Glossary

Accessibility
The ability of people to move around an area and to reach places and facilities. This includes people with limited mobility, e.g. elderly people and those with young children.

 

Accessible development
Development which is accessible by a choice of means of travel - by foot, cycle, public transport and car. For freight this means road, rail or water.

 

Affordable housing
Housing which is available to people who cannot afford to rent or buy houses generally available on the open market.

 

Aggregates:
Primary Aggregates
Minerals extracted from the earth's surface, mainly consisting of sand, gravel and crushed rock which are used within the construction industry.

 

Secondary Aggregates
Reclaimed or recycled materials that are used within the construction industry as a substitute for primary aggregates. They include: mineral wastes such as china clay, sand, colliery spoil and slate waste; industrial wastes such as pulverised fuel ash, blast furnace slag and demolition materials such as crushed concrete.

 

Allocated site
A site identified on the Proposals Map on which a particular use is proposed e.g. for business or housing.

 

Aquifer
A large, self-contained area of groundwater.

 

Atlantic Gateway Strategic Investment Area
The Atlantic Gateway Strategic Investment Area (SIA) is a targeted area for Objective 1 funds. Key aims within these areas are to make improvements to the infrastructure suitable for job creation within the industrial parts of South Sefton and North Liverpool together with major improvements to Bootle Town Centre.

 

Backland sites
Sites lying to the rear of development which has a road frontage.

 

Bio-degradable waste
Organic matter that can be broken down easily when composted without requiring further treatment unlike other materials such as plastics.

 

Biodiversity
The variety of life on earth or any given part of it.

 

'Called-In' planning application
Decisions whether to grant or refuse planning permission are usually made by the Council. However the Secretary of State has the option of 'calling in' planning applications if planning issues of more than local importance are involved, to make the decision himself or herself.

 

Coastal ecology
The inter-relationships between plants and animals and physical processes and products of change such as winds and waves, for sites and places at the coast.

 

Comparison shopping
Shopping for goods where the customer makes comparison between different shops e.g. clothing and footwear, do-it-yourself goods, household goods, recreational goods.

 

Contaminated land
Land which is polluted by the presence of radioactive materials or chemical substances at concentrations which could make it unsafe for development without action to remove the source of contamination.

 

Context
The setting of a site or area, including factors such as traffic, activities and land uses, as well as landscape and built form.

 

Convenience shopping
Shopping for relatively low-value goods, such as food or newspapers, which are bought on a frequent and regular basis and where the customer therefore requires convenience of shopping.

 

Curtilage
The area defined around a building containing land and structures associated with the building.

 

EC Birds Directive
A European Union law which provides special guidance for the protection, management and control of all species of naturally occurring wild birds.

 

EC Habitats Directive
A European Union law which provides a uniform approach to environmental and conservation policies throughout Europe.

 

Edge-of-Centre
In the context of shopping, a site which is within easy walking distance of the main shopping area (about 200-300 metres).

 

Evening economy
Businesses which are busiest in the evening, e.g. public houses, restaurants, clubs, cinemas.

 

Freeport
A designated area within the Port estate where imported goods can be stored, processed and re-exported, free from normal import duties, taxes, licenses and quotas.

 

Gas flaring
Flaring of gas in association with mineral deposits or landfill sites in order to safely manage the emission of gas.

 

Geomorphological processes
Natural physical processes that create and change landforms over time.

 

Grain
The pattern of the arrangement and size of buildings and their plots in a settlement.

 

Greenspace
Open land in either public or private ownership used mainly for formal or informal recreation.

 

Landfill / Landraises
Disposal of waste by burying it in (landfill) or on (landraises) the ground.

 

Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder Area
The Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder Area is an area within which government funding is being made available to re-structure housing. It is anticipated that substantial amounts of clearance will take place within this area.

 

Massing
The combined effect of the height, bulk and silhouette of a building or group of buildings.

 

Material planning considerations
Matters relating to the purpose of planning legislation, which is to regulate the development and use of land in the public interest.

 

Merseyside Local Transport Plan
A document produced by Sefton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, and Wirral Councils together with Merseytravel, which sets out:

 

• the Merseyside transport strategy for a 10-year period

   

• detailed policies and proposals for transport in Merseyside over a 5-year period.

   

Methane
A gas which is produced as organic material breaks down. It is one of the main 'greenhouse' gases which is thought to be contributing to global warming.

 

Multiple retailers
Shops which operate on a national level and have branches in many towns and cities.

 

Non-bulky goods
Convenience and comparison goods that are not large in size (i.e. not bulky) and can therefore be conveniently sold from town centres.

 

Non-food floorspace
Shops selling comparison goods.

 

Objective 1 funding
Funding through the European Union's Objective 1 Programme for the regeneration of its most disadvantaged regions. The current Objective 1 Programme for Merseyside runs from 2000 to 2006.

 

Out-of-Centre
In the context of shopping, a site that is clearly separated from a town centre but not necessarily outside the urban area.

 

Permitted Development
Certain types of development which do not require planning permission. They are set out in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) Order 2005 and the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987.

 

Public realm
The parts of a town (whether publicly or privately owned) which are available, without charge, for everyone to use or see, including streets, parks and gardens.

 

Qualitative need
In the context of shopping, refers to the need for new facilities due to the existing facilities being of a poor quality or offering little choice.

 

Quantitative need
In the context of shopping, refers to the actual level of demand for new shopping facilities and is often referred to as retail capacity. This need arises from increased consumer spending.

 

Ramsar site
Designated by the UK Government under the Ramsar Convention to protect wetlands that are of international importance, particularly as waterfowl habitats. All Ramsar sites are also Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

 

Remedial measures
Ways of restoring contaminated land, for example by inserting a layer of 'clean' material on top of harmful materials, or removing harmful materials from a site.

 

Retail Impact Assessment
A study which addresses the need for proposed retail development (over 2,500 sq m net in Sefton). It should include an assessment of alternative sites, likely impacts on existing town, district and local centres, accessibility by a choice of means of transport and impact of travel patterns.

 

Retail Statement
This is less detailed than a full Retail Impact Assessment but should address, in summary form, the matters raised above.

 

Rhythm
The grouping or spacing of building elements - windows, doors, bays or columns within the elevation or facade of the building. On a larger scale it refers to the width and proportion of individual buildings and their elements in relation to other buildings in the street.

 

Sequential test
The process of assessing alternative sites for retail development, giving priority to town centres, followed by edge-of-centre, followed by district and local centre and then out-of-centre sites accessible by a choice of means of transport.

 

Single Regeneration Budget
A grant programme to support a range of improvements (e.g. physical, environmental, education and training) in specific urban areas.

 

Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
An area of important natural habitat types designated by the UK Government under the European Directive "Conservation of Natural Habitats and Wild Flora".

 

Special Protection Area (SPA)
An area of important bird habitats designated by the UK Government under the European Directive "Conservation of Wild Birds". All SPAs are also Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

 

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)
Areas recognised by English Nature as being of special interest by reason of their plants, animals, geological, geomorphological or landscape features and which have statutory protection to conserve these features.

 

Sterilised (reserves of minerals and aggregates)
This occurs when permanent forms of development e.g. road construction, make it impossible to extract mineral and aggregate reserves.

 

Vitality and viability (town centres)
This relates to the economic health of a town or district centre. Relevant factors in assessing the vitality and viability of a centre include:

 

• range and quality of shops and other facilities;

   

• attractiveness of the centre;

   

• ease of access to and within the centre.

   

Windfall sites
Sites not specifically allocated for development but which become available for development or are granted permission during the lifetime of the Plan.

 

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