Glossary

Catchment management plans: Documents prepared by the Environment Agency which set out its vision for the future of individual river catchments. They contain an analysis of the issues affecting each catchment, such as water and sewerage infrastructure, waste disposal and flood plain planning, with programmes of work to achieve proposed solutions.
Certificate of lawfulness of use or development: Can be issued by the local planning authority to describe the precise use, operation or building works on a site which is considered permissible without the need to apply for planning permission. Whether the development is lawful is defined in legislation under The Town & Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 and the Town & Country Planning Act 1990
Change of use: Buildings are classified as having a use - for example, retail use. Planning permission is required for material change of use to building or land.
Community strategy: Community strategies should set out a vision for a local authority's area along with actions and commitments to further economic, social and environmental well-being. Community strategies are usually prepared by a body called a local strategic partnership, made up of representatives from local bodies and interest groups.
Competent authority: Under the EU directive on strategic environmental assessment (SEA), the competent authority is the body which must consider the SEA report before coming to a decision on whether to adopt a programme or plan.
Compulsory purchase: When land is taken without the agreement of the owner. Housing authorities and highway authorities are among the bodies that have compulsory purchase powers.
Conditions: Planning conditions are provisions attached to the granting of planning permission. They can: Limit permitted development rights for a particular site Modify the proposals in a planning application, by, for example, reducing the size of the affected site or adding a provision. On sites worked for minerals or waste disposal this can include restoration through backfilling of a certain type of soil, and/or 'aftercare' - to bring the land back into a use specified by the minerals planning authority Govern the occupancy (though not the ownership) of dwellings used by agricultural workers Grant planning permission only to a named person, rather than leave it in force for a site regardless of the owner as is usually the case Conditions are different from planning obligations, because they can only be enforced through the planning enforcement regime. Conditions also cannot involve cash payments by the developer, either voluntarily or at the request of the local planning authority. On the other hand, developers have the opportunity to get a condition removed that they don't like, by appealing against the imposition of conditions. The Government's five policy tests for conditions are that they must be necessary, relevant to planning, relevant to the development to be permitted, enforceable, precise and reasonable in all other respects. More detail on Government policy on planning conditions is in Circular 11/1995 (found in Government policies)
Conservation area: An area of special architectural or historic interest, designated under the Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Act 1991, whose character and appearance it is desirable to preserve and enhance. There are special rules on some development in conservation areas.
Core strategy: The core strategy is one of the development plan documents forming part of a local authority's local development framework. It should set out the vision, spatial strategy and core policies for the spatial development of the area.
County council: The elected governing body of a county. Counties are usually divided into several districts, each with its own separate local administration (districts may be called boroughs in some cases).