8. Glossary
A
Active frontage
Ground floor uses that create interest and activity.
Active travel
Making journeys in a physically active way e.g. walking and cycling.
Adopted highway
A street or path that is publicly maintained by the local highway authority (Cheshire West and Chester).
Adoption
The process by which land for open space, landscaping or highway use is transferred to a local authority to maintain.
Air quality
Term used to describe the levels of pollution in the air. Higher levels of pollution lead to lower air quality.
Area type
Parts of the local area that share common features and characteristics. Common rules and parameters can then be applied to each area type.
B
Bay window
A window structure that projects outward from the main walls of a building, forming a bay in the interior space. Often used to increase natural light and provide panoramic views.
Biodiversity
Means the variety of plants and animals.
Biodiversity Net Gain
Developers must create or enhance habitats and biodiversity on or off-site, ensuring a net positive impact on the natural environment. Under the Environment Act 2021, all new planning permissions in England (with some exemptions) are required to deliver at least a 10% biodiversity net gain.
Blocks
A group of buildings, or area, enclosed by streets.
Blue-green corridors
Networks of water (blue) and vegetated (green) spaces that enhance biodiversity, climate resilience, and connectivity.
Borough wide design code
A high level code that applies across the whole borough, rather than a specific development site or area. The code sets design parameters and rules to guide development, often with legal weight in the planning process.
Build outs
A raised section with kerbs built out into the carriageway to narrow it or demarcate parking. Normally contains trees, planting and / or street furniture.
Building line
The building line is created by the primary front face of buildings along a street.
Built Form
This is the main issue that varies by area type referring to density, grain, building line and height.
C
Car Club
A pool of cars that people and businesses can pay to use on a per trip basis.
Carriageway
The section of a street surface used mainly for vehicle movement.
Carriageway
The section of a street surface used mainly for vehicle movement.
Central island
A raised section with kerbs in the middle of the carriageway, narrowing driving lanes over a short distance.
Character
The unique qualities that define the look and feel of a building or area. This includes architectural style, materials, size, and how buildings relate to each other and their surroundings.
Chicane
The use of staggered build outs to introduce horizontal deflection in longer straight sections of roads. Can be used in one-way or two-way configurations.
Cladding
A material applied to the external surfaces of buildings to provide insulation, weather resistance or decorative finish. Common materials include timber, brick slips, metal, or stone.
Common utility corridor
This is a passage built underground or above ground to carry utility lines such as electricity, steam, water supply pipes, and sewer pipes.to carry utilitites such as electricity, water and sewer pipes.
Compliance checklist
A tool used to assess whether a proposal aligns with the mandatory and recommended design requirements of a design code.
Connectivity
In relation to transport, this means the effectiveness of the transport network at getting people from one location to another.
Contraflow cycling
Cycle lane provision that allows cyclists to travel against the direction of one-way vehicle traffic.
D
DarkSky® approved
The DarkSky® Approved Programme provides independent certification for products, designs and completed projects that minimise glare, reduce unwanted light spill and don’t pollute the night sky
Density
How many homes there are in a given area. Often expressed as dwellings (homes) per hectare (dph).
Design principle
One of the basic design ideas at the heart of an urban design framework, design guide, development brief or a development.
Design vehicle
A standard-sized vehicle used in tracking analysis to test road layout and turning space (e.g. refuse truck or fire engine).
Desire Line
An imaginary line linking facilities or places that people would find it convenient to travel along.
Dropped kerb
A lowered section of kerb allowing easier access for wheelchairs, prams, and pedestrians.
E
E-bike
A cycle with an electric battery to assist or replace pedalling.
E-scooters
A scooter with an electric motor which propels it forward.
Edge friction
Features on the edge of a carriageway, such as on street parking or street trees, that encourage slower speeds by making it uncomfortable to drive at higher speeds.
Electric Vehicle (EV)
EVs are vehicles that are powered by electricity, usually with a battery. EV chargers can also charge Plug-in hybrid vehicles which have both internal combustion and electric motors.
Enclosure
The use of buildings, trees and hedges to create a sense of defined space. Enclosure ratio refers to the width of the street in comparison to the height of the buildings.
F
Feature tree
A tree selected for its distinctive appearance, seasonal interest, or landmark function in the public realm.
Footpath
The section of the street primarily for pedestrians and wheelchairs.
Forward visibility
The distance at which a driver has a clear view ahead. Reducing forward visibility helps reduce driving speed.
G
Ginnel
A narrow pedestrian alley, often between buildings, used to increase walkability and permeability in neighbourhoods.
H
Hedgehog highways
Openings in fences or walls allowing hedgehogs and other small wildlife to move between green spaces.
Horizonal deflections
Measures that alter the line of the carriageway over a short distance, such as narrowing or chicanes.
K
Kerbs
The raised edge of a pavement or other feature. Normally delineates vehicle and pedestrian areas of the street.
L
Landmark buildings
A building or structure that stands out from its background by virtue of height, size or some other aspect of design.
Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA)
A technical study assessing the visual and landscape effects of a development proposal.
Last Mile
The last leg of a journey, either for a person or goods being delivered.
Layout
The way buildings, routes and open spaces are placed in relation to each other.
Legibility
Legibility in urban design refers to how easily people can understand and navigate a place. A legible place has a clear structure, with recognisable routes, landmarks and edges that help people find their way and understand where they are. This supports confidence and comfort by making it easy to orient yourself, recall key locations and move through the area without confusion.
Local distinctiveness
The positive features of a place and its communities which contribute to its unique character and sense of place.
M
Mixed-use
A mix of uses, usually complimentary, within a building, on a site or within a neighbourhood. ‘Horizontal’ mixed uses are side by side, usually in different buildings. ‘Vertical’ mixed uses are on different floors of the same building.
Mobility as a Service (MaaS)
A system through which people can access information, plan and pay for their journeys in one simple place e.g. on a mobile app. This app can cover multiple different ways to travel e.g. bus, rail, cycling and car share.
Modal filter
A street which prevents some vehicles, often private cars, from driving through whilst allowing pedestrians, cycles and other users.
Mode Shift
A change in the way people travel for a specific journey. For example, from a car to a bus.
N
National Model Design Code (NMDC)
A national framework providing structured guidance on the design of new development, forming the basis for local design codes.
Neighbourhood
Within a town or city, an area of distinct character usually on a scale that makes internal movement easy for pedestrians.
Neighbourhood Plan
A community-led planning document guiding development in a local area, often including design guidance or codes.
Nodes
Points at which streets or routes for public transport and other modes of movement intersect. Places where activity and routes are concentrated. Often used as a synonym for a junction.
O
On-curtilage parking
Parking within a building’s site boundary, rather than on a public street or space.
P
Paladin fencing
Paladin fencing is strong mesh security fencing
Pavement
The section of the highway reserved for pedestrians only, also known as the footway.
Permeability (streets)
The degree to which an area has a variety of pleasant, convenient and safe routes through it.
Pilaster
A shallow, rectangular column that projects slightly from a wall, giving the appearance of a supporting column but primarily decorative. Often used in classical and traditional architecture.
Play streets or play corridors
Play streets and play corridors are streets closed to traffic during specified times and sometimes equipped with recreational facilities for use by children as a play area
Plot frontage
The boundary between a plot or building and the public street.
PROW (Public right of way)
A legally protected path that members of the public have the right to use, even if across private land, such as footpaths and bridlepaths.
Public realm
This is the space between and within buildings that is publicly accessible, including streets, squares, forecourts, parks and open spaces.
Public Space
The character of each type of street will vary by area type.
R
Rain garden
Shallow vegetation designed to intercept and filter surface water runoff.
Red line boundary
The defined boundary of a development site shown on a plan, used in planning applications.
Render
A coating applied to external or internal walls, typically made from cement, lime or modern synthetic materials. It provides a smooth or textured surface and protects masonry from the elements.
Right tree, right place
A principle promoting the planting of trees appropriate to site conditions for long-term success and low maintenance.
Rumble strips
A section of rough surfacing that alerts drivers through vibrations when driven over at speed.
S
Sash window
A traditional window type made of one or more movable panels (sashes) that slide vertically (or occasionally horizontally), typically within timber frames. Common in Georgian and Victorian architecture.
Scale
Scale is the height, width and length of each building proposed within a development in relation to its surroundings.
Setback
The distance that buildings are set back from the edge of the highway (usually the back of pavement).
Space Left Over After Planning (S.L.O.A.P.)
Poorly defined space with no clear function or purpose, often resulting from careless or inefficient layout design. These areas are typically underused, unattractive, and do not contribute to the public realm e.g., a narrow or irregular strip of grass between a pavement and a wall that is too small to use or plant properly.
Speed cushion
A speed hump that doesn't cover the full width of a lane. These are normally wider than the wheel base of a standard car, but narrower than a bus and other wide vehicles.
Stonework
The use of stone as a primary construction or facing material. It includes rubble, ashlar and dressed stone and is often associated with local vernacular architecture.
Street furniture
The collective name used for all furniture, fittings and objects in the external areas of buildings, landscapes and streets for the benefit of the public. This can include benches, post boxes, cycle stands, traffic lights, street lamps, traffic signs, outdoor sculptures, and waste bins that are seen on the street.
Street hierarchy
The classification of streets based on function and traffic, ranging from primary to tertiary routes.
Street typology
The proposed street types in a development, aligned with the design code's hierarchy.
Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS)
SuDS are designed to manage rainwater and surface runoff. This can include permeable surfaces, green roofs, retention ponds and raingardens.
Sustainable Transport
Forms of transport that have a low impact on the environment such as public transport, walking, cycling and electric vehicles.
T
Tactile paving
Textured paving designed to assist visually impaired pedestrians in identifying crossing points and hazards.
Timber
Wood that has been processed for use in construction, either structurally (e.g. beams, joists) or as a decorative material (e.g. cladding, window frames, joinery).
Traffic calming
Self enforcing street design characteristics which encourage slow and considering driving and improve the experience for other street users.
Trim trails
are obstacle courses made up of outdoor exercise stations, usually placed in playgrounds or parks
V
Vertical deflections
Changes in the height of the carriageway over a short distance, such as speed humps.
Vision-led approach
A planning methodology required by the NPPF that begins with a desired outcome for people and place, shaping development to meet these goals.
W
Wheeling
Wheeling refers to use of wheeled mobility aids, such as wheelchairs, mobility scooters and walking frames. It also includes prams, buggies and other modes of transport which may travel on footways.
Z
Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV)
A map showing areas from which a development is theoretically visible, based on topography and line of sight.