This section contains a selection of planning terms, together with explanatory paragraphs used in this Plan. Acronyms and abbreviations are listed at the end of this chapter.

Way or means of entry into a building, site, or area of activity, e.g. housing or labour market. The term is also used in relation to improvements for the benefit of people with disabilities. Policy 4.3 and Supplementary Guidance 'Accessible Ealing' deal with accessibility issues.

Housing accessible to people whose incomes are insufficient to enable them to afford adequate housing locally on the housing market. It is comprised of two elements. Firstly social-rented or shared ownership housing provided by housing associations or local authorities and low cost homes for sale. Secondly, it includes 'intermediate housing' which is sub market housing substantially above Housing Corporation target rents, but substantially below open market levels. This category includes low-cost home ownership schemes and key worker housing. See Policy 5.2. It also includes purpose built student residential accommodation.

Aggregates

Building materials quarried or excavated from the ground - mainly sand and gravel in London. See Chapter 2 Environmental Resources and Waste and Policy 2.3.

The pleasant qualities of the environment. Amenities are those facilities which can make an environment more agreeable. Policies in Chapter 3 Green Space and Natural Environment; Chapter 4 Urban Design; Chapter 5 Housing cover this, but all the chapters have some relevant policies. In a domestic context, basic amenities include a fixed bath or shower in bathroom, wash hand basin, sink, hot and cold water supply at these points, and an inside WC if practicable, or a readily accessible outside WC.

A structure of national importance scheduled by the Secretary of State for the Environment under Section 1 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 (as amended by the National Heritage Act 1983). See Policy 4.9.

Ancillary Development

Subsidiary development of a building or piece of land, e.g. storage and office floorspace ancillary to a factory.

Those areas of historic importance to the Borough, which contain archaeological remains which the Council wishes to protect. See Policy 4.9.

Business Use Class of the Town and County Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987, including many office, light industrial, research and development uses, which can be carried out in a residential area. See Chapter 6 Business.

For the purposes of the plan, backland sites are considered to be sites that are almost totally surrounded by housing or other development. See Policy 5.5.

Biodiversity

Means literally the "variety of life" - the innumerable species of animals and plants on earth, and the wide range of urban and rural habitats where they live. The concept was recognised internationally at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. See Chapter 3 and Policy 3.8.

Catchment Management Principles

The integrated management of water, land and environmental resources within a geographical river system catchment (e.g. in Ealing - River Thames, Brent and Crane Valley), so as to avoid conflicting investment, development or other decisions. In the case of water resources, this will include all forms of drainage, runoff, direct and indirect flooding and groundwater.

City Car Club

Combined Heat and Power (CHP)

The generation of electricity which utilises the surplus heat from generation and distributes it to homes or other buildings in the local area. See Policy 2.9.

See Shopping Frontages.

Community facilities include leisure, cultural, educational, religious, health and social services facilities. See Chapter 8.

Community Open Space is protected from development so that it is available as open space for the community, but not with full public access. See Policy 3.4.

A document published by London Borough of Ealing specifying Council's direction and ways in dealing with various community issues, ranging from community safety to transport, community learning to customer services.

Controlled Waters

These include all watercourses, canals and water contained in underground strata (groundwater) and it is an offence to pollute such water.

Dead Frontage

The façade or front of a building or shop (or a group of buildings or shops forming a frontage) that is devoid of activity/display and as such lacks any visual interaction with passers-by. See also 'Designated Frontage' and Policy 7.2.

Area where a facility such as a shop, park or community centre is absent and which is beyond a reasonable distance from the nearest such facility. See Chapter 3 for Open Space Deficiency.

Demonstrable Need

The 'need' for a proposed development must be shown as part of the development control process. In order to ascertain this 'need', there are a number of factors that should be considered, including capacity (in physical terms) and demand (in terms of available expenditure), however the requirement to show such need is met by analysing more than these two factors. See PPG 6 (as clarified in February 1999) and Policy 7.2.

Designated Shopping Frontage

Defined and qualified by the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (s.22) as 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 building or other land.

The part of Town Planning which decides whether development may proceed and thus Planning Permission be given, with reference to any plans for the area and other relevant considerations.

For the purposes of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 the development plan for any London Borough is the Unitary Development Plan.

Defined in the 1991 census as limiting long term illness; including any long term illness, health problem or handicap, which limits a persons daily activities or the work he or she can do. It includes problems which are due to old age. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 acknowledges that disability includes people with any form of impairment, mental or physical, which affects their ability to perform normal day-to-day activities. This may be difficulties with hearing, sight, mobility or health, including a learning disability or mental health problem. See Policies 4.3, 5.3 and 9.7.

See Shopping Hierarchy and Policy 7.1 Table 1.

The Duty of Care places the following requirement on Council, related to the waste it manages: prevent improper handling of waste; prevent escape of waste; ensure waste is only transferred to authorised persons; and ensure that waste is adequately described and documented to minimise the potential for contraventions of the above. See Policy 2.10.

The conservation of energy is a key issue that the Government (PPG 12) considers should contribute to a range of environmental objectives, such as reducing emissions from greenhouse gases. See Chapter 2.

External conditions or surroundings. See Chapter 3 Green Space and the Natural Environment.

Written declaration of any environmental impacts arising from a planning application. Environmental Statements are prepared in respect of Schedule 4 of the EA regs (1999), where they form a report on the findings of an Environmental Assessment.

See Policy 5.6.

Within the Borough there are buildings that have particularly important/significant frontages. The Council has recognised these buildings as having façade value and therefore seeks to retain their salient features.

Dwellings with three or more habitable rooms. See Policy 5.1 and Table 5A.

General Development Order (GPDO)

A statement by central government of the type and scale of Development which does not require Planning Permission. Where an Article 4 Direction applies, as in a Conservation Area for example, the rights of permitted development granted by the GDO are restricted, and they may be further restricted by a planning permission through conditions. The most recent version is referred to as GPDO. General Permitted Development Order 1995.

A concept recognised in the Green Belt Act 1938, included as the Green Belt Ring in the Greater London Plan 1944, and given wider recognition in a government circular in 1955. See Chapter 3 Green Space and the Natural Environment.

Near continuous areas of open space that link Green Belt, Metropolitan Open Land and Sites for Local Nature Conservation, and which provide amenity, access, landscaping and conduits for plants and animals. See Chapter 3 and Policy 3.2.

The floor area based on the overall dimensions of the building(s); including the thickness of external walls, the floor area of roof structures such as lift or tank rooms, and covered parking, servicing and other ancillary areas, but excluding floor area completely or mainly below ground level.

All rooms suitable for living in, including dining rooms and bedrooms and kitchens over 11 sq m. Large rooms over 20 sq m that are capable of being divided are counted as two or more as appropriate. See Chapter 5.

Any goods vehicle which has an operating weight exceeding 7.5 tonnes. See Transport Appendix.

Heritage Land

Conservation Areas, Listed Buildings, Areas of Archaeological Importance and Registered Parks and Gardens. See Chapter 4, Urban Design.

Over 20m or 65ft in height. See Chapter 4 Table 4B.

Person living alone, or persons living at the same address, with common housekeeping, or sharing a common living or sitting room.

Framework of services which are necessary for the operation of the normal functions of the community and the economy, e.g. roads, underground services etc.

Key Sites

Within Ealing's Town Centres, there are development opportunity sites ranging in availability from the short to long term, which if developed appropriately, would enhance the centre within which it exists. See Shopping and Town Centres Chapter 7 and Policy 7.1.

Landmark Building

A building or structure that stands out from its background by virtue of height, size or some other aspect of design.

LEAP - Local Environment Agency Plan

An integrated action plan for the local river catchment which covers all functions of the Environment Agency. The LEAP provides the strategy by which the catchment will be managed. It should be noted that the Environment Agency are currently replacing LEAP's with Catchment Management Plans.

Legibility

A building of special architectural or historic interest included on a statutory list compiled by the DoE. Planning Permission is required for the demolition or alteration of such a building. Local lists are prepared by the Borough. Buildings on it may also have architectural or historic importance. See Chapter 4 Urban Design and Policy 4.6.

See Shopping Hierarchy and Single Units. Policy 7.1 Table 7A.

Area established under National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, as amended by the Local Government Act 1972. See Chapter 3 and Policy 3.8.

A set of principles to guide community facility proposals. The consideration includes the compatibility of the development with its surrounding, the amount of traffic generated by the development, accessibility to public transport and the need for that particular development. See Community Facilities Chapter 8 Table 8A.

Views particularly important to nearby residents. See Chapter 4.

Major Development Developments of 10 or more residential units or 1000sqm or more gross floor area. See policy 8.2.

Areas where employment uses will be concentrated, particularly industrial and ancillary uses. See Chapter 6 and Policy 6.1.

Major centres

See Shopping Hierarchy and Policy 7.1 Table 7A.

Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land. See Chapter 3, Policy 3.1.

Material Considerations

in respect of a planning application, material considerations are any considerations which relate to the use and development of land and are relevant to the site in question. Further advice is provided in PPG1 paras 25-32.

Metropolitan Centre

See Shopping Hierarchy and Policy 7.1 Table 7A.

Minor Development

Less than 10 units within a residential development. See Policy 5.6.

Mixed Use Development

A development which combines a mix of uses either on a site or in individual buildings, such as flats or offices over shops. It can refer to a small site or individual building with a mix of uses within the same building, or to a variety of uses in an area such as a neighbourhood, a town centre or an urban village. For a development to be viable and beneficial for the community, it should be adequate to the scale of the site or development, taking into account its location and its relationship with the surrounding area. See Policy 4.2.

Means of travel e.g. foot, cycle, car, bus, train etc.

A process by which the use or effectiveness of policies can be measured. See Chapter 1, Strategy.

Surveillance is created when areas are overlooked by other users. Natural surveillance occurs when buildings of all types front onto streets, squares or parks and contribute to overlooking. See Policy 4.4.

See Chapter 3 Green Space and the Natural Environment.

Neighbourhood Centres

See Shopping Hierarchy and Policy 7.1 Table 7A.

Dwellings with less than three habitable rooms. See Policy 5.1 and Table 5A.

Open Air Recreation

Any open land which is used by the public or local community for outdoor recreation, whether publicly or privately owned, and whether use is by permission, as of right, or de facto. See the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 Section 290 or 1990 Section 336. Open space means any land laid out as a public garden, or used for the purpose of public recreation, or land which is a disused burial ground. See Chapter 3.

Other Shopping Centre Uses

Include such uses as laundrettes, dry cleaners and veterinary practices, which whilst providing essential services, can cause problems including noise disturbance, odour and negative traffic impacts. See Policy 7.7.

Involvement of the public in town planning. The Council is legally obliged to provide for public participation.

Fine particles released to the air from vehicle fuel, particularly diesel. See Policy 2.6.

Minor development, which by virtue of the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) does not require planning permission.

Piecemeal

An additional feature of a privately-proposed development project which complements that project and assists in meeting the needs of the community, e.g. providing open space, public right of way or community facilities, affordable housing, housing infrastructure, bringing other sites into beneficial use, shared facilities, recreational uses, environmental or transport improvements, or conservation of buildings or places of special historic or architectural interest. These may be subject to a Section 106 agreement. (Town and Country Planning Act 1990). See Policy 1.10.

A description of the type of development which the Council would expect on particular development sites; including land uses, features to be retained, overall design considerations and Planning Advantage where appropriate. A Planning Brief is supplementary to the Unitary Development Plan.

Formal approval given by a local planning authority for Development requiring planning permission (see General Development Order), usually valid for five years for a full permission; or three years for an outline permission, in which details are reserved for subsequent approval.

Section 12 of the Planning and Compensation Act 1991, allows developers to enter into a planning obligation, either as an agreement with the local planning authority or unilaterally. Planning obligations can be modified or discharged, and can be entered into in respect of Crown Land.

The Plan's policies are the Councils intentions for the use of land, and are as set out in the policy statements. Each is numbered by a reference to the section in which it appears, e.g. Chapter 4 for Urban Design. See also the Index of Policies.

The statistical characteristics of the population; by numbers, age, sex and ethnic composition.

See Private Open Space.

Includes company and club sports-grounds, as well as private or restricted access gardens.

Used interchangeably with the word policy. Sometimes proposals specify intended development on defined sites and defined areas in which general policies apply.

Proximity Principle

A term used in the context of waste and minerals planning. In respect of waste this principle seeks to ensure that waste is managed as close as possible to its place of origin, to minimise the impacts of transporting waste. In respect of minerals, it relates to the need to ensure that the working and distribution of minerals is located as close as possible to the source of demand. In the Ealing context, this principle is used to ensure that the distribution of railheads are located in close proximity to those sites which use the aggregates.

See Participation.

Receptors

The humans, animals, plants or buildings and property that may receive pollution from air, water or land. See Policy 2.7.

The energy flows that occur naturally and repeatedly in the environment, including energy from the sun, the wind, the oceans and fall of waters, geothermal energy and plant material. See Policy 2.9.

The number of dwellings per 'net residential area', measured in habitable rooms per hectare (or acre).

'Net residential area' means the land occupied by housing development, including any small public or private amenity space included in the layout, and half the width of the shortest adjoining street, up to a maximum of 20ft (6m). See Housing Chapter 5 and Table 5A.

The factors (broadly people, land and finance) determining Plan implementation, and the natural resources which sustain life and the planet.

Retail centre

See Shopping Hierarchy and Policy 7.1 Table 7A.

Retail Need

A binding agreement made between a local planning authority and a developer on the occasion of grant of Planning Permission for development, usually with the object of obtaining a Planning Advantage, which could not be the subject of a planning condition. Also see Planning Obligations.

In assessing the appropriateness of new development, a Sequential Test is applied. The first preference should be to locate within existing town centres and only when town centre sites are not available should edge of centre sites be considered. It is only after the consideration of these locations that out-of-centre locations should be considered, provided that these are readily accessible by a choice of means of transport, including public transport. See Policies 7.2 and 8.4.

Delivering or removing goods or other material, to or from premises.

A shop is defined in the Use Classes Order, Class A1, as a use for the sale, display or service to the public for: selling retail goods other than hot food, a post office, selling tickets, travel agency, selling cold food for consumption off the premises, hairdressing, funeral direction, hiring out domestic or personal goods, reception of goods to be washed, cleaned or repaired.

See Shopping Hierarchy and Policy 7.1 Table 7A.

The part of a shop or group of shops normally used for the display of goods to the passer-by. The term is also used for a street block in which some or all of the premises are shops.

Single Units

See Local Centre. See Shopping Hierarchy Policy 7.1 Table 7A.

Site Coverage Standards

This is a measure of the percentage of the site area covered by buildings. For further information see the relevant Supplementary Planning Guidance.

Local landscape features, both in built-up and on open land, that are affected by development and will promote conservation and enhancement. Also see Policy 3.8.

Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation

Area identified by the London Ecology Unit as of metropolitan significance for nature conservation.

Sites and Monument Records (SMR)

Archaeological finds recorded on maps with description, kept by English Heritage. Information is available in the Planning Division.

Social Impacts

The social effects of a proposal on its surrounding area, such as the effects on education, transport safety, community facilities and aesthetic. See Chapter 8 Community Facilities Table 8C.

Source Control

The control of runoff or pollution, at or near its source. Terminology often used in the context of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems.

Special Opportunity Sites

Sites where existing urban fabric is deteriorating or outmoded, and a mix of uses are permitted in order to stimulate regeneration. See Policy 2.1.

The overall management of issues which require some degree of co-ordination and/or have more than local implications. See Chapter 1 Strategy.

Street trading is defined as trading outside shop buildings on private forecourts, and on pavements that form the public highway. See Policy 7.8.

See Chapter 5 Housing and Policy 5.5.

Development which meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. See Chapter 1 Strategy.

Produced as a guide for developers and others involved in the planning process, this checklist can provide an indication of the sustainability of a proposal, by including indicators such as energy efficiency, levels of redevelopment, details of parking etc. See Policy 2.1 and Supplementary Planning Guidance.

Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems

A sequence of management practices and control structures designed to drain surface water in a sustainable way. See Policy 2.5.

Defined in PPG3 (DoE March 1992) as one house immediately behind another and sharing the access. This is generally unsatisfactory because of the difficulties of access to the house at the back, and the disturbance and lack of privacy suffered by the house in front. See Policy 5.5 and Table 5F.

Measures to improve traffic flow and the associated environment. See Chapter 9 Transport.

Point at which transfer between means of transport may take place. See Policy 9.2.

An order to protect specific trees where they offer particular quality, such as visual quality, or are part of a group. See Policy 4.5.

Statutory plans produced by each borough, which integrate strategic and local planning responsibilities, through policies and proposals for the development and use of land in their areas.

This accompanies a planning application and gives further details regarding urban design issues such as landscaping, layout, access links and materials used. See Policy 4.1.

Buildings and land uses which form a built-up area.

DFE - Department for Education

DoE - Department of the Environment

HMO - Houses in Multiple Occupation

LIP - Local Implementation Plan

LNR - Local Nature Reserve

LPA - Local Planning Authority

NHS - National Health Service

SLNC - Site for Local Nature Conservation

SMI - Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation

SMR - Sites and Monuments Records (Archaeological)

SPG - Supplementary Planning Guidance

SSSI - Site of Special Scientific Interest