Design and Access Statements

What are they?

The purpose of the Design and Access Statement is to explain how the applicant has considered the proposal and understands what is appropriate and feasible for the site in its local context. It explains the principles that will be used to guide the future details of the scheme and therefore is particularly important for outline planning applications.

When will they be required?

1. A design and access statement must accompany planning applications for both outline and full planning permission. They will be required for all planning applications except for:

2. a material change in the use of land or buildings, unless it also involves operational development.

3. engineering or mining operations.

4. development of an existing dwelling house, or development within the curtilage of a dwelling house for any purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwelling house, where no part of that dwelling house or curtilage is within a designated area. Within Maidstone "Designated area" means an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Conservation Area or a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

5. those relating to advertisement control.

6. works to trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order.

7. storage of hazardous substances.

What should they include?

The Design and Access Statement should be a single document explaining the design principles and concepts that have been applied to particular aspects of the proposed development – these are the amount, layout, scale, landscaping and appearance of the development. It should be concise but will need to cover all the necessary issues. The level of detail included within the statement will depend on the scale and complexity of the proposal.

1. Amount – Details of how much development is proposed, including numbers of residential units and proposed floorspace of other uses, how uses are distributed around a site and accessibility for all users.

2. Layout – The way in which buildings, routes and open spaces (both private and public) are provided and their relationship to each other and to buildings and open spaces surrounding the development.

3. Scale – The height, width and length of a building or buildings in relation to its surroundings.

4. Landscaping – the treatment of private and public spaces to enhance or protect the amenities of the site and the area in which it is situated, including details of how the landscaping will be maintained.

5. Appearance – The visual impression that the development will make, including the form of its architecture, materials, decoration, lighting, colour and texture.

6. Use – An explanation of the proposed use and why it is suitable for the site and appropriate for the area.

7. Access – How the access arrangements will ensure that all users have safe and convenient access to buildings and spaces and the public transport network. It should explain the policy adopted and how relevant policies in the Development Plan have been taken into account. It should set out any consultation undertaken in relation to issues of access and how the outcome of the consultation has been taken into account in developing the proposal. Where relevant access to the building for emergency services should be explained, e.g. circulation routes around the site and emergency evacuation routes.

LISTED BUILDING APPLICATIONS will also need design and access statements, although when submitted with a planning application one statement will cover both applications. For those not accompanying a planning application the statement will need to cover the scale, layout and appearance characteristics. Special attention will need to be paid to:

The historic and special architectural importance of the building.

The particular physical features of the building that justify its designation as a listed building.

The building’s setting.

The statement should make clear how the approach to access has balanced the duties imposed by the Disability Discrimination Act with the need to safeguard the historic and architectural significance.

APPLICATIONS WHICH NEED TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY A DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT BUT ARE SUBMITTED WITHOUT ONE WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNTIL THE STATEMENT HAS BEEN RECEIVED

The Design and Access Statement will be placed on the Public Register copy of the planning application and will be sent to all consultees.

Development Control officers are available to discuss the content of what is required and it is strongly recommended that these issues are covered in any pre-application meetings.

This page was last updated on 11/8/2007