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.
6,830 approved · 214 refused · 438 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 12 Dec 1938 to 15 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 19 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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.
Hilltop County Infants & Junior School,Hill Avenue,Wickford,SS11 8LT
Received 22 Sept 2008Wivenhoe Quarry,Alresford Road,Wivenhoe,Colchester,CO7 9JY
Received 30 Dec 2004Wivenhoe Quarry (Keelars Farm South), Alresford Road, Wivenhoe, Essex, CO7 9JU
Received 13 Jun 2023Fyfield Dr Walkers C Of E Primary School, Walker Avenue, Fyfield, Ongar, CM5 0RG
Received 23 Apr 2021Ongar Landfill Site,Mill Lane,Ongar,CM5 9RG
Received 19 Dec 2003Bentley Country Park Ltd, Flag Hill, Great Bentley, Colchester, CO7 8RF
Received 23 Apr 2012The Sweyne Park School,Pearson Avenue,Rayleigh,SS6 9BZ
Received 11 Jun 1997Felmore Primary School,Davenants,Pitsea,Basildon,SS131QZ
Received Not publishedUnit 5-7,Hallsford Bridge Ind Est,Stondon Rd,Ongar,CM5 9RB
Received 16 Jul 2008Park Farm Belsteads Farm Lane Chelmsford Garden Community Chelmsford Essex CM3 3PX
Received 16 Oct 2025Langenhoe CPS,Braken Way,Abberton,Colchester,CO5 7PG
Received 27 Nov 1998Former LECA Works,Ongar Landfill Site,Mill Lane,Ongar,CM5 9RG
Received 29 Jun 1998Former Glenwood School, Rushbottom Lane, Thundersley, BENFLEET, SS7 4LW
Received 26 Feb 2018Glebe Infant and Junior School,Creswick Avenue,Rayleigh,SS6 9HG
Received 22 Dec 1998Magnox Electric Plc, Bradwell Power Station, Bradwell-on-sea, Southminster, CM0 7HP
Received 11 Jun 2018Green Lane Farm,Green Lane Farm,Colchester Road,Weeley,Clacton-on-Sea,CO16 9AD
Received 26 Feb 1998Cobbs Farm, Maldon Road, Goldhanger, Maldon, CM9 8BQ
Received 28 Feb 2017Former St Marys Primary School, St Johns Road, Stansted, Essex, CM24 8JP
Received 3 Jul 2017Quayside Park,Bates Road,Maldon,CM9 5FA
Received 8 Mar 2006Woodlands School,Takeley End,Kingswood,Basildon,SS165BA
Received 13 Dec 2010St Peter's Church Of England Primary School, Myneer Park, Coggeshall, Essex, CO6 1YU
Received 14 Sept 2026Essex Show Ground,Blackleys Quarry, (Essex Show Ground),Great Leighs,Chelmsford,CM3 1QB
Received 16 Jan 1998Saffron Walden Library,Market Place,Saffron Walden,CB10 1HR
Received 12 Jul 2006Ashlyns Farm, Epping Road, North Weald, Epping, CM16 6RZ
Received 18 Mar 2022Records 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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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