About Planning Law
Lexis+ Planning helps you to understand planning requirements, procedures, policy, appeals and enforcement, for developments ranging from small-scale residential extensions to nationally significant infrastructure projects. Clear, concise practice notes have direct links to relevant cases, legislation, guidance and commentary and our daily news feeds and weekly highlights keep you informed of new cases, legislation, and consultations.
Get, change, implement planning permission
We cover all key aspects of the planning application process from the procedure, viability considerations, to decision-making and material considerations, to the duty to give reasons for planning decisions.
Planning issues in property
A series of Practice Notes and Checklists outlining the planning issues for a planning title in a property transaction. How information’s revealed, what to report on, and the significance of the findings for the buyer.
Compulsory purchase
Compulsory purchase is governed by complex legislation, case law and guidance. We provide the legal requirements and good practice to help customers navigate the procedure, scope of CPOs and opportunities for challenge.
Legislation, guidance and commentary
Planning requirements, procedures, policy, appeals and enforcement. We cover developments ranging from small-scale residential extensions to nationally significant infrastructure projects.
Topics We Cover
Latest Planning News
HM Treasury has announced a £45bn Northern Growth Strategy centred on Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), the largest transport upgrade in the North of...
Planning analysis: In ArcelorMittal Kent Wire Ltd v Medway Council, the High Court rejected a judicial review challenge to Medway Council’s grant of...
In a letter dated 18 December 2025, Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook MP tells the Planning Inspectorate to scrutinise attempts to...
The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced measures to tackle the poor state of local roads, including an additional £500m for highways...
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ ) has confirmed that three updated energy National Policy Statements, EN-1, EN-3 and EN-5, have...
Latest Planning Practice Notes
Planning and climate change litigationOver the last decades, climate change has become an issue of ever-growing importance. With evolving scientific...
Building Safety Act 2022—role and impact of the Building Safety RegulatorFollowing the Grenfell Tower tragedy in June 2017, Dame Judith Hackitt’s...
Building Safety Act 2022—key provisions and issuesThe government introduced the Building Safety Bill (the Bill) to Parliament in July 2021, intending...
Introduction to freedom of informationThe freedom of information regime in England and Wales came fully into force in 2005, and is governed by the...
The planning regime for radioactive waste disposal in England and WalesScope of this Practice NoteThis Practice Note outlines the different categories...
Latest Planning Precedents
Property development agreementDate [date]Parties1[name of Owner] [of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [number]) whose...
Contract for sale—freehold vacant possession conditional on planningdate [date]Parties1[name of Seller] [of OR incorporated in England and Wales...
Wayleave agreement—previous Electronic Communications CodeSTOP PRESS: THE NEW ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS CODE CAME INTO FORCE ON 28 DECEMBER 2017. THIS...
Precedent compulsory purchase order indemnity agreementThis Agreement is made on [date]BETWEEN1[Council] whose principal place of business is...
Precedent s 278 agreementDeed dated[insert date]section 278 Highways Act 1980 relating to development at [insert text] between:Parties1[insert name]...
Latest Planning Q&As
Featured Planning content
Statutory wayleaves and rights of access
Statutory wayleaves and rights of accessUtilitiesThe water, gas, electricity, communications and energy industries enjoy statutory rights of access...
Planning conditions—the six tests
Planning conditions—the six testsPowers to impose planning conditionsThe general powers for local planning authorities (LPAs) to impose conditions on...
What rights of access are there over an unadopted road, the owner of which is unknown?
What is a section 111 agreement?
Where a roadway is adopted by the local highways authority, can it also form part of an individual property owner's registered title? What is the effect if a way is both adopted but also shown as within a registered title to a residential property?
Section 215 notice requiring maintenance of land
Section 215 notice requiring maintenance of landIntroductionThe purpose of section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA 1990) is to...
Can a Grampian condition be imposed in respect of works which require Planning Permission in their own right?
Bias and pre-determination in planning cases
Bias and pre-determination in planning casesScope of bias and pre-determination in planning casesBias and pre-determination can be an issue in...
Permitted development in Wales
Permitted development in WalesPlanning permission is required for the development of land. 'Development', which is defined in the Town and Country...
Declaratory relief of planning decisions
Declaratory relief of planning decisionsA declaratory judgment is a judgment identifying the rights, duties or obligations of one or more parties in a...
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)What is a Site of Special Scientific Interest?Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are sites in...
If an unadopted highway has fallen into disrepair, what rights are open to an individual whose right to pass and repass over that highway has been restricted by the state of disrepair?
Are there any restrictions on amending the red line on a planning application before it is determined?
What is a town or village green?
What is a town or village green?The existence of a town or village green (TVG) may restrict or even prevent development. It is a criminal offence to...
Material change of use
Material change of useControl of developmentPursuant to section 57 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA 1990), planning permission is...
Is there a limitation period for water authorities to require a build over agreement to be entered into (for example, if a building had been in existence for 12 years without a relevant build over agreement in place)? Are there any specific powers to require a build over agreement to be entered into retrospectively (if the authority owned the sewer prior to the 2011 transfer)?
Implementing a CPO—notice to treat and General Vesting Declaration
Implementing a CPO—notice to treat and General Vesting DeclarationContextThe confirmation of a compulsory purchase order (CPO) does not vest title in...
The Crichel Down Rules
The Crichel Down RulesThe Crichel Down Rules (the Rules) require that in certain circumstances, surplus government land that was acquired by, or under...
Associated legal terms
Capital value
The sale/investment value of property or land as distinct from its rental value.
Planning Judicial Review
A means of challenging the lawfulness of an act or omission by a public body, which has a sufficient public element. Planning judicial review is dealt with in a specialist Planning Court under rules set out in s 31 of the Senior Courts Act 1981 and CPR 54.
Review Mechanism
Re-appraisals of a scheme, typically as part of the section 106 agreement, undertaken either prior to or post-implementation of a development in order to assess the viability.
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