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What is a Design and Access Statement?

Design and Access Statements are required for most non-householder types of planning applications. They aim to give the applicant the opportunity to demonstrate that proposals are based on a robust design process. A key part of this is an explanation of how local context has influenced the final design.

When are Design & Access Statements (D&A) required?

Statements are required for all planning applications except the following:

  • Change of use applications unless operational development has taken place
  • Engineering or mining operations
  • Householder development unless within an SSSI or Conservation Area
  • Advertisement consent
  • Works to preserved trees

What should a D&A statement contain?

Your statement should cover eight areas. Although you don't have to use each of these sections as a title, it may help you to ensure you have covered the topic and help us to check your statement against certain criteria once received.

1. The design process:

Has the applicant thought about the surrounding area and how the proposed buildings and spaces have been informed by what already exists? The statement must show how the site context has been considered.  To achieve a good understanding of context and to use it appropriately, applicants should follow a design process which includes:

  • An assessment of the surrounding area in terms of physical, social and economic characteristics
  • Discussion/liaison with the local community/relevant professionals
  • Evaluation of the information gathered through assessment and discussion
  • Identification of the opportunities and constraints arising for development, including:
    • A description of the design process
    • A summary of the main design concept
    • An explanation of how the development will support its surroundings 
  • Why the applicant considers that the scheme complies with national and local planning policies 
  • How the scheme will affect local services, jobs and social cohesion

 

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2.    Use: what the site will be used for

  • A justification of the use in terms of land use policies
  • The relationship between existing and proposed uses
  • Details regarding accessibility between uses.

 

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3.    Amount: how much is to be built 

  • A demonstration of how the proposal relates to its surroundings
  • Figures: number of units/amount of floorspace/occupancy levels

 

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4.     Layout: Arrangement of space 

How the proposed buildings and public/private spaces will be arranged on the site and the relationship between them and the existing buildings and spaces around the site.

The statement should explain why a particular layout has been chosen, eg. the relationships between buildings private/public spaces and how these relationships will create safe, vibrant and successful places.

It must also demonstrate how crime prevention measures have been considered in the design and how it reflects the attributes of safe, sustainable places set out in the DCLG's 'Safer Places' guidance document, found in the "downloads" section on the right of this page.

 

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5.    Scale: how big the buildings and spaces will be (height, width & length)

  • Details of how the scale of the proposal responds to the specific site and its surroundings/skyline
  • Explanation of how individual components work together

 

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6.    Landscape design: how external spaces will be treated

  • Details of design scheme: more than just plants or trees, the design covers all outdoor spaces - street furniture, road materials etc
  • Explanation of how the landscaping fits in with the overall scheme.

 

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7.    Appearance: what the proposed buildings and spaces will look like

  • Details of building materials and architectural details
  • Pictures of what the scheme would look like based on details included in the application.

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8.    Access: how everyone can get to and moves through the place

  • An explanation of why access point and routes have been chosen and how the site relates to road layout and the public transport network 
  • Identification of the access policy/standards adopted (ie. Part M of the Building Regulations, the Equality Act etc). For more advice and guidance on building regulations please see our Building Control webpages.

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What about Listed Buildings?

The statement should contain 5 sections (please note that the following details are not intended to be exhaustive, but rather an overarching guide to the general form of design and access statements):

1.    The design process: Alongside the process described above, where relevant, this section should also explain how the design has taken account of The Governments Planning Policy document "PPS5 (Planning for the Historic Environment)" and in particular:

  • The historic and special architectural importance of the building
  • The physical features of the building that justify its designation as a Listed Building and how these will be preserved/enhanced
  • The building's setting.

2.    Scale (as above)

3.    Layout (as above)

4.    Appearance (as above)

5.    Access (as above).  Additional, this section should set out how the legal duties (imposed by legislation) have been balanced against the historical and architectural significance of the building and the need to protect its character and setting.

 

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