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6,825 approved · 214 refused · 438 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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.
Colchester Quarry , Warren Lane, Colchester, Stanway, CO3 0NN
Received 2 Oct 2017Tiptree Basketworks and Woodyard
Received 24 Oct 2000Bluehouse Junior & Infant School, Laindon,Bluehouse Junior & Infant School,Leinster Road,Laindon,Basildon
Received 19 Oct 1996Colchester Quarry,Bellhouse & Abbotstone Landfill Site,Warren Lane,Stanway,Colchester,CO3 0NN
Received 22 Mar 2016Cobbs Farm, Maldon Road, Goldhanger, Maldon. CM9 8BQ
Received 13 Sept 2012St. Cleres Hall Pit, Main Road, Danbury, Chelmsford, CM3 4AR
Received 19 Sept 2012Glenwood School, Rushbottom Lane, Thundersley, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 4LW
Received 19 Aug 2024Cobbs Farm, Maldon Road, Goldhanger, Maldon, CM9 8BQ
Received 12 May 2025Bradwell Power Station, Downhall Beach, Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex, CM0 7HP
Received 4 Aug 2023Mayflower County Primary School, Main Road, Harwich, CO12 4AJ
Received 15 Nov 2023Bradwell Outdoors, Waterside Road, Bradwell-on-sea, Southminster, CM0 7QY
Received 16 Jul 2012Birchanger CE Primary School,Birchwood,Birchanger,Bishop's Stortford,CM23 5QF
Received 20 Jul 2007Bulls Lodge Quarry, Generals Lane, Boreham, Chelmsford, CM3 3HR
Received 7 Jul 2015Birch Pit, Roundbush Corner, Maldon Road, Colchester, Layer Marney, CO5 9XE
Received 8 Sept 2022Harvey Automobile Engineering, Paynes Lane, Waltham Abbey, Essex, EN9 2EX
Received 5 Jul 2022Roach Vale Primary School,Roach Vale,Colchester,CO4 3YN
Received 23 Feb 2007Ugley Landfill Site, Cambridge Road, Ugley, CM22 6HT
Received 22 Jul 2020Shalford Primary School,Church End,Shalford,Braintree,CM7 5EZ
Received 10 Dec 2001Bellhouse Quarry And Landfill Site, Electricity Generating Station, Warren Lane, Stanway, Essex, CO3 0NN
Received 17 Jul 2023Gt Bentley Primary School,Plough Road,Gt Bentley,Colchester,CO7 8LD
Received 23 May 2001Alton Park County Junior and The Leas Schools,Alton Park Road,Clacton on Sea,CO15 1DL
Received 25 Mar 2008Bradwell Power Station, Downhall Beach, Bradwell-on-sea, Essex, CM0 7HP
Received 23 Dec 2024Brightlingsea TPS (Terminal Pumping Station), Brightlingsea CO7 0HP
Received 2 Sept 2021Hillhouse Primary School,Ninefields,Waltham Abbey,EN9 3BE
Received 27 Apr 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
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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