Village Clusters Housing Allocations Plan - Alternative Sites & Focused Changes (Reg. 18)

Ended on the 5 February 2024

Glossary

Accessible
In the case of community facilities and services (such as healthcare), easy to travel to or use. With reference to buildings or public transport, easy to enter and use by all.

Affordable housing
Housing provided for sale or rent at prices below the current market rate, which people in housing need are able to afford. Affordable housing tenures are defined in government guidance, as set out in Annex 2 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Allocated
Land which has been identified for a specific use in the current Development Plan.

Area Action Plan (AAP)
A development plan document within the local plan that establishes a set of development proposals and policies for a specific area. In South Norfolk Area Action Plans have been written for Long Stratton and Wymondham.

Biodiversity
The variety of different types of plant and animal life in a region.

Biodiversity net gain
Refers to development having a positive impact on biodiversity, leaving it in a better state than before development occurred.

Brownfield land, brownfield site
Land or site that has been subject to previous development.

Brownfield Register
Brownfield land registers provide up-to-date information about sites that local authorities consider to be appropriate for residential development having regard to the relevant legislation.

Built environment
The man-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from personal shelter to neighbourhoods to the large-scale civic surroundings.

Business use
Land use class covering light industry, offices, research and development.

Climate Change Mitigation
Actions taken to limit the magnitude or rate of global warming and its associated effects, usually involving a reduction in human emissions of greenhouse gases.

Commitments
Development proposals which already have planning permission or are allocated in adopted development plans.

Community facilities
Services that meet the day-to-day needs of a community such as village halls, post offices, doctors' and dentists' surgeries, play areas, recycling facilities, libraries and places of worship.

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)
A financial charge on new development introduced by the Planning Act 2008 as a tool for Local Authorities to help deliver infrastructure to support growth and development in their area. Within the Greater Norwich area the CIL 123 List sets out which infrastructure items may be funded by CIL payments.

Conservation Area
Area of special historic and/or architectural interest which is designated by the Local Planning Authority as being important to conserve and enhance. Special planning controls apply within these areas.

County Wildlife Site (CWS)
Wildlife habitat identified and designated as being of particular local interest or importance by Norfolk County Council and the Norfolk Wildlife Trust but which is not of sufficient national merit to be declared as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. A CWS does not benefit from statutory protection but does have some protection in the planning system.

Cross-subsidy housing
The provision of a limited amount of market housing on a development site to ensure that the provision of affordable housing on the same site is equitable

Custom-Build
A form of self-build home that is, in some form, supported by a developer through a more hands off approach than a traditional self-build would entail.

Decentralised and renewable or low-carbon energy sources
Sources of energy that are renewable or low-carbon (or a combination of these) and locally based (on-site or near-site, but not remote off-site), usually on a relatively small scale. Decentralised energy is a broad term used to denote a diverse range of technologies, including micro-renewables, which can locally serve an individual building, development or wider community and includes heating and cooling energy.

Development
Defined in planning law as 'the carrying out of building, engineering, mining or other operations in, on, over, or under land, or the making of a material change of use of any building or land'.

Development Boundary
See Settlement Limit.

Development brief
A document describing and leading the form and layout of development in a prescribed area.

Development Plan
A set of plans guiding future development in the area. The Development Plan consists of the locally prepared Development Plan documents, including Neighbourhood Plans approved at referendum.

Development Plan Document
Locally prepared document on a specific topic which forms part of the Development Plan and which subject to independent examination before adoption, (also commonly referred to as DPDs.)

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Environmental Statement (ES)
Written assessment, submitted with certain kinds of planning application, which sets out the anticipated effects of the proposed development. Such statements deal with the full environment effects of development proposals and include any mitigation measures needed under the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Amendment) Regulations 2018

Exception site
A small site to be used specifically for affordable housing that would not normally be acceptable for housing as it would be subject to policies of restraint. These sites are generally located at the edge of existing settlements.

Five-year housing land supply
A requirement by Government for Local Planning Authorities to ensure that there is sufficient land available that is suitable, available and deliverable for housing development. The amount of land available should be sufficient to fulfil the housing requirement for the next five years.

Geodiversity
The variety of different types of geology, landforms, soils and physical processes in a particular region.

Greater Norwich Growth Board (GNGB)
A partnership between Broadland District Council, Norwich City Council, South Norfolk Council, Norfolk County Council and New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to provide homes, jobs and infrastructure. It also provides strategic direction, monitoring and co-ordination of the Greater Norwich City Deal.

Green infrastructure
A network of multi-functional green space which delivers benefits to both the environment and the local community. Green infrastructure includes natural green spaces colonised by plants and animals and man-made managed green spaces such as areas used for outdoor sport and recreation including public and private open space. These spaces may include allotments, urban parks and designed historic landscapes as well as their many interconnections such as footpaths, cycleways, green corridors and waterways.

Greenfield land, greenfield site
Land which has not previously been built on, including land in use for agriculture or forestry. Greenfield land does not include residential garden land.

Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA)
An HRA identifies any aspect of the emerging Local Plan that would have the potential to cause a likely significant effect on Natura 2000 sites or sites protected by European designations (Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas, Ramsar sites) either in isolation or cumulatively, and to identify appropriate avoidance and mitigation strategies where impacts are identified.

Heritage Asset
A building, monument, site, place, area or landscape with historic interest that provides a material record of history or meaning for a community. Heritage assets may be either 'designated' or 'non-designated' and have a degree of significance that merits consideration in planning decisions.

Historic environment
Aspects of the environment which result from the interactions between people and places through time.

Housing Delivery Test
Measures net additional dwellings provided in a local authority area against the numbers of homes required using national statistics and local authority data. The Housing Delivery Test data is published annually by the Secretary of State.

Inclusive Growth
A form of economic growth that aims to improve opportunities for everyone in the local community.

Index of Multiple Deprivation
A ward-level index made up from six indicators (income; employment; health deprivation and disability; education; skills and training; housing; and geographical access to services)

Infill development
Small-scale development filling a gap within an otherwise built up area.

Infrastructure
The network of services to which it is usual for most buildings or activities to be connected. Infrastructure includes physical services serving the particular development (e.g. gas, electricity and water supply; telephones, sewerage) and also includes networks of roads, public transport routes, footpaths etc as well as community facilities and green infrastructure.

Joint Core Strategy (JCS)
A key planning policy document for the Greater Norwich Area produced in partnership between Broadland, Norwich and South Norfolk that sets out the long-term vision for the area up until 2026. The JCS has a considerable impact on the Greater Norwich Local Plan (GNLP) which in turn determines growth up until 2038 and will supersede the JCS when adopted.

Local Nature Reserve (LNR)
Area of botanical or wildlife interest where access and use by local people is encouraged through designation by the local authority.

Local centre
A group of shops or services forming a centre of purely local significance.

Local housing need
An assessment of the need for housing at a local level using the standard methodology set out by the Government.

Low-carbon
To minimise carbon dioxide emissions from a human activity.

Major development
For housing, development where 10 or more dwellings are to be provided or the site has an area of 0.5 hectares or more. For non-residential development, it means additional floorspace of 1,000m2 or more or a site of 1 hectare or more.

Market Housing
Housing that is for sale on the open market without restrictions on the pricing or tenure.

Masterplan
A long term planning document that provides a conceptual framework to guide future growth and development.

Mineral Safeguarding Area
An area designated by minerals planning authorities (in the GNLP area being Norfolk County Council) which covers known areas of minerals deposits that are to be safeguarded from non-mineral development

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
A document which sets out the Government's economic, environmental and social planning policies for England and how they should be applied. It provides a baseline structure from which locally-prepared plans (such as the GNLP) can be produced and it is a material consideration in planning decisions.

National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG)
A web-based resource which brings together planning guidance on various topics into one easily accessible place. The guidance supports the NPPF but is not government policy.

Neighbourhood Plan
A plan prepared by a parish/town council or neighbourhood forum for a designated neighbourhood area. Once made by the Local Planning Authority it becomes part of the Development Plan for the area.

Non-strategic policies
Policies contained in a Neighbourhood Plan, or those policies in a local plan that are not strategic policies.

Norwich fringe
Area next to the city of Norwich, but lying in another administrative district which is predominantly developed, including open spaces encompassed within the developed area. In South Norfolk this area includes Colney, Costessey, Cringleford and Trowse.

Open Space
Areas of land that usually come forward as part of a development site which remain undeveloped but can generally be used for either formal or informal recreation purposes.

Permission in Principle
A form of planning permission which establishes the suitability of a site for a specific amount of housing-led development. The site must subsequently obtain consent for the technical details before development can proceed.

Planning conditions
A condition imposed on a grant of planning permission which can either require additional details to be agreed or restrict the use of the site.

Planning obligations
Legal agreements between a planning authority and a developer, or undertakings offered unilaterally by a developer to ensure that specific works are carried out, payments made or other actions undertaken which would otherwise be outside the scope of the planning permission. Often called Section 106 obligations. The term legal agreements may embrace S106.

Previously developed land
See Brownfield land.

Protected species
Any species which, because of its rarity or threatened status is protected by statutory legislation (The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) and the Conservation (Natural Habitats etc) Regulations 1994).

Ramsar site
A European designation that protects areas of wetland.

Recreational Impact Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy (RAMS)
A strategy facilitating residential development, whilst at the same time adequately protecting wildlife sites from harm that comes with growth in rural areas from increased recreation pressure.

Renewable energy
Energy generated from sources which are non-finite or can be replenished. Includes solar power, wind energy, power generated from waste, biomass etc.

Rights of Way, Public Rights of Way
Public footpaths and bridleways as defined in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. The phrase 'rights of way' include the above and permissive routes where there is no legal right of way but access is permitted by the landowner.

Scheduled Ancient Monument
Ancient structure, usually unoccupied, above or below the ground, which is preserved by order of the Secretary of State. Works affecting an ancient monument must be approved by the Secretary of State.

Section 106 Agreement (S106)
See planning obligations

Settlement Hierarchy
A way of arranging settlements into a hierarchy based upon a number of criteria, such as population and services offered.

Settlement Limit
A boundary line defining the extent of the consolidated built-up area of a settlement. Further development will normally be acceptable within defined Settlement Limits, subject to site specific constraints or considerations. Sometimes also called development boundaries, settlement boundaries or village envelopes.

Shared equity, Shared ownership
Arrangements whereby home buyers may pay only part of the initial cost of buying their home. Shared equity means topping up a small deposit with an equity loan and acquiring the rest of the home with a mortgage. Shared ownership involves buying a stake in a home with the remaining proportion being owned by (typically) a housing association.

Site Allocation DPD
A document used to identify sites to accommodate the range of land uses necessary to implement the objectives of the local plan. South Norfolk adoped a site allocations document in 2015.

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
Site or area designated as being of national importance because of its wildlife, plants or flower species and/or unusual or typical geological features. SSSIs are identified by Natural England and have protected status under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Special Areas of Conservation are defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora. They are defined to protect the 220 habitats and approximately 1,000 species listed in Annex I and II of the Directive which are considered to be of European interest following criteria given in the Directive.

Special Protection Areas (SPAs)
Special Protection Areas are strictly protected sites classified in accordance with Article 4 of the EC Birds Directive, which was amended in 2009 (Directive 2009/147/EC). They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds (as listed on Annex I of the Directive), and for regularly occurring migratory species.

Starter homes
New build properties built exclusively for first time buyers aged between 23 and 40 years. A number of criteria must be met for a dwelling to be considered as a starter home.

Strategic policies
Policies and site allocations which address strategic priorities in line with Section 19 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

Street furniture
Collective term for permanent structures installed within the highway, including footways and pedestrian areas. Includes street lighting columns, signs, seats, litter bins, telephone kiosks, post boxes etc.

Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space (SANGS)
A name given to green space that is of a quality and type suitable to be used as mitigation in relation to the protection of important natural spaces when residential development or growth is proposed.

Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)
Guidance published by the local planning authorities to provide further detailed information on how local plan policies are to be applied or interpreted. SPDs may be prepared jointly, particularly where a consistent policy approach is required over an area covered by more than one local planning authority. SPDs may be concerned with a particular issue, or may provide more detailed guidance of the development of a specific site, covering a whole range of issues. This is frequently referred to as a development brief.

Sustainability Appraisal (SA)
An appraisal of the economic, environmental and social effects of a plan from the outset of the preparation process to allow decisions to be made that accord with sustainable development.

Sustainable development
A term mostly derived from the 1987 Brundtland Report. Interpretation varies but typically the term means meeting economic and social goals without undermining the environment, as well as meeting needs of the present without compromising the environment for future generations. In 2015 the United Nations agreed 17 Sustainable Development Goals to be reached by 2030. The UK is amongst the countries leading the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Sustainable drainage system (SuDS)
Efficient drainage system which seeks to minimise wastage of water, including the use of appropriate groundcover to enable maximum penetration of clean water run-off into the ground and, where appropriate, recycling grey water within the development. Designed to minimise the impact of development on the natural water environment.

Travel Plan
A long term management plan/ strategy that seeks to deliver sustainable transport objectives and is regularly reviewed.

Use classes order
The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order, 1987 (as amended), a statutory order made under planning legislation, which groups land uses into different categories (called use classes). Change of within a use class and some changes between classes do not require planning permission.

Village cluster
A group of villages that share services and facilities, for example a primary school.

Water stress
Water stress occurs when the demand for water exceeds the available amount of water, or when poor water quality restricts its use.

Windfall site
Site on which planning permission for housing development is granted during the plan period but which has not previously been identified in the plan for housing development. 

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