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
The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) has published its Business Plan for 2025–26, outlining key regulatory and operational priorities for the upcoming...
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published a policy paper outlining principles for identifying and selecting...
This week's edition of Planning weekly highlights includes: key planning provisions of the Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill; regulations...
Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) has published guidance on the planning appeals process in Wales. The guidance outlines when and how to...
The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero has granted development consent for the Byers Gill Solar Farm project. The project will...
Latest Planning Practice Notes
Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS)Introduction to SuDSIn a natural setting, rainfall will be intercepted by vegetation or infiltrated into the...
Costs protection in environmental mattersOriginally produced in partnership with Landmark ChambersThe reason for special costs protection measures in...
Planning case tracker—2024The Planning case tracker is a list of key judgments from 2024 considered relevant to planning lawyers, with cases listed in...
Keeping planning permission aliveTime limits for implementing planning permissionSections 91 and 92 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA...
Drafting a contract conditional on planningNature of the conditionIt is common for contracts for the sale of commercial property to be drafted on the...
Latest Planning Precedents
Environmental Information Regulations 2004—request for environmental information[Insert name of public authority][Insert public authority's address,...
Conservation covenant agreementThis is the first draft of a precedent conservation covenant agreement, to be made under section 117 of the Environment...
Precedent bond agreementDATE [insert date]Parties1[insert name] of [insert address] [incorporated in England and Wales with company registration...
Precedent s 106A deed of variation/supplemental agreementAGREEMENTrelating toSection 106 and 106A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 [and...
Precedent s 38 agreementDATE [date]Parties1[insert name] of [insert address] (the ‘Council’)2[insert name] of [insert address] [incorporated in...
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
Market Value
The estimated amount for which an asset or liability should exchange on the valuation date between a willing buyer and a willing seller in an transaction'>arm’s length transaction, after proper marketing and where the parties had each acted knowledgeably, prudently and without compulsion.
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.
Strategic Environmental Assessment
Environmental assessments for plans and programmes likely to have significant environmental impacts, which aims to integrate environmental considerations into the development of plans and programmes. SEA involves preparing an environmental report, consulting, having regard to the environmental report and consultations in decision-making and providing information on the decision.
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