Glossary (E - L)

This glossary of planning terms is intended to provide a simple guide. It is not a statement of the law, nor does it claim to be an authoritative interpretation of the law.

Examination in Public (EIP) - consideration of public views on a draft structure plan or proposed changes to it, held before an independent inspector.

Express Consent - this is needed to display an advertisement, which does not benefit from deemed consent under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements Regulations).

Edge-of-centre - for shopping, a location within easy walking distance of the primary shopping area, often with parking and a main store; for offices or leisure purposes, the term may refer to something more extensive a little further out but at a still walkable distance from a public transport hub.

Enforcement - 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.

Enforcement Notice - notice requiring the discontinuance of an unauthorised use and/or the removal of buildings, including restoration of land, where development has been begun without permission or in breach of a condition.

English Heritage (Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) - a national body funded by the government to promote and give advice on building conservation matters.

English Nature - a national body funded by the government to promote and give advice on the conservation of England's wildlife and natural features.

Environmental Appraisal - the process of weighing all the policies in a development plan for their global, national and local implications.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) - The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/293) require an EIA to be carried out for certain types of development.  The EIA process evaluates the likely significant effects of a development on the environment and examines mitigation measures to remove or reduce these effects.  The information is assembled and reproduced as an environmental statement (ES).  A local planning authority must take the ES into account and comments on the ES from the public and statutory consultees before they reach a decision on whether to grant development consent.

Established use - a use which does not conform to a plan but against which enforcement proceedings cannot be taken, often because of the length of time a use has been in operation.

Established Use Certificate - these were issued by a planning authority before July 1992 where it could be shown that a use of land or buildings had existed since before 1964. It gave immunity from enforcement action. Since July 1992 these have been replaced by Lawful Development Certificates.

European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) - non-binding regional structure plan for the European Union.

General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) - the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 grants rights (known as permitted development rights) to carry out certain limited forms of development without the need to make an application for planning permission.

Green Belt - specially 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.

Green-field Site - an area not previously used for built development.

Habitable Room - all living rooms and bedrooms, but not kitchens, bathrooms, WCs or circulation space, are normally regarded as habitable for the purposes of density calculations.

Infrastructure - permanent resources serving society's needs, including roads, sewers, schools, hospitals, railways, communication networks etc.

Integrated Transport Strategy - the integration of land-use and transportation planning to allow transport provision and the demand for travel to be planned and managed together, balancing the use of different modes of transport to encourage easy transfer between them and reduced reliance on the private car.

Land Compensation - concerns the assessment of compensation where land, or some other interest in land, is being acquired, either compulsorily, or by agreement, by an authority possessing compulsory purchase powers.

Lawful Development Certificate - a procedure by which existing or proposed uses and other forms of development can be certified as lawful for planning purposes. An application has to be made to the local planning authority and there is a right of appeal against their decision.

Listed Building - building or other structure of special architectural or historic interest included on a statutory list and assigned a grade (I, II* or II).

Listed Building Consent - a permission required for the alteration or demolition of a listed building.

Local Nature Reserve (LNR) - area designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 as being of particular importance to nature conservation and where public understanding of nature conservation issues is encouraged.

Local Plan - statutory development plan prepared by a local planning authority setting out detailed policies for environmental protection and development.

Local Planning Authority - the local authority or council that is empowered by law to exercise planning functions. This is normally the local borough or district council, but in National Parks and some other areas there is a different arrangement.