Design & Access Statements: urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System2 Welcome  Design and Planning  What are statements  Reading tips  Writing tips  A made up statement urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System3 Design and planning urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System4 ‘If we deliver poor design, we know that we will not deliver sustainable development’ Lord Rooker, Planning Minister, House of Lords, Jan 04 ‘All involved in planning must work to achieve sustainable development’ Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System5 What the PPSs and PPGs say  Design Matters  Design cuts across planning policy areas  Design is about how places work  Impossible to separate planning and design urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System6 Key policy tests: PPS1  Refuse designs that don’t take advantage of opportunities for improvement - positively make places better for people.  This should be the aim of all involved.  LPAs should have robust, positive design policies based on local character and objectives.  Have regard to ‘By Design’ urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System7 Good Design should:  Address the connections between people, places and access to jobs and services  Integrate development into the existing natural and built environment and reinforce local distinctiveness  Be an important part of providing successful, safe and inclusive places  Create places everyone can use and enjoy  Consider impacts on the natural environment Key policy tests: PPS1 urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System8 Ask “is the design good enough to approve?” rather than “is it bad enough to refuse?” urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System9 The Good, the Bad, the OK?  PPG1 said refuse bad design  Our 2004 Housing Audits found 61% of new homes in the South East were mediocre and 17% were good  The 2005 Audit showed that 70% of homes in the North were mediocre and only 6% were good  Now PPS1 is saying only approve good design  What will the audit in 5 years find? urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System10 Design at a Glance  Gives up to date information on national design policy urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System11 Principles of Good Design  Character: should have its own identity  Continuity and enclosure: public and private should be clearly distinguished  Quality of public spaces: should have attractive and successful outdoor areas urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System12 Principles of Good Design  Ease of movement: easy for everyone to get to and move through  Legibility: has a clear image and be easy to understand  Adaptability: able to change easily  Diversity: values difference  Inclusivity: for everyone, without special treatment urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System13 Wrapping the box, creating active frontages What would you see as you shopped? Carlisle urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System14 Style does not equal quality urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System15 Quality transcends style urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System16 Negative associations with density: Physical elements such as parking stress, overrun of facilities and lack of green space. The design process urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System17 Design & Access Statement Scale Design Code Regional Spatial Strategy Masterplan Building Regs. City/Town Regional Building Neighbourhood Site Component Sustainability appraisals Sub- regional Framework Design Guide Local Development Framework Area Action Plan Planning design tools

Cabe and the Planning System18 What are statements? urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System19 Statements are tools to help prevent poorly designed places

Cabe and the Planning System20 What are statements?  They are required by the Planning Act  They are needed with most application types  They can be used to ‘fix’ details as proposals develop  They should be proportionate to the complexity of the development  They should be used to explain and justify the proposal urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System21 What should they contain? 1. The design process: How the designer has thought about the area and how new buildings and spaces have been informed by what already exists. 2. Use: What buildings and spaces will be used for 3. Amount: How much would be built on the site These should deal with the main inputs to the design process. urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System22 4. Layout: How the buildings and public and private spaces will be arranged on the site and the relationship between them and the buildings and spaces around the site. 5. Scale: How big the buildings and spaces would be (their height, width and length) To establish the 3D form of the development What should they contain? urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System23 6. Landscape design: How open spaces will be treated to enhance or protect the place, for example what trees, paths, lighting or seating will be provided or retained 7. Appearance: What the building and spaces will look like, for example building materials and architectural details 8. Access and inclusivity: How everyone could get to and move through the place and why the points of access and routes have been chosen The design details, based on 1-5 above. What should they contain? urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System24 Writing Tips urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System25 Golden Rules: Writing  Keep it short and to the point  Write it for the application  Start the statement when you start the scheme  Explain how the design came about and what you are trying to achieve  Talk to those who could help as soon as you can  Use statements as a negotiation tool  Allow it to change if the scheme changes  Use illustrations based on the application drawings urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System26 Statements This statement:  Explains why roof shape is appropriate  Isn’t expensive and hi- tech: reflects the scale of the development urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System27 Is this real? Will the place really look like this?

Cabe and the Planning System28 Use realistic and accurate visuals

Cabe and the Planning System29 The design process

Cabe and the Planning System30 What to Include:  A description of the design process  A summary of the main design concept  A justification of how the development will support its surroundings  Why you consider the scheme complies with national and local design policies  How the scheme will affect local services, jobs and social cohesion urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System31 For Example: This statement identifies:  Current constraints  Current opportunities  How the development will respond to these urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System32 Use

Cabe and the Planning System33 What to Include:  A justification of the use in terms of land use policies  How the scheme will work with existing uses in the area  An explanation of how the uses will work together to make the place more useful for the community  If possible, have a good mix of uses in the same area  Show you have understood the access needs of different users urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System34 For Example: The site’s location affords it good links with the town centre Nearby, local shops and schools This statement:  Uses pictures and words  Shows existing land uses and facilities  Explains how the development will make the most of them urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System35 Amount

Cabe and the Planning System36 What to Include:  Demonstrate that you have done an assessment of how much development is suitable for the site  Do not try to provide a retrospective justification - base the amount on an understanding of the site.  Include floor space figures and the amounts of different types of building  Indicate possible occupancy levels in homes and footfall for shops and leisure uses  With major developments, assess how those who come to use the site will impact local services etc. urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System37 For Example: This statement contains:  Floorspace  Parking space  Different potential uses urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System38 Layout

Cabe and the Planning System39 What to Include:  Explain why this layout has been chosen and how it helps the buildings and spaces work together  Make it clear how the layout will aid inclusive access to and through the site  Explain why certain uses, buildings or spaces have been placed where they have  Explain any conflicting priorities for the layout design and how you have dealt with these.  Perhaps show alternative layouts and explain why they have not been taken forward urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System40 For Example: This plan shows the basic layout tat the master plan stage urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System41  This diagram is not from a statement, but it shows how layout can affect walking routes to school  Although same actual distance (red arrows), two walks differ enormously urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System42 Scale

Cabe and the Planning System43 What to Include:  The relationship between existing buildings and those proposed  How the scale of the development responds to this specific site and its surroundings  Show how the scale of building parts work together  Pictures should be realistic, three-dimensional, and place the viewer where people would really be. urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System44 For Example:  These statements annotate sketches to help to explain the scale urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System45 Access and Inclusion

Cabe and the Planning System46 What to Include:  Explain how links to surrounding roads, footpaths and sight lines will be ensured  Consider using diagrams showing how people can move to and through the place  Indication how internal layouts have determined the location of entrances and fire exits  Explain the visibility of entrances and access to the buildings  Show access to facilities and how you deal with surface levels changes, for example with how you use dropped kerbs urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System47 For Example:  This statement shows clear lines (in yellow) of wheelchair accessible routes urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System48 Landscape design

Cabe and the Planning System49 What to Include:  Much more than plants: cover all treatments of outdoor spaces from street furniture to water features to road materials  Show how the design of external spaces will make them attractive, useful and environmentally and ecologically responsible  Explain how the landscape will work with all other design decisions  Show how you have taken into account long-term maintenance and management  Explain the purpose of landscape design on the site urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System50 For Example: This statement proposes planting that:  Provides seasonal interest  Encourages pedestrian activity  Is robust enough for roadside location urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System51 Appearance

Cabe and the Planning System52 What to Include:  Explain how the appearance fits with other objectives for the development: for example how it blends in, or stands out.  Pictures of what the scheme would look like should be based on details included in the application  Explain how the applicant has considered the effects of time on the appearance of the scheme urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System53 For Example:  This statement shows examples of local vernacular that will inform the design of the development urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System54 A made up example urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System55 Made up statement For New Shop front at No 12 High Street, New Town Planning Process  We visited the site and walked for 5 mins to east, west and south.  We found:  This shop sits towards the eastern end of the main shopping centre. The shop itself is single story and was built in 1930 but the current shopfront dates to The surrounding buildings are predominantly 2 storeys and have flats or offices above shops, restaurants and banks. Other buildings in the area are of various ages and there is no clear style in the area. But all together the shopping centre is lively and attractive. It is well used.  The pavement outside the shop is narrow – only around 2m wide. At times this means people get in each others way and there are pedestrian barriers to stop people moving out onto the road outside the shop.  The design of the shopfront as submitted with the planning application is based on our understanding of the character and problems of the site. So although we would like to include a large overhanging canopy we have not as the pavement is too narrow. We have also suggested a relatively large fascia sign as the unit is only single storey and the ones around it are 2 storey. So we think a taller sign will help the shop fit in with its surroundings.  We have read the councils design guide on shopfronts and have included a stall riser, pilasters and set in door as that guidance suggests. urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System56 Use  Not applicable – this is a shop with A1 use established. We are proposing no change. urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System57 Amount  Not applicable. This is a single unit and we are not proposing to change that. urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System58 Layout  There is not much choice in the layout of a shop front. But we have decided to move the door from the eastern to western end of the unit. This is because of the narrow pavement, which is at its narrowest at the eastern end. We think this will make it easier for people to get in and out of our shop, particularly if they have buggies or are in wheelchairs and the street is busy. urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System59 Scale  The scale of the unit itself is set. But we want a tall fascia to make the building look bigger. We think this will make the parade look better with less of a ‘gap’ at this single storey unit.  The scale of the stall riser and pilasters and glazing bars is based on the manufacturers design. But we have asked them to make the stall riser bigger – so it is now 40cm tall in line with the Local Authorities Shop front guidance which sets this as a minimum. urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System60 Access and Inclusively  We have moved the door as explained above to make access easier. The door itself is 1m wide – enough for a double buggy or a wheelchair. There will be flat access at the door, better than the present shop front which has a step up to a narrow door.  The applicant wants to make sure the internal fit out of the shop will also let everyone use it easily. urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System61 Landscaping  This is not relevant – there is no space for landscaping. But as the applicant is a florist and the window will be bigger than at present more plants will be visible. urban design london

Cabe and the Planning System62 Appearance  As there is no particular style or consistent age of shop fronts in the area we are proposing a modern design which highlights the florist’s own creative style. urban design london

Thank you for listening urban design london