Agenda Item No. 6

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AGENDA ITEM NO. 6

REPORT TO: / Executive Board
REPORT NO. / CPLO/23/09
DATE: / 16 June 2009
LEAD MEMBER: / Councillor Mark Pritchard
(Housing and Planning)
LEAD OFFICER: / Chief Planning Officer
CONTACT OFFICER: / David Williams (Tel: 292472)
SUBJECT: / Design A Guide for Developers and Architects when Designing Residential Developments. Supplementary Planning Guidance
WARD: / All

1 PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

1.1 To seek adoption of the proposed ‘Design. A Guide for Developers and Architects when Designing Residential Development Supplementary Planning Guidance.

2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2.1  This proposed supplementary planning guidance provides clear guidance to developers and architects on the key design issues to be considered prior to residential development being permitted.

2.2  The note seeks to encourage residential development that adds to the character of the area and make development locally distinctive whilst at the same time promoting sustainable development and the integration of open spaces. It will be a material consideration when deciding planning applications.

2.3  The guidance note has been prepared in consultation with other Local Authority Department, agents, architects, community councils and other organisations such as The Design Commission for Wales.

2.4  Consultation on the draft note has resulted in generally positive responses, particularly the Design Commission for Wales.

3 RECOMMENDATION

3.1 That the ‘Design. A Guide for Developers and Architects when Designing Residential Development’ Supplementary Planning Guidance, attached at Appendix 2, be adopted.

REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION

To provide guidance to developers on specific design characteristics and encourage the use of sustainable development and integration of open space.

Lawrence Isted

Chief Planning Officer

4. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

4.1  The Local Guidance Notes are a series of information and guidance leaflets that provide direction to new development within the County. They are designed to be read in conjunction with the adopted Unitary Development Plan, the emerging Local Development Plan and National Policy and Technical Advice Notes (TANs) that are published and adopted by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG).

4.2 This Guidance Note has been produced to help shape the design of future residential estates within the County it includes guidance on

·  Architectural styles

·  Inclusion of open space and green corridors

·  Use of sustainable building methods

·  Incorporation of renewable energy

·  How to conduct a site appraisal and use this as the basis for the Design Statement

·  Design principles

4.3  This document supersedes Guidance Note 22 ‘Sustainable Development’ and takes account of recent Welsh Policy which requires residential development to meet a specified level of the Code for Sustainable Homes (currently Level 3) for applications submitted after 1 September 2009.

4.4  The Note also encourages the use of the ‘Development Team Approach’, which provides developers with information at the pre-application stage from a variety of Council Departments including Highways and Housing.

4.5  Consultation has been undertaken during March and April 2009. This involved the Community Councils, local agents and architects and other groups including CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment), Low Carbon Trust and the Wrexham Access Group. Additionally a press release was issued and the document was available on the main Planning page of the Authority’s website. Other departments within the Council were also consulted.

4.6  Generally the responses were positive and the Guide was welcomed. Responses to the consultation and any changes to the document are summarised below in Appendix 1, the final version of the document is shown in Appendix 2.

5. CONSULTATION

5.1 The Planning Committee considered the report on 1 June 2009, agreed with the contents of the report and the recommendation to pass the Note to the Executive Board for consideration and adoption.

6. SCRUTINY COMMITTEE COMMENTS

6.1  The report has not been considered by a Scrutiny Committee.

7. IMPLICATIONS

7.1 Policy. Amplifies existing policy within the Wrexham Unitary Development Plan and provides guidance to developers/applicants on how to achieve a high standard of design. It is reflective of proposed policies within the emerging Local Development Plan and takes account of national guidance.

7.2 Budget. No budget requirements

7.3 Legal. No legal requirements

7.4 Staffing. No staffing requirements

7.5 Equalities. Promotes inclusive design and access. The aim of inclusive design and access is to ensure that developments take account of the needs of all potential users.

BACKGROUND PAPERS / LOCATION / WEBSITE INFORMATION
None

APPENDIX 1

SUMMARY OF REPRESENTATIONS AND COUNCIL’S RESPONSE

Comment from: / Comment / Local Authority Response
Planning Department
Development Control / Page 1 – More explanation needed in relation to ‘Development Team Approach’.
Page 1 – ‘Applications of poor design or not justified in the Design and Sustainability Statement will be refused’. This statement does not read well and appears unrelated to the previous paragraph.
Page 2 – Is there a policy requiring sustainable building in the LDP? Can Level 3 be required when there is no policy backing this up.
Page 2 – Should another word instead of ‘constraints’ be used, not plain English.
Page 3 Text for ‘Site Description’ and other comments relating to the pictured examples should be in a different text so they are clearly distinct from the body of the Note.
Page 4 – Bullet point 9 should refer to ‘Public Rights of Way’.
Page 4 – Bullet point 12 – replace the word ‘consents’ with ‘permissions’.
Page 5 of the Guidance Note states that ‘Design Statements shall be submitted with all planning applications including applications for new or extended dwellings’
Letter from WAG dated 8 April 2009 makes it clear that house extensions will not require planning permission.
Guidance Note should make it clear when a Design Statement is required in accordance with TAN 12 and WAG policy.
Page 5 – Duplication of statement of requirement for Level 3. Not necessary to be included on this page
Page 6 – Is the diagram necessary and useful in this context?
Page 7 ‘Building Frontage’ key notation is not shown on the plan.
Page 7 Constraints and Opportunities need to be numbered so that alphabetical order is followed around plan (A & B are out of sequence).
Page 7. The arrow in the key for Vehicular Access Routes does not match that in the plan.
Page 8 – Missing ‘that’ in third sentence of first paragraph.
Page 9 – Point 1 – what does ‘organic’ mean?
Page 9 Further clarification needed on Point 4, elsewhere we are supporting natural surveillance, it is not clear what is being encouraged.
Page 9 – Is the picture relevant, which bullet point does it refer to?
Page 11 – Has a portfolio of appropriate building materials been produced and should it be included as part of the Guidance Note e.g. as Appendix A
Page 11 – Use of the word ‘vernacular’ should be removed, can be seen as jargon and not readily understood.
Page 12 – Third paragraph of ‘Landscaping’ seems to end abruptly and appears incomplete.
Page 13 – The bullet points do not follow on from each other and skip from drainage to public art back to drainage. Need to be reordered.
Page 13 - New residential schemes may require public works of art, reference should be made to the proposed Guidance Note on Public Works of Art
Page 13 – The layout should be altered to emphasise the green corridor link. Also the example does not show natural surveillance of open space, has lots of side gables facing the open area. / The role of the DTA is explained elsewhere, the majority of the people who will use this service are already aware of what it offers and how to access it.
Agree - Change from a bullet point to a stand alone sentence.
Newly issued WAG policy in May 2009 MIPPS refers to Level 3.
Word considered to be satisfactory and non confusing
Agree, text to be included in a box linked to main diagram
Agree, wording to be changed
Agree, wording to be changed
Quote is accurate in relation to current TAN 12, however is expedient to remove reference to extensions in light of new guidance from WAG.
Re-emphasises point which is important to achieve sustainability targets.
Considered useful to demonstrate layout proposals.
Plan to be clarified.
Plan to be altered
Plan to be altered
Not needed to be included for the sentence to make sense.
Organic implies natural layout of road and is appropriate in this sentence.
Agree, sentence to be removed to avoid confusion.
New picture to be included.
Information sheet to be produced and provided as a separate document.
Is appropriate in this context.
Change to ‘…. Contribution is less in terms of the wider visual amenity of the area.’
Agree, bullet points to be re-ordered.
Guidance note not yet under development, should not be included at this point.
Agree, diagram to be changed.

Planning Department

Policy Section

Planning Department

Landscape

Planning Department

Tree Officer

/ Page 13 – Diagrams are basic and don’t show ecological protection and enhancement of the site. Should feature labelled areas of land set aside for nature conservation, species rich grassland, wooded areas and better connectivity with open countryside.
What about other non-residential development, is it worth stating that the principles of the guidance are relevant in designing other development.
Has consultation with the wider public been done?
Should BREEAM standards be included, even though they apply to non-residential buildings
Timing of the document is wrong, it will have to be reviewed when LDP is finalised.
Link to current UDP policy is weak as there is no specific policy on design.
Little is said to make Wrexham distinctive.
Page 1 – Needs to be made clear that design and access statements are mandatory.
Should the MIPPS on climate change be mentioned
TAN 12 is being revised, should reference to the date be removed.
Suggest changing paragraph 4 to ‘could generate a higher level of market demand’
Suggest adding ‘applications for development of poor design…’
Suggest ‘All residential scheme must be environmentally sustainable’
Paragraph 2 – suggest ‘the design process should also ensure that new development mitigates and adapts to climate change and is designed to reduce carbon emissions from the outset’
Page 2 – suggest ‘best rating for the code for sustainable homes’
Suggest ‘an explanation of this scheme will need to be…’
Suggest replacing ‘a variety of’ with ‘various’.
Do we need to explain how to get hold of Renewable Energy Information Leaflets and do they need updating?
Suggest adding ‘incorporated at an early stage of the design process’.
Suggest ‘details of the required content of an access statement can be obtained from a ….’
Is there an information sheet on access statements?
Page 3 – Site appraisal need more information on wildlife issues
Site appraisal should include more information on travel links
Need to make it clear that the diagram is an example.
Page 7 – Point Q on constraints and opportunities Plan – what is meant by ‘neutral’ scheme, plain English should be used.
Page 9 - use of word ‘seamlessness’ it is not clear what is meant by this – plain English should be used.
SUDS should be flagged up earlier in the document.
Reference to Planning Information Sheets needs including on final page.
Web site for Code for Sustainable Homes should be included.
Is it relevant to include Guide for Householders : A Climate Change when extensions are not mentioned in the document.
Should include reference to BREEAM standards.
Page 3 Paragraph 2 - ..’landscape character, solar and wind energy…’
Additional notes to the plan should be included to indicated the range of issues within a site appraisal, e.g.
Parkland character, valuable wildlife habitat, important views, existing landmark buildings, historic built character
Page 3 Site description ‘Undulating site which is overgrown with vegetation and mature trees, with some areas important for wildlife. Mature trees within the site provide a parkland landscape character’
Page 4 suggest amendments to the bullet points:
-  site boundaries – their position, construction and condition
-  trees and hedges – positions, accurate canopy spread and species along with an indication of condition (a full arboricultural assessment may be required.
-  Ecological constraints – protected species and wildlife habitats e.g. badger setts
-  Landscape and townscape character of the site and surrounding area where appropriate.
-  Stream and habitat corridor
- Microclimate, shelter, shade and sun.
Page 5 – Change first sentence to ‘this plan will interpret the findings of the site appraisal into an annotated sketch plan, an example…’
Page 6 – change bullet points to include –
i.  – safeguard existing valuable natural and built site features
ii.  – respect and compliment the scale, form and character of adjoining buildings.
iii.  – do the landscape proposals
-  retain and enhance existing valuable landscape features and provide them appropriate space and setting.
Page 7 – T – provide new formal play area and other opportunities for ‘playable’ open space in places overlooked by adjacent housing.
(concept of playable to be included with LDP policy)
Page 8 – Add text boxes to photo:
-  planting to soften building facades, provide privacy and improve microclimate
-  paving materials of limited variation in colour and texture to complement the development.
Page 9 -
Locate buildings and walls close to the highway to increase a sense of enclosure.
Vary the sense of openness, enclosure, privacy, and views at key locations within the development through the spatial arrangement of buildings, boundary walls, railings and planting.
Make sure development is well connected with seamless links to the wider road, footpath and cycle path network.
(an element of seamlessness) by road, footpath, cycleway etc.
Consider the need for space for the storage of refuse bins, recycled materials and a compost areas. The Council will expect all developments to consider new techniques for separation and storage of waste.
Page 10 - Extra text boxes to photo:
- Walls and planting subdivide the development and help conceal refuse stores and parking areas
-  Use of different hardsurfaced paving materials to define different functions. Choice of materials is to support sustainable drainage.