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
This week's edition of Planning weekly highlights includes: amendments to English permitted development rights concerning electric vehicle charging...
The Administrative Court Judicial Review Guide 2026 has been published and applies immediately. Its principal additions for practitioners are broader...
The Planning Inspectorate has updated its Rights of way guidance booklet, amending paragraphs 2.5.2 and 2.5.5 of the guidance on procedures for...
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has launched a call for evidence on the impacts of marine non-licensable activities and anchoring on...
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published guidance on local air quality management (LAQM), setting out how local...
Latest Planning Practice Notes
This Practice Note provides an overview of retained EU law as it applied from 2021–23, including the key definitions and concepts with reference to...
The UK’s formal withdrawal from the EU took effect at 11 pm on 31 January 2020 (exit day). At this point, the withdrawal period under Article 50 TEU...
UtilitiesThe water, gas, electricity, communications and energy industries enjoy statutory rights of access onto private land to lay pipes, wires,...
What is the vacant building credit?Under policy HO8(4) of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), where development proposals include the reuse...
IntroductionGenerally speaking, a ‘drain’ serves a single property and a ‘sewer’ serves more than one property.There are two systems of drainage in...
Latest Planning Precedents
Date [date]Parties1[name of Owner] [of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [number]) whose registered office is at]...
1DefinitionsBiodiversity Gain•the biodiversity gain objective described in Schedule 7A of TCPA 1990, and any analogous requirement relating to...
This is the first draft of a precedent conservation covenant agreement, to be made under section 117 of the Environment Act 2021 (EA 2021). It is...
Dated:Parties1[insert party name] whose registered office is at [insert address] (‘the First Party); and2[insert party name] whose registered office...
Definitions1In this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires, the following words and expressions have the corresponding meaning:1.1‘Code of...
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
Comparable evidence
A property used as evidence in the valuation process to inform the valuation of another property.
Residual land value
The amount remaining once the GDC of a scheme is deducted from its GDV and an appropriate return has been deducted.
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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