A–Z index:

Design and access statements

What is a Design and Access Statement?

Since 10 August 2006, applicants have been required to submit a Design and Access Statement (referred to on this page as "Statements") along with their applications for planning and listed building consent.

Statements are documents that explain the design thinking or rationale behind an application. They are intended to encourage a well-considered approach to design but not to stifle innovation and creativity. They should enable the applicant to show:

how the opportunities and constraints of the site have been identified and evaluated;
how the design of the proposed development has responded to its local context, taking account of the wider landscape and/or townscape setting of the site; and
how the design of the proposed development has carefully considered how everyone, including disabled people, older people and young children will be able to use it. They provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate your commitment to achieving good and accessible design.

When is one required?

They must be included in applications for both outline and full applications and are generally required for all planning and listed building consent applications. However, the following types of application will normally be exempt:

material changes of use of land and buildings, (unless it also involves operational development);
engineering or mining operations;
householder developments: but statements are required if the property is located within a designated area such as a Conservation Area, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) , a World Heritage Site, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or a National Park (given that there are around 70 Conservation Areas within Salisbury District, the majority of householder applications will need to provide a statement);
advertisements;
tree preservation orders;
storage of hazardous waste.

How will a Design and Access statement help?

Statements are intended to raise design quality and should consistently inform decisions about a scheme from pre-application stage to implementation on site. They will help the planning authority, council members, neighbours, the public and yourself to:

fully understand the proposal and the design principles behind it;
consider the proposal against the relevant policies in the Salisbury Local Plan; and
consider the proposal against key national planning policy, for example, PPS1 – Delivering Sustainable Development, and planning guidance, for example, Better Places to Live by Design – A companion guide to PPG3 (ODPM, 2001)

What aspects should a Design and Access Statement cover?

The statement should provide information on the following aspects of the scheme:

Use – what buildings and spaces will be used for, and why the use(s) are appropriate for the site and the wider area.
Amount of development - how much will be built on site, such as the number of units or quantity of floor space.
Layout - how the building(s) and public and private spaces are to be arranged on the site and the relationship between them.
Scale - how big the building(s) and spaces will be in terms of their height, width and length.
Appearance – what the building(s) and spaces will look like, for example, building materials and architectural details.
Landscaping – the treatment of public and private spaces, hard and soft landscaping.
Access – pedestrian, cycle, vehicular and transport links - why the access points and routes have been chosen, and how the site responds to road layout and public transport provision.
Inclusive access - how everyone can get to and move through the place on equal terms regardless of age, disability, ethnicity or social grouping.

For many applications the statement will also need to explain the merits of the scheme in terms of sustainable design and/or crime prevention.

For most larger-scale applications it will also be necessary for the accompanying statement to explain how the scheme would incorporate the principles of good place-making. The following questions are particularly pertinent and should be addressed:

Would the scheme create a place with its own identity?
Would public and private spaces be clearly distinguished?
Would it include high quality, attractive and well-used public spaces?
Would it be easy to get to and move through, especially for pedestrians and cyclists?
Would it have a clear, memorable image and be easy to understand?
Would it be adaptable, able to cater for changing needs over time?
Would it provide a variety of uses and experiences?

Explaining the design process

The statement should tell the story of how the design principles and concepts have emerged, pointing out where and how these have responded to the site’s context and influenced the chosen design solution. It can clearly explain what the applicant considers the local context to be, what they consider important about it, and how the scheme responds to this. The applicant should show that they have followed a rigorous design process in drawing up the application scheme. A good design statement will reflect four key stages in the design process:

Step 1 – Appraisal of site and context and evaluation

This is a factual account either in writing or using photographs and drawings to describe qualities of the site and show the relationship with its context, for example whether it is urban, wooded, conservation area, hilly or industrial. This needs to be undertaken through an on-site appraisal examining both the site and its surroundings. It is important that this analysis has its basis in fact and reason rather than opinion and should include:

An explanation of the constraints and opportunities of the site in terms of its context, such as pattern of layout, characteristic spaces between buildings and their uses, local building characteristics and materials, location of main service utilities, etc.
An explanation of the constraints and opportunities the site has in terms of its design, such as important views, site aspect, features worthy of retention or protection, quality and structure of existing landscape, pedestrian desire lines, opportunities for access, etc.

Step 2 – Consultation

Clearly show what groups and people you have been, or will be, discussing the scheme with. Government guidance encourages applicants to carry out professional consultations and community involvement at the earliest possible stage as this will help to avoid the potential pitfalls of not doing so until it is too late to change the scheme. Remember that planning officers will always be willing to discuss the merits of different options or a scheme in its early stages prior to a planning application being submitted. The statement should explore the findings of any consultations that have been carried out and explain how they have directed the decisions made by the applicant at this early stage in the scheme’s development. Even for smaller scale applications, for example, extensions to dwellings, it is good practice to inform neighbours who could be affected and this could also be indicated in a design and access statement, where one is required.

Step 3 – Identification of design principles

The main design criteria which need to be achieved. A clear list of design matters of such prime importance they need to be included in any design regardless of the approach.

The principles may also include constraints which are critical to the applicant such as minimum accommodation requirements or financial constraints, where these have a planning justification, such as the effect the value of the land may have had on the development options for the site. It should also include the Planning Authorities' requirements as set down in the Local Plan or in a Planning /Development Brief for the site.

It is important to understand that each site and development proposal is unique and there is not a right or wrong set of design principles. Design principles should be able to be justified against the site and context analysis and evaluation, or Local Plan requirements.

Design principles will vary in number and complexity from proposal to proposal. Principles may include; the retention of important views, the mass and scale of buildings being similar to those in the street, or a new building being taller to create a focal point.

Important trees may need to be kept, or buildings may need to create a continuous street frontage or be in a specific layout to meet the needs of industrial activities, etc.

Step 4 – Explanation of the chosen design solution

The design solution should be based upon the design principles which were established through the site analysis and evaluation. Without undertaking proper site analysis and defining the design principles at the outset the resulting design is likely to be flawed.

The sustainability of the development (its impact on the environment now and in the future) should be considered in all cases, and include measures such as passive solar energy, sustainable drainage and water conservation as set out in the council’s Supplementary Planning Guidance.

Demonstrating these design processes can be quite simple. Applicants and agents already go through these processes before making an application. The only change is that there has not previously been a requirement to explain this process as part of the submission.

Statements accompanying applications for Listed Building Consent

These should also include a brief explanation of how the proposal has taken into account the special historic and architectural importance of the building, the particular physical features that justify its designation as a listed building and the building’s setting. The statement should detail any specific issues that arise because the building is listed, and if it is not possible to provide inclusive design, this needs to be expanded upon in the statement. 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.

12 points for producing an effective statement

Use plain English wherever possible.
Both design and access issues should be addressed in a single statement. This approach should allow applicants to demonstrate an integrated approach that will deliver inclusive design, and address a full range of access requirements throughout the design process. However, it will still be helpful to structure the statement with sub-headed paragraphs where appropriate.
The statement should clearly illustrate how the design was arrived at and not merely describe the scheme. This can be best ensured by recording the design decisions and the reasoning behind them in ‘real-time’ from the earliest stages of the design process and continuing throughout the evolution and refinement of the scheme. The process of design is self-informing and the statement should try to reflect this.
The statement should refer to relevant planning policies in the council’s adopted Local Development Plan and any relevant Supplementary Planning Guidance (including advice and objectives set out in the main body of this document ). It may also wish to refer to Conservation Area Appraisals and/or the aims of the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB management plan where all or part of a site lies within these designated areas.
The statement should also provide a clear justfication for any departures from policy.
Avoid restating policies word-for-word – this is unnecessary and will make the statement unduly lengthy and disjointed.
The length and detail of the statement should be proportionate to the complexity of the application, but it need not be long.
Most of the best designs emerge from a thorough process of trial and error and are seldom the result of choosing the first option. As such, it may be useful to say why certain design options were discounted or why certain design cues were not followed during the design process.
Consider including drawings, photographs and maps to further illustrate the points made.
The statement should clarify what consultation, if any, has been undertaken with the local community and any statutory consultees. It should explain how the design has addressed (or been altered to address) the outcome of such consultation.
For applications which are likely to have significant implications for the local community the applicant should consider providing their statement in a variety of media (including a written statement) in order to equally inform those members of the community who may have a disability, such as a full or partial loss of hearing and/ or sight.
Demonstrate how your proposal meets the government's objectives set out in the new supplement to Planning Policy Statement 1 on climate change (see guidance).

What will happen if I forget or fail to submit a statement with my application?

Section 327A of the 1990 Act specifies that applications not accompanied by a statement shall not be “entertained”. Accordingly, where a submitted application is required to include a statement but one has not been provided the council will consider the application to be ‘invalid’ and will not register it. This will result in a delay until the statement is received. In determining whether applications are valid or not the council will accept submitted statements at face value unless they are patently inadequate. An applicant’s statutory right of appeal against non-determination where the council has refused to register an application will remain unaffected.

Supplementary guidance on climate change and sustainability

On the 17 December 2007, thel government launched new supplementary guidance which aims to help new development meet the challenges of climate change. The new document takes the form of supplementary guidance to Planning Policy Statement No. 1, and provides additional requirements related to the content of Design and Access Statements. To help you work out what this means, we have produced Guidance on PPS1 climate change supplement 28kb.

Information:

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Telephone:
01722 434541

Fax:
01722 434520

email:
developmentcontrol@salisbury.gov.uk...

Postal address:
Development Control
Planning Office
61 Wyndham Road
Salisbury
SP1 3AH