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6,824 approved · 214 refused · 438 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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.
The Sweyne Park School, Sir Walter Raleigh Drive Rayleigh SS6 9BZ
Received 16 Mar 2021Wivenhoe Quarry, Alresford Road, Wivenhoe, CO7 9JU
Received 15 Jul 2016Land at Wallasea Island, Rochford, SS4 2HD
Received 23 Apr 2015Chalk Farm Quarry,Chalk Farm,Newport,Saffron Walden,CB11 3RX
Received 2 May 2001Martell's Quarry, Slough Lane,Martells Industrial Estate,Slough Lane,Ardleigh,Colchester,CO7 7RU
Received 18 Mar 2004Highwood Quarry, Stortford Road, Little Canfield, Dunmow, Essex, CM6 1SL
Received 8 May 2019Land to the South of Terminus Drive, Pitsea, Basildon, SS16 4UH
Received 22 Nov 2016Paynes Lane, Nazeing EN9 2EX,Nazeing Quarry,Green Lane,Nazeing,Waltham Abbey,EN10 6TD
Received 26 Sept 2005King John School,Shipwrights Drive,Thundersley,Benfleet,SS7 1RQ
Received 24 Feb 2005Springfield Highways Depot, Colchester Road, Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 5PU
Received 29 Nov 2012Glenwood School Rushbottom Lane Thundersley Benfleet Essex SS7 4LW
Received 22 Jan 2026Anglo European High School,Willow Green,Ingatestone,CM4 0DJ
Received 24 Jun 2010Shenfield Library, Hutton Road, Shenfield, CM15 8NJ
Received 7 Jul 2022Clarance House,22 Watling Street,Thaxted,Dunmow,CM6 2PJ
Received 26 Sept 2007Endeavour School, Hogarth Avenue, Brentwood, CM158BE
Received 21 Aug 2012Blunts Wall Farm, Blunts Wall Road, Billericay, CM12 9SA
Received 17 Dec 2018Marsh Farm, Vange By-pass, Basildon, Essex, SS16 4QG
Received 4 Mar 2014Rivenhall Airfield Coggeshall Road (A120) Braintree CO5 9DF
Received 3 Mar 2022Cuckoo Farm, Colchester Park and Ride,Land to the north A12, Trunk road at Cuckoo Farm (Park & Ride),Cuckoo Farm,Boxted Road,Mile End,Colchester,CO4 5HH
Received 3 Jan 2007Springfield Highways Depot, Colchester Road, Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 5PU
Received 6 Jan 2017Blackleys Quarry, (Essex Show Ground),Great Leighs,Chelmsford,CM3 1QB
Received 26 Feb 2013Former Heath School, Winstree Road, Stanway, Colchester, CO3 5QE
Received 7 Jun 2018Stapleford Abbotts Primary School,Stapleford Road,Stapleford Abbotts,Romford,RM4 1EJ
Received 22 Jul 2008Church Langley Primary School,Church Langley Way,Church Langley,Harlow,CM17 9TH
Received 27 May 1999Records 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