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6,825 approved · 214 refused · 438 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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.
Widdington Pit, Hollow Road, Widdington, CB11 3SL
Received 19 Jun 2014Highwood Quarry, Little Canfield, Essex, CM6 1SL
Received 9 Dec 2019Rivenhall IWMF, Coggeshall Road, Essex, Bradwell, CM77 8EF
Received 19 Mar 2024Heathlands Primary School, New Church Road, West Bergholt, Colchester, CO6 3JF
Received 9 Mar 2012Bulls Lodge Quarry (Boreham Airfield), Generals Lane, Boreham, Chelmsford, CM3 3HR
Received 7 Aug 2024Holy Cross Rc Primary School, Tracyes Road, Harlow, CM186JJ
Received 2 May 2014Glebe Infant and Junior School,Creswick Avenue,Rayleigh,SS6 9HG
Received 9 May 2002Manningtree High School, Colchester Road, Lawford, CO11 2BW
Received 21 Nov 2018Lufkins Farm,Thorrington Road,Great Bentley,Essex
Received 14 Mar 2013Land between the A120 and A133, to the east of Colchester and west of Elmstead Market
Received 29 Aug 2024Morses Lane Industrial Estate,Brightlingsea,CO7 0SD
Received 6 Jun 2011Land at Sandon Quarry, Southend Road, Sandon, Essex, CM2 7TE
Received 28 Mar 2018Broadfields Primary School,Freshwater,Harlow,CM20 3QA
Received 8 Sept 2008Land between the A120 and A133, to the east of Colchester and west of Elmstead Market
Received 11 Mar 2026Land North of Apprentice Drive, New Braiswick Park, Colchester, Essex
Received 9 Jul 2015Chipping Hill Infant School, Church Street, Witham,Chipping Hill Infant School,Church Street,Witham,CM8 2JL
Received 9 Mar 2001Land at Rivenhall Airfield, Coggeshall Road, Braintree, CO5 9DF
Received 5 Jul 2024Crumps Farm,Stortford Rd,Little Canfield,Great Dunmow,CM6 1SR
Received 14 Sept 2001Arnolds Farm, 221 Ongar Road, Lambourne, Romford, RM4 1RH
Received 10 Sept 2021Bradwell Power Station Downhall Beach Bradwell-On-Sea CM0 7HP
Received 17 Dec 2021Bradwell Quarry, Church Road, Bradwell, CM77 8EP, and land south of Cuthedge Lane.
Received 5 Aug 2025Glenwood School, Rushbottom Lane, Thundersley, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 4LW
Received 10 Sept 2024Bardfield Community Junior & Infant School & Nursery,Clay Hill Road,Vange,Basildon,SS164NL
Received 18 Jun 2001Green Acres,Old Packards Lane,Wormingford,Colchester,CO6 3AH
Received 29 Jan 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