Enhancement and Design

Environmental Improvements

Policy BE18

Proposals involving environmental improvement including landscaping schemes, the enhancement of open spaces and re-paving pedestrian areas will be permitted if the design and materials to be used are appropriate to the location concerned.

2.47 The Council has in recent years contributed towards the cost of small scale environmental improvements undertaken by parish councils and voluntary bodies. The Council will continue this activity, will seek to enhance the environmental quality of its towns and villages and particularly of employment sites and conservation areas and will support similar projects proposed by other individuals and bodies. Environmental improvements utilising local materials and native plant species reinforce the character of the locality, conferring amenity benefits and contributing to the quality of experience gained by visitors and the competitiveness of the District in attracting visitors, shoppers and new employment.

Quality of Design

Policy BE19

In considering development proposals the Council will have regard to the quality of the design submitted. It will be expected in all cases that this will be such as will maintain the quality of the landscape or built environment within which the proposal is located. Where development is proposed in juxtaposition to existing development which is traditional in character the Council will require designs to have particular regard to the scale, massing, character, architectural features and materials of that existing development. Regard must be had in all proposals not only to the design of buildings but also to the provision and proper layout of open spaces and landscaped areas.

2.48 The environmental quality of both the landscape and much of the built form of the District is extremely high. This places a duty on the Council and those involved in development activities to ensure that the quality of building which takes place is such as will maintain or positively enhance that which already exists. This may be of special importance in towns and villages where traditional forms, architectural features and materials predominate. It is essential that new development in such locations, while not necessarily copying that which exists, does reflect and incorporate the essential character of its environs. This may involve taking into account the scale and overall form of a building, its orientation relative to roads and other buildings, the tones and textures of wall and roof finishes and the detailing of windows and doors. The Council will reject obviously poor design. In addition, consideration should normally be given to the inclusion of open space within developments and to the proper design and treatment of that space.

Open Space Provision in New Developments

Policy BE20

In all new housing developments containing 10 or more dwellings the Council will seek the provision of publicly accessible open space to a minimum standard of 15 square metres per dwelling as an integral part of the proposal. The form, siting, and proposed use of the open space will be the subject of negotiation with the Council.

2.49 New housing developments create a need for open space of various types, including areas of landscaping; informal playspace in close proximity to homes; more formal recreational areas; and general amenity areas, all of which must be well related to the form of the existing settlement and to that of the new development. Local Plan Policy BE19 requires that attention is paid to the provision of landscaping and open spaces in all development, and Structure Plan policy 53 requires that recreational land is provided to an appropriate standard in new residential developments.

2.50 Policy BE20 is intended to set an indicative minimum level of provision for all such open space as a basis for negotiation between developers and the Council. The precise amount, nature, form and proposed uses will vary according to the needs of individual sites. The level of open space provision should take into account the availability of and access to open space in the immediate neighbourhood, and the requirements of the development in terms of design and layout. Provision above the minimum requirement will at times be necessary to satisfactorily address the needs created by the development.

2.51 In assessing the requirements for informal childrens' playspace, the advisory guidance issued by the National Playing Fields Association will be taken into account. This requires that informal playspace is made available within 200 metres of childrens' homes.

2.52 The function, construction and, where appropriate, design and layout of open space and any hard or soft landscaping it may include will be agreed with the Council at the application stage. The Technical Services Department of the Council have issued a "Design Brief and Specification for Landscaped Areas and Open Spaces" with which open spaces provided under this policy should comply. The application should also make clear what provision for the future maintenance of the site is to be made.

Light Pollution

Policy BE21

Applications for development requiring or likely to require external lighting shall include details of lighting schemes. Such schemes will be assessed against the following criteria:

1. that the lighting scheme proposed is the minimum to undertake the task;
2. that light spillage is minimised;
3. in edge of town or village locations, or in rural areas, that landscaping measures will be provided to screen the lighting installation from neighbouring countryside areas; and
4. that road safety will not be compromised as a result of dazzling or distraction.

2.53 The increasing use of powerful lighting for security purposes and to illuminate car parks, service areas and buildings is causing an increasing problem of light pollution in nearby areas and the night sky. The Council will evaluate proposals which involve external lighting and take action to ensure that the careful design, selection and location of equipment, drawing on the advisory guidance notes published by the Institution of Lighting Engineers, moderates potential impacts.

Designing Out Crime

Policy BE22

In the interest of minimising crime the Council will seek to secure through negotiation the inclusion of the following features in substantial development schemes in urban locations:

1. the formation of defensible space with clear boundaries and overlooked by occupiers;
2. parking provision within private areas or overlooked by occupiers; and
3. the layout, design, landscaping and lighting of public areas, open spaces and footpaths taking into account the needs of security.

2.54 Planning policy guidance now stresses the importance of taking crime prevention into consideration at the design stage of new developments especially where the layout of estates is concerned. It is possible, through negotiation with developers, to ensure that features are incorporated within schemes that will add to the security and safety of occupiers. These include the formation of defensible space with clear ownership, overlooked by occupiers; and the layout, landscaping and lighting of footpaths and open spaces which enhances pedestrian safety while taking into account the need to minimise light spill (Policy BE21) and to achieve a high standard of design (Policy BE19). Advisory guidance on this issue is available from the Council.