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Design and Access Statements

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Introduction

As from 10th August 2006, most planning applications and all listed building applications will require a Design and Access Statement to be submitted with the application: this is a statutory requirement. Failure to submit a statement with the application will result in delay, as the application cannot be registered as valid without one.

Design and Access statements will be required for:

1. Applications for planning permission (including outline applications) except those for:

• engineering or mining operations
• development of an existing dwelling or within the curtilage of a dwelling for any purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwelling (eg householder developments) unless it is within a Conservation Area, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, World Heritage Site or Area of Special Scientific Interest.
• a material change in the use of land or buildings which do not include any operational development.

2. Applications for listed building consent

What are Design and Access Statements

It is a report to illustrate the process that has led to the development proposal and enables applicants to demonstrate how they have achieved good design and accessibility.  A major part will be explaining how local context has influenced the design. The level of detail required will depend on the scale and complexity of the application. The statement should include an appraisal of the context, identify design and access principles arising from an appreciation of the context and then show how the design and access solutions have been established through that appraisal and identification of principles.

What is Required

1. Appraising the Context

This should include:

• Assessing the character of both the site itself and its surroundings in terms of physical, social and economic characteristics and relevant planning policies.
• Involving the Community for example consulting with local community and access groups, and meetings with planning, building control, conservation and access officers. The statement should indicate how views have been taken into account and affected the proposal.
• Evaluating the information to identify opportunities and constraints, formulate design and access principles and balancing potentially conflicting issues.
• Use(s) statements for both outline and detailed applications should explain the uses(s) proposed, their distribution across the site, the appropriateness of accessibility to and between them, and their inter-relationship to uses surrounding the site. Note that use cannot be reserved within an outline application.

2. Identifying Design Principles

The statement should explain the design principles and concepts applied to the following aspects of the proposal:

• Amount (which cannot be reserved for outline applications), means for residential development, the number of proposed units for residential use; and for all other forms of development, the proposed floor space for each proposed use.

The statement should explain and justify the amount; show how the distribution across the site has been arrived at; demonstrate how the proposal relates to the site's surroundings; and show how accessibility for users to and between parts of the development is maximised.

• Layout is the way in which buildings, routes and open spaces within the development are provided, situated and orientated in relation to each other and to buildings and spaces outside the development.

For outline applications, the statement should provide information on the approximate location of buildings, routes and open spaces; explain and justify the principles behind the choice of development zones and blocks or building plots; and explain how these principles including the need for appropriate access, inform the detailed layout. The use of illustrative diagrams is encouraged in explaining this.

For outline applications where layout is not reserved and detailed applications, the statement should explain and justify the layout in terms of the relationship between buildings and public and private spaces within and around the site; show how these relationships help to create safe, vibrant and successful places; indicate the factors helping to make the site accessible to users, such as travel distances and gradients; show the orientation of block and units in relation to any site topography and how this helps achieve accessibility; and show how the design incorporates crime prevention measures and the attributes of safe and sustainable places as set out in Safer Places - the Planning System and Crime Prevention (ODPM/Home Office 2003).

• Scale is the height, width and length of a building or each building proposed within the development in relation to its surroundings.

For outline applications where scale is reserved, the statement should state the upper and lower limits of the height, width and length of each building to establish a 3 dimensional building framework within which the detailed design of the buildings will be constructed; explain and justify the principles behind these parameters and how these will inform the final scale of buildings.

For outline applications where scale is not reserved and detailed applications, the statement should explain and justify how the proposed scale has been arrived at; demonstrate how this relates to the site's surroundings and relevant skyline; and explain and justify the scale of building features such as entrances and facades and how they relate to the human scale.

• Landscaping includes both the planted (soft) and built (hard) landscape elements in private and public spaces.

For outline applications where landscaping is a reserved matter, the statement should explain and justify the principles which will inform any future landscaping scheme, but need not provide any specific information.

For outline applications where landscaping is not reserved and detailed applications, the statement should explain the purpose of landscaping private and public spaces and how proposals relate to the surrounding area; provide a schedule of planting and proposed hard landscaping materials; and explain how landscaping will be maintained.

• Appearance refers to the visual impression the building or place makes, including the external built form of the development, its architecture, materials, decoration, lighting, colour and texture.

For outline applications where appearance is a reserved matter, the statement should explain and justify the principles that will inform the appearance and final design of the scheme, but need not provide any specific information.

For outline applications where appearance is not reserved and detailed applications, the statement should explain and justify the appearance of the scheme and how this relates to the appearance and character of the surroundings; and demonstrate how decisions taken about appearance have considered accessibility (which may include materials and textures as contrasts in tone and colour help define accessibility features such as entrances circulation routes or seating, and location and levels of lighting).

3. Identifying Access Principles

Access refers to access to the development and does not extend to internal aspects of individual buildings. Statements should explain how access ensures all users will have equal and convenient access to buildings and public transport; the policy adopted as to access and how planning policies relating to access have been taken into account with particular reference to the inclusion of disabled people; what if any consultation has been undertaken on access issues and what account has been taken of comments received; where relevant how access for emergency services an be achieved including circulation routes round the site and egress from buildings in the event of emergency evacuation; and address the need for flexibility of development and how it may adapt to changing needs.

For outline applications where access is a reserved matter, the statement should indicate the location of points of access to the site; and explain the principles which will be used to inform the access arrangements for the final development at all scales from neighbourhood movement patterns where appropriate to the treatment of individual access points to buildings.

4. Listed Building Applications

Where a planning application is submitted in parallel with a listed building application, a single statement can be submitted for both applications, but it is necessary to ensure that the statement includes the additional elements required for listed building applications.

For listed building applications which just affect the interior of the building, only the design part of the statement needs to be submitted.

The statement must explain the design principles and concepts applied to scale, layout and appearance, including a brief explanation of how the design takes into account paragraph 3.5 of PPG 15 (Planning and the Historic Environment); and how the design and access takes account of the special architectural or historic importance of the building, the particular physical features of the building justifying its designation as a listed building, and the building's setting.

The statement will need to explain and justify the approach to ensuring that the building preserves or enhances its special historic and architectural importance. Where there is potentially an aspect of design that will impact on this, the statement should explain why this is necessary and what measures within the approach to design have been taken to minimise its impact.

On access the statement should make clear how the approach taken has balanced the duties imposed by the Disability Discrimination Act where the proposal is subject to those and the particular historical and architectural significance of the building. It should also detail any specific issues that arise especially with regard to the building being listed, the range of options considered and where inclusive design has not been provided an explanation as to why should be given. In alterations to existing buildings where the fabric of the structure restricts the ability to meet minimum levels of accessibility, details should be provided of solutions that will be put in place to minimise the impact on disabled people and ensure that any services provided within the building are made available in other ways.

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