Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning application documents: what to read first
Understand planning application documents, officer reports and decision notices. Use a reading checklist, document table and worked example to inspect a case.
England · County council
Explore collected planning applications and decisions for Essex County Council. Search an address, application reference or proposal to find a record.
6,824 approved · 214 refused · 438 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 12 Dec 1938 to 5 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 13 Oct 2026. Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.
Explore published planning boundaries and follow their source records for designation details. Coverage varies: an empty map does not mean there are no restrictions. Check the council’s current maps and documents before relying on a boundary.
A boundary map is not available for this authority yet. Use council conservation-area and Article 4 guidance above where linked.
Download Article 4 coverage for all authorities (CSV)
Sources: Planning Data conservation areas and Article 4 direction areas. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Glenwood School, Rushbottom Lane, Thundersley, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 4LW
Received 19 Aug 2024Sandon Quarry, Molrams Lane, Sandon
Received 11 Dec 2017Cory Environmental, Mucking Hall Road, Barling Magna, Southend-on-sea, SS3 0NR
Received 28 Aug 2012Highwood Quarry, Stortford Road, Little Canfield, Dunmow, Essex, CM6 1SL
Received 23 Jul 2018Land at Rayne Quarry, Dunmow Road, Braintree, Essex, Rayne
Received 26 Oct 2023Land at Colchester Quarry, Warren Lane, Stanway, Colchester, Essex, CO3 0NN
Received 5 Oct 2023Highwood Quarry, Stortford Road, Little Easton, Near Great Dunmow, Essex
Received 22 Mar 2012North Melbourne Library,Dickens Place,Copperfield Road,Newlands Spring,Chelmsford,CM1 4UU
Received 11 Nov 2009The Sweyne Park School, Sir Walter Raleigh Drive, RAYLEIGH, SS6 9BZ
Received 3 Jan 2017Cobbs Farm, Maldon Road, Goldhanger, Maldon. CM9 8BQ
Received 13 Sept 2012James Waste Management, Purdeys Industrial Estate, Brickfields Way, Rochford, Essex, SS4 1NB
Received 2 Oct 2020Little Easton Airfield,Little Easton,Dunmow,CM6 2BB
Received 17 Dec 2013St John Payne RC Comprehensive School,Patching Hall Lane,Chelmsford,CM1 4BS
Received 21 Jul 2008Land North Of Generals Lane Roundabout, Generals Lane, Boreham. Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 3HJ
Received 21 Feb 2025Essex Regiment Way,Broomfield,Chelmsford,CM3 3PR
Received 3 Jan 2008Moverons Farm,Brightlingsea Quarry,Moverons Lane,Brightlingsea,CO7 0SB
Received 2 Aug 1994Brightside Primary School, Rosebay Avenue, Brightside, Billericay, CM12 0LE
Received 6 Mar 2001Land at Colemans Farm, Little Braxted Lane, Rivenhall, Witham, Essex, CM8 3EX
Received 28 Jul 2017Gosfield County Primary School,The Street,Gosfield,Halstead,CO9 1ST
Received 26 May 2006Staples Road Primary School,Staples Road,Loughton,IG10 1HR
Received 29 Jan 2007All Saints C of E Primary School (Highlands Campus),Highlands Drive,Maldon,CM9 6HY
Received 13 Dec 2006Noak Bridge Primary School,Coppice Lane,Basildon,SS154JS
Received 21 Dec 2007Highwood Primary School,Loves Green,Highwood,Chelmsford,CM1 3QH
Received 18 Dec 2007Grange Road,Tiptree,Colchester,CO5 0QQ
Received 29 Oct 1998Records are ordered by application ID, not submission date. Use search to find a particular address or proposal.
View all applicationsStart with the address or application reference. Open a record to read the proposal, dates and available documents, then check the official register for the latest plans and consultation details. If nothing appears, check coverage before treating the result as a complete planning history.
How to search planning applications
Understanding planning · 13 min read
Understand planning application documents, officer reports and decision notices. Use a reading checklist, document table and worked example to inspect a case.

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Read planning drawings, floor plans, elevations and sections. Use labelled diagrams, a drawing comparison table and revision checks to understand a proposal.

Property research · 13 min read
Understand planning approval rates with an interactive calculator, worked examples and comparison table. Check sample sizes, outcomes and coverage before comparing.
These figures describe applications collected by PlanningTrack for Essex County Council, across all dates currently available. They are a partial dataset, rather than an authority-wide performance measure. The date range does not establish continuous historical coverage.
The approval percentage is approved records divided by approved plus refused records. Pending, withdrawn and unknown outcomes are excluded. No percentage is shown until there is an approved or refused record.
Check collection coverage