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Volunteer Hub

Planning Officer

Making a Difference to how planning decisions affect your Local Waterways

Major developments or other changes to an area requiring planning consent, whether temporary or permanent, can impact upon the waterways and their adjacent environment. Our Branch Planning Officer volunteers play a vital role on the ground monitoring local plans and planning applications and commenting or objecting where required.

Many branches cover a wide geographical area dealing with a substantial number of local planning authorities, therefore the Planning Officer role is sometimes split between several people.

Role of a Branch Planning Officer

IWA is concerned with the conservation, regeneration, restoration and development of our waterways, including the waterway environment. The task of a Planning Officer is to support this aim by:

  • Monitoring local plans for policies (or their absence) which may affect the waterways, and making appropriate representations.
  • Examining weekly planning application lists for relevant developments affecting, or in the vicinity of, their waterways.
  • Assessing the impact of such developments on the waterway’s use, heritage and environment,
  • Drawing any particular problems to the attention of the IWA local branch committee and if required the Planning Advisory Panel.
  • Raising issues and objections on behalf of IWA’s local branch committee with the local planning authority as necessary.

Various aspects of a planning application can impact upon the waterways and the adjacent environment. Applications should be checked for the following:

  • Any aspect of the work that could cause temporary or permanent restrictions to navigation or other users of the waterway or any towpath.
  • The layout and design of new housing, industrial units or other developments visible from the waterway
  • The demolishing, alteration or change of use of any waterside buildings.
  • Changes to green spaces or recreational facilities near waterways.
  • Any other proposed development that might adversely impact on the waterway environment.
  • Any development that might cause drainage problems or increase flooding risk.

For more resources and guidance please visit the Planning Toolkit in the Restoration Hub.

Glossary of Planning Terms

Terms beginning with “A”
  • Adoption is the final confirmation of a plan as a statutory document by the local planning authority.
  • Advertisement Control The process whereby a local planning authority decides whether an advertisement which is being displayed, or about to be displayed, is acceptable in terms of amenity and public safety and is being displayed in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations.
  • Amenity The pleasant or normally satisfactory aspects of a location which contribute to its overall character and the enjoyment of residents or visitors.
  • Appeal The process whereby an applicant can challenge an adverse decision on an application by means of written representations, an informal hearing or formal inquiry proceedings. Appeals can also be made against the failure of the planning authority to issue a decision, against conditions attached to a permission and against the issue of an enforcement notice.
  • Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Area designated by the Countryside Agency or the Countryside Council for Wales where the primary purpose is the conservation and enhancement of natural beauty including flora, fauna, geology and landscape
  • Area of Special Control of Advertisements An area which is specifically defined by the local planning authority because they consider its scenic, historical, architectural or cultural features are so significant that a stricter degree of advertisement control is justified in order to conserve visual amenity within that area. Such areas can only be designated with the approval of the Secretary of State.
  • Article 4 Direction An order made by the Secretary of State, the National Assembly for Wales or the local planning authority, requiring a planning application to be made where normally permitted development rights would apply.
  • Article 14 Direction is issued by the Secretary of State or the National Assembly for Wales to restrict the grant of planning permission by a local planning authority, either indefinitely or for a specified period, normally to give the Department time to decide whether to call in the application.
Terms beginning with “B”
  • BPEO (Best Possible Environmental Option) The option that provides the most benefits or the least damage for the environment, as a whole, at acceptable cost, in the long term as well as the short term. (defined in the 12th report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution)
  • Betterment The amount by which the value of land is increased by development or by the grant of planning permission, or because of the development of neighbouring land.
  • Bio-diversity A measure of the number and range of species and their relative abundance in a community.
  • Breach of Conditions Notice A notice served by a local planning authority where they suspect that a planning condition linked to a planning permission has been breached.
  • Brown-field Site Land which has been previously developed, excluding mineral workings or other temporary uses.
  • Building Preservation Order A notice under Section 3 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 to protect buildings of special architectural or historic interest from demolition or alterations that would affect their interest.
Terms beginning with “C”
  • Cadw A government agency supporting the preservation, conservation, enhancement, interpretation and appreciation of historic buildings and monuments in Wales.
  • Change of Use A change in the way that land or buildings are used Planning permission is usually necessary in order to change from one ‘use class’ to another.
  • Community Forests A joint initiative between the Countryside Agency and the Forestry Commission to promote the creation, regeneration of well-wooded landscapes around major towns and cities.
  • Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) A notice issued by the government or a local authority to acquire land or buildings for public interest purposes.
  • Conditions Stipulations attached to a planning permission to limit or direct the manner in which a development is carried out.
  • Conservation Area Areas that have been designated because they are considered to be areas of special architectural or historic interest whose character or appearance should be preserved or enhanced..
  • Conservation Area Consent is required from the local planning authority before demolishing an unlisted building in a conservation area.
  • Consultation Procedures for assessing public opinion about a plan or major development proposal, or in the case of a planning application, the means of obtaining the views of affected neighbours or others with an interest in the proposal.
  • Countryside Agency The organisation responsible for advising government and taking action on issues affecting the social, economic and environmental well-being of the English countryside.
  • Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) The government agency promoting the interests and well-being of rural Wales.
Terms beginning with “D”
  • Deemed Consent This allows the display of certain “specified classes” of advertisement without first having to make an application to the local planning authority. Under the Control of Advertisements Regulations there are 14 Classes, all of which are subject to strict conditions and limitations.
  • Detailed/Full Application The most common type of planning application is one that seeks full or detailed planning permission. It should contain all the information needed for the LPA to reach its decision, but the LPA may seek further information.
  • Determination Local planning authority process to decide whether a proposed development requires planning permission.
  • Development 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 buildings or land.
  • Development Brief A document providing detailed information to guide developers on the type of development, design and layout constraints and other requirements for a particular, usually substantial, site.
  • Development Control The process whereby a local planning authority decides whether a planning application meets the requirements of planning policy, particularly as set out in development plans
Terms beginning with “E”
  • 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 A 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 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 beenreplaced by Lawful Development Certificates.
  • Express Consent is needed to display an advertisement, which does not benefit from deemed consent under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements Regulations).
Terms beginning with “F”
  • Full Application A planning application seeking full permission for a development proposal, with no matters reserved for later planning approval.
Terms beginning with “G”
  • 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 A 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.
Terms beginning with “I”
  • 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.
Terms beginning with “L”
  • 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 person who wishes to establish whether a use, operation or activity is lawful in planning terms may apply to the Council for a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC).
  • Listed Building Buildings are listed by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport if they are considered to be of special architectural or historic importance. The listing is normally permanent, and gives the building legal protection against demolition and alteration.
  • Listed Building Consent A permission required for the alteration or demolition of a listed building.
  • Local Nature Reserve (LNR) An 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.
Terms beginning with “M”
  • Mineral Planning Guidance Notes (MPGs) A series of documents issued by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) (previously Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR)) setting out government policy and advice on planning issues relating to mineral resources.
  • Minerals Planning Policy Wales A document setting out the policy of the Welsh Assembly Government in relation to short and long term future use and safeguarding of mineral deposits
Terms beginning with “N”
  • National Assembly for Wales The Government body in Wales that debates and approves legislation and holds the Welsh Assembly Government to account.
  • National Nature Reserve An area designated by English Nature to protect and conserve nationally important areas of wildlife habitat and geological formations and to promote scientific research; in Wales it is an SSSI that the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) has designated of national or international importance for nature conservation. (Note: on the CCW website they also refer to National Nature Reserves, as well as SSSIs)
Terms beginning with “O”
  • Outline Application An outline application is appropriate where a person or company wants to have permission IN PRINCIPLE for the erection of a building, before going to the expense of having detailed plans prepared.
Terms beginning with “P”
  • Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest (GSHI) Parks and gardens containing historic features dating from 1939 or earlier and registered by English Heritage in three grades as with historic buildings.
  • Permitted Development Rights Rights to carry out certain limited forms of development without the need to make an application for planning permission, as granted under the terms of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995.
  • Planning Gain The principle of a developer agreeing to provide additional benefits or safeguards, often for the benefit of the community, usually in the form of related development supplied at the developer’s expense.
  • Planning Obligations and Agreements Legal agreements between a planning authority and a developer, or offered unilaterally by a developer, ensuring that certain extra works related to a development are undertaken, usually under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
  • Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPGs) A series of documents issued by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) (previously Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR)) setting out government policy and advice on planning issues such as housing, transport, conservation etc
  • Planning Policy Wales a document setting out the land use planning policies of the Welsh Assembly Government.
  • Proposals Map An obligatory component of a local plan showing the location of proposals in the plan on an Ordnance Survey base map.
  • Protected Species Plant and animal species, including all wild birds, protected under the Conservation (Natural Habitats and Conservation) Regulations 1994, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and subsequent amendments, or other species protected under legislation specific to them.
  • Public Open Space (POS) Land provided in urban or rural areas for public recreation, though not necessarily publicly owned.
  • Public Realm Outdoor areas accessible to the public.
  • Public Right of Way A way where the public has a right to walk, and in some cases ride horses, bicycles, motorcycles or drive motor vehicles, which will be designated either as a footpath, a bridleway, a road used as a public path (RUPP) or a byway.
Terms beginning with “R”
  • Ramsar Site An area identified under the internationally agreed Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as waterfowl sites and as Sites of Special Scientific Interest focusing on the ecological importance of wetlands generally.
  • Regional Planning Guidance Notes (RPGs) Policy guidance and advice issued for each region in England by the Secretary of State.
  • Regionally Important Geological/Geomorphological Sites (RIGS) Non-statutory sites of regional importance recognised by English Nature and local authorities.
  • Regulation 7 Direction A Direction made by the Secretary of State to remove from a particular site or defined area the benefit of deemed consent normally provided by the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations.
  • Reserved Matters An outline permission is not a permission to start work on site. The permission notice states which matters have been reserved for later approval. Work may begin on site when all of the reserved matters have been approved.
  • Rural Development Area A priority area for economic and social development.
  • Rural Diversification Activities undertaken on surplus land to support farming incomes, including, for example, forestry, leisure and tourism.
Terms beginning with “S”
  • Scheduled Ancient Monument A structure placed on a schedule compiled by the Department of National Heritage in England and Cadw in Wales for protection under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act.
  • Section 106 Agreement A binding agreement between a council and a developer associated with a grant of planning permission and regarding matters linked to the proposed development.
  • Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) An area identified by English Nature or Countryside Council for Wales for protection by reason of the rarity of its nature conservation or wildlife features.
  • Statutory Undertakers/Statutory Utilities Providers of essential services such as gas, electricity, water or telecommunications.
  • Stop Notice A notice served in respect of land subject to enforcement proceedings prohibiting the carrying out or continuing of specified operations which are alleged to constitute a breach of planning control and designed to stop work going on pending the outcome of an appeal.
  • Structure Plan A statutory plan setting out key strategic policies which provide the framework for more detailed policies in local plans.
  • Sui Generis Uses of land or buildings which do not fall into any of the use classes identified by the Use Classes Order, for example theatres, launderettes, car showrooms and filling stations.
  • Supplementary Planning Guidance Additional advice issued by a local planning authority expanding upon its statutory policies.
Terms beginning with “T”
  • Town Centre Management A partnership of local organisations, businesses and individuals to promote the common good of a town by developing, managing, promoting and improving facilities, the useful resources, the economy and the environment of a town centre.
  • Transport Policy and Programme (TPP) A statutory document setting out a transport authority’s bid for the programming and funding of transport measures, produced annually for submission to central government.
  • Tree Preservation Order (TPO) Direction made by a local planning authority that makes it an offence to cut, top, lop, uproot or wilfully damage or destroy a tree without that authority’s permission.
Terms beginning with “U”
  • Unitary Development Plan A local plan produced by certain unitary district authorities and London boroughs which have responsibility for the full range of local authority services.
  • Use Classes Order The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 puts uses of land and buildings into various categories, planning permission not being required for changes of use within the same use class. In practice changes between use classes are likely to require planning permission.
Terms beginning with “V”
  • Village envelope The boundaries defined on a map beyond which the local planning authority proposes that a village should not be allowed to extend.
Terms beginning with “W”
  • Wildlife Corridor A continuous area facilitating the movement of wildlife through rural or urban environments
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