Design and Access

With a few exceptions (detailed below), all applications for Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent submitted on or after 10 August 2006 will need to be accompanied by a ‘Design and Access Statement’.  The ‘Design and Access Statement’ needs to explain:

• The design principles and concepts that have been applied to the development - i.e. relating to the amount, layout, scale, landscaping and appearance of the development, and how the design of the development takes into account its context.
  
• How issues relating to access to the development have been dealt with – i.e. the policy adopted relating to access and how relevant development plan policies have been taken into account, whether any consultation has been undertaken, how any issues which might affect access have been addressed, how prospective users will be able to gain access to the development from the existing transport network, reasons for choosing the main points of access to the site and the layout of internal routes, and how features which ensure access will be maintained.
  
• In relation to all applications for listed building consent, the design principles and concepts that have been applied to the scale, layout and appearance of the works, and how these and the adopted policy relating to access take account of the special architectural or historic importance of the building, any important physical features of the building, and the building’s setting.

Applications which need to be accompanied by a Design and Access Statement but are submitted without one will not be validated until the Statement has been received. Four copies of the statement are required.

The exceptions to the need to submit a Design and Access Statement are :

• Material changes of use of land or buildings
• Enginerring or mining operations;
• Householder planning applications, unless any part of the site lies within a Conservation Area of AONB.

Outline applications

From 10th August 2006, reserved matters attached to the outline applications will be: layout; scale; appearance; access and landscaping. In addition outline applications will require a basic level of information on use; amount of development, indicative layout; scale parameters and indicative access point.

Additional Guidance on the preparation of Design and Access Statements and outline applications

Guidance on design and access statements is included within Department for Communities and Local Government Circular (DCLG) 01/2006. Guidance on changes to the developmental control system. A copy of this Circular can be downloaded from the Communities and Local Government website. See link above

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, (CABE), has also published a useful guide entitled ‘Design and Access statements: how to write, read and use them’ (June 2006).  A copy of this Guide can be downloaded from the CABE website.