neighbourhood Appraisal (HTNA)
The HTNA is a form of ‘Parish’ Plan, including action plans and character assessments for the unparished part of Horsham Town, undertaken by the three Neighbourhood Councils (Denne, Forest and Trafalgar).

Independent Examination
Public discussion of selected issues raised by the Submission Local Development Framework Documents. The examination takes place before an independent panel appointed by the Secretary of State reporting to the Council, the final report being binding on the Council. For Development Plan Documents an examination is held even if there are no representations.

Infrastructure
Basic services such as roads, electricity, sewerage, water, education and health facilities.

International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)
A body of independent scientific experts covering Epidemiology, Biology, Dosimetry and Optical Radiation. This expertise is brought to bear on addressing the important issues of possible adverse effects on human health of exposure to non-ionising radiation. Non-ionising radiation is radiation with without enough energy to penetrate cells or to change the structure of atoms. Examples include microwaves and radio waves.

Joint Area Action Plan (JAAP)
Area Action Plans are used to provide the planning framework for areas where significant change or conservation is needed. A key feature of Area Action Plans will be the focus on implementation. They will deliver the planned ‘growth’ areas and resolve conflicting objectives in the areas subject to the major development pressures. Where more than one local authority is involved in the creation of an Area Action Plan due to a ‘cross-boundary’ strategic development it can become a jointly created plan.

Landscape Character Assessment

An assessment to identify different landscape areas which have a distinct character based on a recognisable pattern of elements, including combinations of geology, landform, soils, vegetation, land use and human settlement.

Land take
The total area of land needed for any given building or development.

Local Development Framework
The Local Development Framework is not a statutory term, however it sets out, in the form of a 'portfolio/ folder’, the Local Development Documents which collectively deliver the spatial planning strategy for the local planning authority's area. The Local Development Framework will be comprised of Local Development Documents, and Supplementary Planning Documents. The Local Development Framework will also include the Statement of Community Involvement, the Local Development Scheme and the Annual Monitoring Report.

Local Strategic Partnership
A group of public, private, voluntary and community organisations and individuals that is responsible for preparing the Community Strategy. Called the Horsham District Community Partnership in this District.

Market Town Action Plans
These follow on from a 'healthcheck' which identifies the town’s weakness, strengths, opportunities and any threats. The action plan identifies a vision for the market town and lists specific projects including funding and phasing of these projects. In Horsham District the towns that have a market town action plan in place are Billingshurst, Pulborough, Steyning, Storrington. Henfield is in the process of preparing one.

Masterplan
A type of planning brief outlining the preferred use of land and the overall approach to the layout in order to provide detailed guidance for subsequent planning applications.

Material consideration
A matter that should be taken into account in deciding a planning application or on an appeal against a planning decision.

Mitigation measures
These are measures requested / carried out in order to limit the damage by a particular development/ activity.

Multi-court
A hard-surfaced enclosed ball games court which can be used for a variety of sports.

Parish Plan
A parish plan is a statement of how the local community sees itself developing over the next few years. They should reflect the views of all sections of the community, identify character and features which local people feel are important, identify local problems and opportunities and will say how the residents want the community to develop. An action plan is usually prepared following this. A number of parishes in the District have produced or are producing Parish Plans/Action Plans.

Park and ride
Facilities which seek to reduce urban congestion by encouraging motorists to leave their vehicles at a car park on the edge of towns and travel into the centre by public transport, usually buses direct from the parking area.

Park Home
A mobile home which cannot normally be towed by a motor vehicle and which is carried, often in sections on a lorry before being assembled on a permanent or semi-permanent basis in its location.

Passive solar energy
Energy provided by a simple architectural design to capture and store the sun's heat. Examples include a garden greenhouse, or a south-facing window in a dwelling.

Planning Condition
Limitation or requirement attached to a planning permission by the planning authority when it is granted. Conditions can cover a wide range of aspects about the development permitted and the processes that must be followed to carry out the development. In general however, they are intended to make the development more acceptable.

Planning Obligation
A legally binding agreement between the local planning authority and persons with an interest in a piece of land. Planning obligations are used to secure funds or works for significant and essential elements of a scheme to make it acceptable in planning terms. Planning obligations will have been set out in an agreement often known as a ‘Section 106 Agreement’ and may be used to prescribe the nature of development, to compensate for loss or damaged created by development or to mitigate a development’s impact on surrounding built and natural environment. Circular 5/2005 sets out the national policy that regulates these agreements.

Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPG)/ Planning Policy Statements (PPS)
Central Government produce Planning Policy Guidance Notes, to be replaced by Planning Policy Statements which direct planning in the country.

Preferred Options
This stage of preparing documents takes into account the communities comments, having regard to them in the preparation of the final Development Plan Document. The intention is to provide sufficient information to ensure that people can understand the implications of the Preferred Options. The aim of the formal public participation on the Preferred Options stage is to give people the opportunity to comment on how the local planning authority is approaching the preparation of the particular Development Plan Document and to ensure that the Council it is aware of all possible options before it prepares the final ‘submission’ Development Plan Document which is the next stage in the process.

Primary Retail Frontage
(See Retail Frontage.)

Protected species
Plant and animal species afforded protection under certain Government Acts and Regulations.

Regional Planning Guidance (RPG)/ Regional Spatial Strategies (RPS)
Central Government produces Regional Planning Guidance Notes, to be replaced by Regional Spatial Strategies (in the case of Horsham, The South East Plan) which direct planning in the Regions. Current Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9) covers the period up to 2016 setting the framework for the longer term future.

Retail Frontage
A street frontage containing retail shops and services. Primary Retail Frontage is found in the town/village centre and includes a high proportion of retail uses. Secondary Retail Frontage contains a greater diversity of uses and may be found outside of the town centre.

Retail hierarchy
An ordering of the town and village centres of an area into a hierarchy so as to distinguish between major, minor and local or neighbourhood retail centres.

Riverine / Aquatic Environment
The natural environment found within or beside a river or waterbody.

Secondary Retail Frontage
(See Retail Frontage.)

Self-contained
Accommodation that has all the normal domestic facilities of a home including bedrooms, lounge room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, toilet and laundry within one building.

Sequential Approach
A planning principle that seeks to identify, allocate or develop certain types or locations of land before others. For example, brownfield sites before greenfield sites, or town centre retail sites before out-of-centre sites.  In terms of employment a sequential approach would favour an employment use over mixed use and mixed use over non-employment uses.

Spatial Strategy / Visions
A broad overview of how spatial planning objectives can be achieved within the development plan. Spatial planning goes beyond traditional land use planning to bring together and integrate policies for the development and use of land with other policies and programmes which influence the nature of places and how they function. This will include policies which can impact on land use, for example, by influencing the demands on or needs for development, but which are not capable of being delivered solely or mainly through the granting of planning permission and may be delivered through other means.

Strategic Gap
Area of largely open undeveloped land between settlements which helps to maintain the separate identity and amenity of major settlements and prevent them merging together. The two Strategic Gaps in the District (Horsham – Crawley and Horsham - Southwater) are listed in the Structure Plan and meet the criteria set out by The South East Plan. The boundaries are defined in the Local Development Framework.

Strategic Locations
Broad locations for major mixed-use development, including housing, identified within the West Sussex Structure Plan 2001 -2016. The precise locations and boundaries, mix of uses, and phasing of development to be identified in the relevant local plan i.e. in this District the Horsham District Local Development Framework.

Strategic Road Network (SRN)
A road network designated in the West Sussex Structure Plan, comprising of the M23 motorway, the trunk roads, and some other class A roads of more than local importance. These are the main routes which are best able to cater for trips starting or ending outside West Sussex.

Structure Plan
Sets out West Sussex County Council’s general strategy, policies and main proposals for land use and transport over a period of about 15 years. Consists of a statutory written statement (the policies) and key diagram together with non-statutory explanatory memorandum. Under the new planning system, structure plans will no longer be prepared and strategic planning will take place through the preparation of statutory regional spatial strategies (in the case of Horsham, The South East Plan) which will replace regional planning guidance.

Supplementary Planning Documents
Where prepared under the new planning system, Supplementary Planning Documents will be included in the Local Development Framework and will form part of the planning framework for the area. Supplementary planning documents may cover a range of issues, both topic and site specific, which may expand policy or provide further detail to policies in a Development Plan Document.

South Downs Advisory Committee
This organisation has been set up to manage the Sussex Downs AONB.

Sustainable Development
A development that is ‘sustainable’ must be consistent with the principles of sustainable development. In broad terms this means development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The Government has set out five guiding principles for sustainable development in its strategy “Securing the future - UK Government strategy for sustainable development”. The five guiding principles, to be achieved simultaneously, are: Living within environmental limits; Ensuring a strong healthy and just society; Achieving a sustainable economy; Promoting good governance; and Using sound science responsibly.

Sustainability Appraisal / Strategic Environmental Assessment
The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires Local Development Documents to be prepared with a view to contributing to the achievement of sustainable development. Sustainability Appraisal is a systematic appraisal process. The purpose of sustainability appraisal is to appraise the social, environmental and economic effects of the strategies and policies in a Local Development Document from the outset of the preparation process. This will ensure that decisions are made that accord with sustainable development. In addition, European legislation requires that the environmental effects of certain plans are assessed, documented and where necessary adverse effects corrected. This process is commonly known as Strategic Environmental Assessment, and when carried out for LDF documents, is combined with the Sustainability Appraisal process.

Topography
The physical features of an area, such as hills and valleys, taken collectively. The term applies especially to the relief and contours of the land.

Total Access Demand (TAD)

A method devised by the County and District Councils in West Sussex to calculate planning obligation contributions for sustainable transport. TAD comprises two interrelated elements: a Sustainable Access contribution in respect of each occupant or employee without a parking space and an Infrastruture contribution per occupant or employee with a parking space. The differential between the two elements is designed to encourage the development of accessible sites and to discourage the over provision of car parking spaces so as to promote sustainable transport options. The TAD methodology and contribution levels are set out in the Council’s Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document.

Transport node
An interchange point where passengers may transfer from one type of transport to another, for example at a railway station or a park and ride.

Tree Preservation Order (TPO)
A mechanism for securing the preservation of single or groups of trees of acknowledged amenity value which maybe under threat.

Urbanising
Making a location more urban in character, for example through a combination of increased density of development, traffic flow and economic activity.

Village or Parish Design Statements (VDS)
The VDS is written by the relevant local community and includes a thorough consultation and community involvement process.  It describes the character of a village or parish including its countryside or landscape setting, the form of the settlement and the characteristics and details of the buildings and spaces within the village.  The VDS in the form of design guidance helps to inform planners, developers and other interested parties about the important characteristics of the village, as determined by that community, and will influence new development. If adopted by the District Council as Supplementary Planning Guidance / Document it will become a material consideration in the determination of a planning application.

Vitality and Viability
In terms of retailing, vitality is the capacity of a centre to grow or to develop its level of commercial activity. Viability is the capacity of a centre to achieve the commercial success necessary to sustain the existence of the centre.

Waterbody
A distinct and significant volume of fresh water.

Water Course
A channel through which a moving body of water will flow, above or below ground. They include rivers and streams as well as drainage ditches.

West Sussex Local Transport Plan (LTP)
A ten year plan setting out key strategic transport objectives and outlining broad strategies that will be pursued to meet the objectives. The LTP must tie-in with the broader strategic planning framework set out in the South East Plan and in national policies.

Windfall site
A site not specifically allocated for development in the Local Development Framework which unexpectedly becomes available for development during the lifetime of a plan.