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.
6,825 approved · 214 refused · 438 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 12 Dec 1938 to 5 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 15 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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.
Chigborough Quarry,Chigborough & Draper's Fms; Saltcote & Rook Halls,Maldon,CM9 4QX
Received 25 Apr 2006Highwood Quarry, Little Canfield, Dunmow, Essex, CM6 1SL
Received 14 Nov 2019Stanway Fiveways Primary School, Winstree Road, STANWAY, CO3 0QG
Received 1 Dec 2017Castledon School, Bromfords Drive, Wickford, SS120PW
Received 25 Apr 2012Broomfield Primary School, School Lane, Broomfield, Chelmsford, CM1 7DN
Received 22 Jan 2019Jaywick Water Recycling Centre, Off Jaywick Lane
Received 10 Nov 2017Langford Bridge, A128 Ongar to Brentwood Road
Received 20 May 2003Barling Marsh Quarry & Landfill, Mucking Hall Road, Barling Magna, SS3 0NR
Received 2 Dec 2019Evegate & 3 Thistley Green Road, Braintree, CM7 9SE
Received 22 May 2018Manuden Primary School, The Street,Manuden County Primary School,The Street,Manuden,Bishop's Stortford,CM23 1DE
Received 3 Feb 2003High Ongar CP School, The Street, High Ongar, ONGAR, CM5 9NB
Received 9 Mar 2018Burnt Mill Comprehensive School,First Avenue,Harlow,CM20 2NR
Received 9 Jan 2006Elsenham Cof E Primary School,High Street,Elsenham,Bishop's Stortford,CM22 6DD
Received 15 Dec 2005Highwood Quarry, Stortford Road, Little Canfield, Dunmow, Essex, CM6 1SL
Received 23 Oct 2020Land North of Dry Street, Nethermayne, Basildon, Essex
Received 27 Jan 2023Essex County Council Waste Transfer Station, Chelmsford Road, Great Dunmow, Essex, CM6 1LW
Received 15 Jun 2023Rivenhall Primary School,Church Road,Rivenhall,Witham,CM8 3PQ
Received 12 Mar 2012Bradwell Quarry Church Road Bradwell Essex CM77 8EP
Received 19 Aug 2022A414 N of Hastingwood Junction 7 to Southern Way.,Harlow
Received 10 Sept 2009Swan Meade County Infants School, Church Road, Basildon
Received Not publishedThe Cornelius Vermuyden School,Dinant Avenue,Canvey,SS8 9SQ
Received 1 Nov 2010Paxman Academy, Paxman Avenue, Colchester, CO2 9DQ
Received 13 Sept 2021Pratts Farm Lane, North of Belsteads Farm,Essex Regiment Way,Broomfield,Chelmsford,CM3 3PR
Received 23 Jan 1996Heatherland Composting,Stondon Hall Farm,Stondon Massey,Ongar,CM15 0LD
Received 19 Oct 2001Records 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