Planning Terms

AONB - Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 

CONSERVATION AREA - Information about Conservation Areas.

CONTAMINATED LAND - See our Environment page for information on Contaminated Land and Planning. 

DESIGN & ACCESS STATEMENTS - These can be required for a planning application.

FLOOD RISK - Environment Agency standing advice on flood risk.

LISTED BUILDINGS   - Listed Building Consent is the consent needed to do works to a listed building, and must be applied for, along with planning or other permissions.

MICROGENERATION PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT
Microgeneration systems like ground source heat pumps and solar panels are now permitted development and no longer require planning consent.   Size limitations have been set to reduce impact on neighbours. The amendment allows for the installation of solar photovoltaics (PV), solar thermal, ground and water source heat pumps, biomass heating and combined heat and power systems on or within the curtilage of the dwelling house. The current revisions came into effect on 6 April 2008.

Read the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (England) Order 2008.

NON-MATERIAL AMENDMENTS
Following a grant of planning permission, it may be necessary to make amendments to the permission. Whether or not a proposed amendment is non-material will depend on the circumstances of the case – a change which may be non-material in one case could be material in another. However, North Norfolk District Council applies the following criteria when considering whether an amendment is ‘non-material’:  

1. The amendment does not alter the development materially from the approved description of the planning permission granted or the appearance of the development.
2. No adopted planning policy would be breached by the amendment.
3. The amendment would not conflict significantly with the terms of an objection lodged in relation to the original permission.
4. The proposed amendment would not move any wall outwards significantly towards a boundary.
5. The amendment would not significantly increase the height of any roof.
6. The amendment would not introduce any window which could potentially permit overlooking of other properties.

Exceptions to criteria 4, 5 and 6 may be made in circumstances where no loss of amenity or injustice to the occupiers of neighboring properties would be affected.
If you are uncertain whether an amendment is ‘non-material’ you should seek pre-application advice with the District Council (ideally with the planning officer who dealt with the original planning application).

NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK  (NPPF)
The National Planning Policy Framework was published in March 2012, consolidating over two-dozen previously issued documents called Planning Policy Statements (PPS) and Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPG). The Framework is a key part of the Coalition Government reforms to make the planning system less complex and more accessible, to protect the environment and to promote sustainable growth. Local authorities must take the contents of the NPPF into account when preparing plans and considering planning applications.

PARs - Planning application requirements.
Information about what national and local requirements have to be satisfied for different types of planning applications.

PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS and ARTICLE 4 DIRECTIONS
Information about what you are permitted to do without making a planning application, including Article 4 restrictions where those permitted development rights have been removed.

PLANNING CONDITIONS
Planning conditions are often applied to the grant of planning permission. These limit and control the way in which the planning permission may be implemented. Conditions may be imposed on the grant of planning permission for regulating development or use of any land under the control of the applicant, requiring the carrying out of works on any such land, the removal of any buildings or works authorised by the permission, or the discontinuance of any use of land so authorised, at the end of a specified period, and the carrying out of any works required for the reinstatement of land at the end of that period.

SECTION 106 LEGAL AGREEMENTS
Section 106 (S106) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 allows a local planning authority to enter into a legally-binding agreement or planning obligation with a landowner in association with the granting of planning permission. The obligation is termed a Section 106 Agreement.
These agreements are a way of delivering or addressing matters that are necessary to make a development acceptable in planning terms. They are increasingly used to support the provision of services and infrastructure, such as highways, recreational facilities, education, health and affordable housing.
The scope of such agreements is laid out in the government’s National Planning Policy Framework which states that a S106 must be:

• Necessary to make a development acceptable in planning terms
• Directly related to the development
• Fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind.

 North Norfolk District Council’s standard terms for inclusion of Section 106 Agreements relating to affordable housing can be downloaded here .

PLANNING POLICY
Planning Policy is the process of preparing documents that set out the Council's approach to the management of development in the District. This involves preparing a local plan containing policies and proposals that set out what can be built and where. The local plan for North Norfolk is known as the Local Development Framework - a series of documents that sets out how your local area may change over the next few years. The planning policies which guide planning decisions in North Norfolk are contained in the Core Strategy and proposals for new development over the next 10-15 years are shown in the Site Allocations document. Other adopted documents are available from the Council's Planning Policy web pages.

SSSI - Site of Special Scientific Interest
This is an area of land which English Nature has deemed to be of special interest by reason of its flora, fauna or geological or physiographical features. These sites are notified under Sections 28 or 29 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. 
See English Nature's web pages
Read the Council's Core Strategy Policy EN 9 Biodiversity & Geology, which has a link to a map.

TPO - Tree Protection Orders - see our Trees and Landscape page for more information.

If you are unsure as to whether your proposal requires planning permission, please contact us by:  

• Telephone: 01263 516151 / 516150 / 516143  or
• E-mail: planning@north-norfolk.gov.uk

You may be asked to provide suitable plans in order that we can decide whether you do need planning permission.