How does our plan support well-designed places?
Strategic Policy SD5 sets out our design expectations at a broad level.
Development proposals will only be permitted where they adopt a landscape-led approach and respect the local character, through sensitive and high-quality design that makes a positive contribution to the overall character and appearance of the area.
The following design principles should be adopted as appropriate:
- Integrate with, respect, and sympathetically complement the landscape character by ensuring development proposals are demonstrably informed by an assessment of the landscape context.
- Achieve effective and high-quality routes for people and wildlife, taking opportunities to connect GI.
- Contribute to local distinctiveness and sense of place through its relationship to adjoining buildings, spaces, and landscape features, including historic settlement pattern.
- Create high-quality, clearly defined public and private spaces within the public realm.
- Incorporate hard and soft landscape treatment which takes opportunities to connect to the wider landscape, enhances GI, and is consistent with local character.
- Utilise architectural design which is appropriate and sympathetic to its setting in terms of height, massing, density, roof form, materials, night, and day visibility, elevational and, where relevant, vernacular detailing.
- Provide high quality, secure, accessible, and where possible, integrated storage for general and recycling waste, heating fuel, and transport related equipment.
- Provide high quality outdoor amenity space appropriate to the needs of its occupiers or users.
- Ensure development proposals are durable, sustainable, and adaptable over time, and provide sufficient internal space to meet the needs of a range of users.
- Give regard to improving safety and perceptions of safety, and be inclusive and accessible for all; and
- Have regard to avoiding harmful impact upon, or from, any surrounding uses and amenities.
Helpful links
For further information, please email the Design Officer at design@southdowns.gov.uk