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6,824 approved · 214 refused · 438 withdrawn.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: 11 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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.
Blackley Quarry, and land to the north east and north west of the existing quarry, A131, Great Leighs, CM3 1QP
Received 10 Aug 2026Land at Colchester Quarry, Warren lane, Stanway Colchester C03 0NN
Received 14 Jun 2019Cobbs Farm, Maldon Road, Goldhanger, Maldon, CM9 8BQ
Received 2 Jul 2014West Horndon County Primary School, Thorndon Avenue, West Horndon, CM13 3TR
Received 12 Aug 2019Bishops Park College,Jaywick Lane,Clacton on Sea,CO16 8BE
Received 28 Jun 2004Newport Free Grammar School,Burywater Lane,Saffron Walden,CB11 3TR
Received 17 Jun 2008Hatfield Heath Primary School, The Heath, Hatfield Heath, Bishop's Stortford, CM227EA
Received 9 Nov 2012Bradwell Quarry, Coggeshall Road (A120T), Essex, Bradwell, United Kingdom
Received 11 Apr 2014The Works,South Strand,Lawford,Manningtree,CO11 1UP
Received 9 Apr 2003Market Field School, School Road, Elmstead, Colchester, CO7 7ET
Received 14 May 2015Land at Sheepcotes Farm, Sheepcotes Lane, Little Waltham, CM3 3LU
Received 11 Jun 2021Chigborough Quarry,Chigborough & Draper's Fms; Saltcote & Rook Halls,Maldon,CM9 4QX
Received 4 Jan 1995Barling Magna Primary School, Little Wakering Road, Barling Magna, Essex, SS3 0LN
Received 22 Jul 2022Land between Sheering Road and the M11 Motorway
Received 5 Jun 2020St. Giles C Of E Primary School, Church Street, Great Maplestead, Halstead, CO9 2RG
Received 4 Sept 2014Cedar Hall School, Hart Road, Benfleet, SS7 3UQ
Received 16 Apr 2013Highwood Quarry, Stortford Road, Great Dunmow, Essex, CM6 1SL
Received 14 May 2021Land at Rayne Quarry, Dunmow Road, Braintree, Essex, Rayne
Received 31 May 2024Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School,Lower Queens Road,Buckhurst Hill,IG9 6DS
Received 9 Jun 2004Halstead Anaerobic Digestion Facility, Land north of Bluebridge Industrial Estate, Halstead, Essex
Received 18 May 2023Land to the south of Colchester Main Road, Alresford, Nr Colchester, C07 8DB
Received 24 Apr 2022Cressing Primary School, Braintree Road, Cressing, Essex, CM77 8JE
Received 18 Jul 2025Church Farm Quarry,Alresford Creek,Ford Lane,Alresford,Colchester,CO7 8BG
Received 12 Jul 2001Land north of Bluebridge Industrial Estate,Halstead,CM9 2SZ
Received 22 Apr 2013Records 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.

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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