Question

How can the site be best characterised?

1. Remediated or awaiting remediation in accordance with Environment Agency best practice guidance
2. Previously developed land, with existing buildings on-site appropriate for re-use or refurbishment
3. Previously developed land
4. Undeveloped- Includes residential gardens, not green belt/ outdoor grass pitches
5. Other: Including brownfield-rural land / Designated open space / Designated sports pitches or recreation land / Green belt / high quality agricultural land / land designated as of ecological importance / land with workable or potentially workable minerals / Environment Agency Flood Zones 2&3

Question

Has a landscaping scheme been drawn up for the site – to include public open space, street scenes, public/private space boundaries and site boundaries, with landscape and ecological assets preserved and / or enhanced?

Question

Are there physical and visual links between the development and the surrounding area and is the development signage legible and the site permeable to pedestrians?

1. Are new routes into the site continuations of existing access points from the surrounding area?
2. How direct are sight lines of existing neighbourhood streets continued through the site?
3. Are main routes within the site connected directly to main routes in the wider area, without feeding through existing routes with less capacity or with a primary residential function?
4. Have the needs of the pedestrian been fully considered to achieve a permeable and legible layout?

Question

Has the development been designed to be easy for users to understand and orientate themselves in and does it promote a neighbourhood identity?

1. Will entrances to the development and its different areas be designed as gateways?
2. Will landmarks, including memorable buildings, be used to help users orientate themselves?
3. Will clear views and deflected views of landmarks be created?
4. Will corner buildings be heightened or building line altered to act as landmarks?
5. Will nodes be emphasised through surface treatment?
6. Will design, materials and street furniture lend themselves to support easy place navigation?

Question

Will ‘Active Frontage Guidelines’ of the English Partnerships Urban Design Compendium be met in order to promote vitality?

Question

Will the appearance of the development be visually appropriate, taking into account local character assessment, and will it complement local character whilst reinforcing local distinctiveness (e.g. materials, road pattern, etc) and being clearly integrated with the wider community?

1. Building materials and colour complementing local character
2. Building style and form enhancing local character
3. Roofscapes visually respecting the developments location within a local context (allowing for low carbon technologies where appropriate)
4. Continuity of local building details such as windows and doors
5. Residential component of the development fostering a potential for personalisation by prospective residents
6. Contemporary approach to reflect the local vernacular

Question

Which of the following localised strategies for sustainable drainage have been proposed. Any proposed strategy must be designed in accordance with the ‘Sustainable drainage systems design manual’ published by CIRIA (C522):

1. Prevention of runoff at source – simple design measures have been included on individual dwellings/buildings (such as minimised paved areas) to allow water to return to the natural drainage system as near to the source as possible and not to contribute to runoff.
2. Source Control of runoff rate/volume – design measures have been included that control the rate/volume of runoff being generated close to source such as rainwater harvesting systems, green roofs and individual soakaways for dwellings.
3. Site control of water management – water will be managed from several sub-catchments such as roofs and car parks into one large soakaway or device such as an infiltration basin. By control of potential localised flooding and or pollution, this will incorporate the enhancement of biodiversity/amenity for the development and/or its surrounding area.

Question

How far will the local community have to travel to reach high quality public green space?

Question

Is there provision of accessible green space for the new development including facilities for play?

Question

Has flexibility been designed into units to provide adaptability to changing market needs?

1. Residential units designed to Lifetime Homes Standards
2. Optimum adaptability to future use changes in terms of building depth (9-13m)
3. Optimum adaptability to future uses in terms of building width (5-7m frontages) or multiples of
4. Building height allowing for vertical segregation of mixed uses
5. Percentage of buildings designed for flexible use (25%or more)

Question

Is the affordable housing indistinguishable from the rest of the development in terms of house type and distribution?

Question

Is a design strategy in place that considers the principles of ‘Secure By Design’ or equivalent standards?

Question

What will happen to heritage/archaeologically important features and their settings, which could be affected by the development?

Question

Will the site be designed to minimise the impact of noise from external sources?