Hastings Local Plan Pre-Submission Version 2023-2041 (Regulation 19) September 2026
Definition of key terms (Glossary) Comment
Affordable Housing: Housing for sale or rent, for those whose needs are not met by the market (including housing that provides a subsidised route to home ownership and/or is for essential local workers). This includes affordable housing for rent, either social or affordable, discounted market sales housing, and other affordable routes to home ownership, including shared ownership, relevant equity loans, rent to buy (NPPF, 2024).
Affordable/Social Rent: Affordable rent is rent capped at 80% of market rates. Social Rent homes have rent pegged to local incomes, and provide a truly affordable, secure housing option for people across the country. Affordable Rent and Social Rent homes are provided by housing associations (not for profit organisations that own, let and manage rented housing) or a local council. Affordable housing products such as ‘rent plus’, which are available for affordable rent in the short-term, but are targeted at home ownership, are considered to meet the same local housing need as affordable or social rent.
Article 4 Direction: As defined in National Planning Guidance (September 2020), this is a direction under article 4 of the General Permitted Development Order which enables the Secretary of State or the local planning authority to withdraw specified permitted development rights across a defined area. An article 4 direction cannot be used to restrict changes between uses in the same use class defined in the Town and Country Planning (Use Class Order) 1987 (as amended).
Attenuation (water): The temporary storage of water followed by its slow release to reduce runoff velocities.
Blue roofs: A blue roof is designed to allow attenuation and management of rainfall, managing water at its source. They are becoming a common approach to deliver sustainable urban drainage systems and manage local flood risk, particularly in dense urban environments.
Brownfield Land: See Previously Developed Land (PDL)
CCT: The colour correlated temperature of lighting, expressed in Kelvin (K).
Circular Economy: Keeping resources in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value from them whilst in use, then recovering and regenerating products and materials at the end their life.
Community facilities: Uses include clinics, health centres, creche, day nurseries, day centres, schools, colleges, universities, art galleries (other than for sale or hire), museums, libraries, community halls, places of worship, law courts, non-residential education and training centres.
Comparison goods retailer: Shops that sell items where some comparison is likely to be made before purchasing goods; for example: clothing, carpets or electrical goods.
Construction Management Plan: Sets out project information and how negative impacts will be mitigated and minimised during construction.
Convenience retailer: Convenience retailing is the provision of everyday essential items, including food, drinks, newspapers/magazines and confectionery.
Decentralised energy: Energy that is generated close to where it will be used, rather than at an industrial plant and sent through the national grid.
Density Zone: Sets out a range expressed as Dwellings Per Hectare (dph) that is the minimum density housing in this area should be delivered at.
Economically Inactive: People who are neither working, nor looking to work.
Factor of Safety: Also known as Safety Factor. The load carrying capacity of a system beyond what it actually supports. Established through engineer’s calculations.
Functional Economic Market Area: The spatial level at which local economies and markets actually operate.
Furthest From the Labour Market: Includes but are not limited to people experiencing: disability, mental health issues, low education attainment, homelessness, care leavers, carers, a criminal record and/ or low aspirations. These people may face additional barriers to accessing employment opportunities, especially in areas of low job density.
Future Homes Standard: The Future Homes Standard is expected to amend Part L and Part F of Building Regulations related to new dwellings. It is anticipated it will require new build homes to be future-proofed with low carbon heating and world-leading levels of energy efficiency. It is expected to be introduced in 2027.
Green and Blue infrastructure: A network of green spaces and links designed to promote health and wellbeing as well as other environmental benefits. This includes formally designated open spaces, informal green space, gardens, woodlands, rivers and wetlands, as well as urban greening features such as street trees and green roofs.
Green roofs: Vegetated layers that sit on top of the conventional roof surface of a building, which can support a wide range of plant life. Green roofs can create, or improve, biodiversity, contribute to minimising flood risk, improve thermal efficiency and improve the microclimate.
Green technologies: Technology, the intended use of which, is to mitigate or reverse the effects of human activity on the environment, such as processes to recycle water, purify water, create clean energy or conserve natural resources.
Hastings: Unless otherwise specified, refers to the administrative Borough of Hastings.
Heritage Asset: Building, monument, site, place, area, or landscape identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in planning decisions because of its heritage interest.
Heritage at Risk Register: Maintained by Historic England, the register includes buildings, places of worship, monuments, parks and gardens, conservation areas, battlefields and wreck sites that are listed and have been assessed and found to be at risk.
High Weald National Landscape Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB): Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a legal designation. National Landscape is the new name for these areas. As a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the High Weald is protected by law to conserve and enhance its natural beauty.
Historic Environment: The historic environment covers ancient monuments, archaeological sites and landscapes, historic buildings, townscapes, gardens and designed landscapes, as well as our marine heritage and includes designated and non-designated heritage assets.
Impact Risk Zones (IRZ): Define zones around each SSSI which reflect the sensitivities of the features for which the site is notified and indicate the types of development proposal which could potentially have adverse impacts and need further consideration.
Industrial processes: This includes manufacture of chemicals, manufacture of computer and electronic products, agri-tech, construction, manufacture of food, drink or other consumable products (including pharmaceuticals), fuel refining, manufacture of tools and machinery, manufacture of metal and non-metallic products, printing or recording, telecoms, defence, utilities and other manufacturing processes and their ancillary services.
Irreplaceable Habitat: Habitats which would be technically very difficult (or take a very significant time) to restore, recreate or replace once destroyed, taking into account their age, uniqueness, species diversity or rarity. They include ancient woodland, ancient and veteran trees, blanket bog, limestone pavement, sand dunes, salt marsh and lowland fen.
Job Density: The ratio of jobs to working age residents (16-64). A job density of 1.0 would mean that there is one job for every working age resident. A job density of 0.5 would mean that there is half a job for every working age resident.
Local Development Order: A local development order (LDO) grants planning permission for a specified type and/or class of development within a defined area. LDOs are made at local authority level by a local planning authority.
Local Industrial Employment Areas: represent important local industrial sites in or adjacent to town and district centres with good access and transport links.
Lumens: The brightness of lights.
Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ): Areas that protect a range of nationally important, rare or threatened habitats and species.
Natural Flood Management: Natural flood management techniques work with natural processes to protect, restore and emulate the natural functions of catchments, floodplains, rivers and the coast. They aim to manage the sources and pathways of flood waters whilst providing wider benefits to people, wildlife and the environment.
Permanent condition (of site): Refers to a development site once development has been completed.
Previously Developed Land (PDL). Also known as Brownfield Land: Land which has been lawfully developed and is or was occupied by a permanent structure and any fixed surface infrastructure associated with it, including the curtilage of the developed land (although it should not be assumed that the whole of the curtilage should be developed). It also includes land comprising large areas of fixed surface infrastructure such as large areas of hardstanding which have been lawfully developed. Previously developed land excludes: land that is or was last occupied by agricultural or forestry buildings; land that has been developed for minerals extraction or waste disposal by landfill, where provision for restoration has been made through development management procedures; land in built-up areas such as residential gardens, parks, recreation grounds and allotments; and land that was previously developed but where the remains of the permanent structure or fixed surface structure have blended into the landscape.
Ramsar: A Ramsar site is the land listed as a Wetland of International Importance under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (the Ramsar Convention) 1973.
Renewable energy: An energy source derived from natural resources which will not deplete when used. Examples of renewable energy include offshore and onshore wind, solar, geothermal power and tidal power.
Resort Area: A defined area where tourism related activities are supported.
RIBA Stages: The 8 stages of the ‘RIBA Plan of Work’ organise the process of briefing, designing, constructing and operating building projects into eight stages and explain the stage outcomes, core tasks and information exchanges required at each stage.
Rother: Unless otherwise specified, refers to the administrative District of Rother.
Self-Build and Custom Housebuilding: Self-build and custom housebuilding is for both individuals and associations who themselves wish to design and build a home, in which they will live and own as their sole dwelling.
Shared Ownership: An alternative home ownership scheme which gives first time buyers and those that do not currently own a home the opportunity to purchase a share of a new build or re-sale property. Also referred to as part buy/part rent. Shared ownership allows buyers to purchase a share of a home – usually between 25-75%. Purchasers pay a mortgage on the share they own and a below market value rent on the remainder to a registered social housing provider, along with any service charge as ground rent. As the purchaser only needs a mortgage for the share they own, the amount of money required for a deposit is often much lower compared to purchasing a property outright.
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI): Sites notified for their flora, fauna or geological, physiographical or geomorphological features (in England, these sites are notified under s. 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981).
Small Site Windfall: Sites providing a net capacity of four or fewer residential units that are not identified in the Plan.
Special Areas of Conservation (SAC): Designated areas which have been given special protection as important conservation sites (in England, these sites are designated under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017).
Specialist Housing: This category of housing includes the following types of homes: Age-restricted general market housing normally for people aged 55 and over and the active elderly and does not include support or care services; extra care housing or housing with care; and residential care homes and nursing homes.
Strategic Industrial Employment Areas: Represent key industrial sites within the overall functional market area and have potential for densification and new development or renewal of existing stock. Loss of industrial floorspace will not be permitted in these areas.
Surface Water Management Measures (SWMM): Measures to manage the flow of surface water, including measures for capture and later reuse onsite including storm water recycling and water butts.
Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS): A form of SWMM. Methods of management practices and control structures that are designed to drain surface water in a more sustainable manner. SuDS are always SWMMs, but SWMMs are not always SuDS as SWMM do not always include drainage.
Temporary Condition (of site): Refers to a development site during the process of development, from commencement to completion.
Temporary Residential Uses: Housing that is intended to be in place to provide a short-term solution
Town centre uses: Retail development (including warehouse clubs and factory outlet centres); leisure, entertainment and more intensive sport and recreation uses (including cinemas, restaurants, drive-through restaurants, bars and pubs, nightclubs, casinos, health and fitness centres, indoor bowling centres and bingo halls); offices; and arts, culture and tourism development (including theatres, museums, galleries and concert halls, hotels and conference facilities).
Ultra Low Emissions Vehicles: A road vehicle that emits 75 grams or less of carbon dioxide per kilometre from its tailpipe.
Unemployed: People who are not working but are looking for work.
Urban Greening Factor: This is an approach which can assist developers and local planning authorities to determine the appropriate level of urban greening needed to address biodiversity conservation in development proposals. Its purpose is to increase the amount of greening in and around buildings. As well as traditional approaches such as planting trees, urban environments benefit from the addition of green roofs, green walls, rain gardens and other features.
Utilities: Utilities are public authorities, public undertakings or other entities (‘private utilities’) that carry out ‘utility activities’ in the energy, water and transport sectors.
Viability: The process of assessing viability at the plan-making stage by looking at whether the value generated by a development is more than the cost of developing it.
View Analysis: A digital assessment used to identify specific areas, and/ or historic landmarks can be seen from a chosen observation point.
Windfall: Sites not specifically identified in the Plan.
