6.0.1 Good design contributes to economic, social and environmental sustainability by:
6.0.2 All aspects of development form (layout, structure, urban grain, landscape, density, mix of uses, height, massing, architectural detailing and materials) can impact on economic, social and environmental vitality.
DMD 37 Achieving High Quality and Design-Led Development 1) Development that is not suitable for its intended function, that is inappropriate to its context, or which fails to have appropriate regard to its surroundings, will be refused. 2) Development should capitalise on the opportunities available for improving an area in accordance with the following objectives of urban design:
3) All development should create safe and secure places and comply with the principles of Secured by Design. This policy should be read in conjunction with Core Policy 30. |
Justification and guidance on implementation
6.1.1 This strong commitment to good design is supported by the National Planning Policy Framework (2012).
6.1.2 The principles of urban design within this policy reflect those set out in the National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG) (2014). The preparation of the policy has been informed by By Design: Urban Design in the Planning System: Towards Better Practice. While its status as national planning guidance has been superseded through the publication of the NPPG, “By Design” remains widely accepted as giving more detailed information in defining the objectives of urban design and an important tool in evaluating whether aspects of development form help to achieve these objectives. Durability, already implied in the principle of adaptability, has been made explicit to ensure the energy and materials used in buildings and their maintenance are considered at the outset.
6.1.3 An understanding of the context (economic, environmental, social, physical, cultural and historic) within which a proposed development may sit is key to achieving the above objectives of urban design.
6.1.4 In all cases, respecting and complementing the distinguishing positive characteristics of an area (paying particular attention to the immediate context), is key to creating and promoting a sense of identity and place and integrating development into its surroundings. This does not necessarily mean creating replica development. Contemporary and innovative design can often enhance local identity, while reinforcing the positive aspects of an area's built form.
6.1.5 Enfield's Characterisation Study (2011) describes a number of areas where an existing high quality environment needs to be protected and where existing poor quality environments need to be improved. It also points out that many sites, by virtue of their visual prominence, location at gateways, or along major transport corridors, have a disproportionate impact on how the borough is perceived. By applying the policy the Council will help ensure that development in all of these contexts is of the highest quality. Finally, a number of the issues identified in the study relate to the quality of the public realm and the way it functions. The design of the public realm and publicly accessible areas will therefore receive considerable attention in planning decisions.
6.1.6 The Council will consult the Metropolitan Police on all applications for major development. In areas with high crime rates, achieving Secured by Design certification may be required as a condition of planning consent. Where a conflict exists between Secured by Design principles and other urban design objectives, applicants must explain their reasoning behind the compromises made in their Design and Access Statement.
DMD 38 Design Process 1) Applications accompanied by design and access statements that do not clearly document the design evolution and rationale behind the proposal will not be accepted. 2) The Design and Access Statement must meet national requirements and include:
The scope and level of detail contained in the Design and Access Statement should be proportional to the type of development being proposed. 3) Where appropriate, applications will be considered at design review panels. The advice of the panel will be a material consideration when assessing the application against policies within this DPD. |
Justification and guidance on implementation
6.1.7 Design is an iterative process which frequently involves compromise between a number of competing and sometimes conflicting objectives. There are always multiple solutions to any one problem. Therefore it is essential that the rationale behind decisions is clear and documented, so that the logic of the evolution of the design can be scrutinised and it can be ensured that the most desirable outcome has been reached. A design and access statement is already a requirement for most planning applications. This policy is intended to ensure that those statements are as useful as possible.
6.1.8 Applicants are strongly advised to take advantage of the pre-application advice service offered by the Council. This is particularly important for larger schemes, or where potential conflicts with adjoining sites or between different policy objectives are foreseen. The use of skilled design professionals in the development of proposals is highly recommended and can save a significant amount of time and money in the long-term. Where appropriate, early discussions with relevant statutory consultees such as English Heritage on major heritage issues is also encouraged.
6.1.9 The form of the design and access statement will need to respond, and be proportional, to the type of development being proposed. Applicants should follow the advice within Design and Access Statements: How to Write, Read and Use them (CABE, 2007).
6.1.10 The design and access statement must be easy to read and use, and contain a clear and logical design rationale. Annotated diagrams are particularly useful in communicating multiple design ideas.
6.1.11 The Council will assess the design of proposals against the seven objectives of urban design listed in policy DMD 37 'Achieving High Quality and Design-Led Development'. Applicants should therefore refer to these directly in the design and access statement.
DMD 39 The Design of Business Premises 1) All new business premises must make efficient use of land and maximise their contribution to the urban environment. Having regard to viability and the operational requirements of the proposed use, development must meet the following criteria and will only be permitted if it:
This policy should be read in conjunction with Core Strategy Policy 30. |
Justification and guidance on implementation
6.2.1 The policy will help to secure improvements to the urban environment, create flexible, sustainable buildings, facilitate access to and through employment areas and encourage new businesses to locate to Enfield.
6.2.2 The policy is supported by best practice urban design publications including: London Industrial Capacity SPG (Mayor of London, 2008), Better Places to Work, (CABE, 2005), and Industry in the City, (Urhahn Urban Design, 2006). Evidence supporting the need for a higher quality environment is contained in the Enfield Characterisation Study (2011).
6.2.3 The criteria within the above policy will be applied to all industrial and commercial development proposals. The highest standards of design will be sought in areas where a higher quality environment is necessary, including within Industrial Business Parks (IBPs), regeneration areas and commercial centres; adjacent to open spaces or waterways; in the transition zone with other uses; or along public routes connecting people and facilities.
DMD 40 Ground Floor Frontages Development involving the creation of new, or alterations to existing ground floor frontages outside of designated industrial areas will only be permitted if all of the following criteria are met:
This policy should be read in conjunction with Core Strategy Policy 30. |
DMD 41 Advertisements
This policy should be read in conjunction with Core Strategy Policy 30. |
Justification and guidance on implementation
6.2.4 DMD 40 ' Ground Floor Frontages' refers to all non residential development outside designated industrial areas. The majority of these developments are those offering services to the public that are traditionally integrated within the street and located in town or local centres. However, the policies also apply to business premises located away from such centres. Frontages are defined as any ground floor element of the building that abuts the public realm.
6.2.5 The attractiveness of individual shops and other business premises concentrated within the borough’s town and local centres is of prime importance to the vitality of shopping centres and to the perception of the borough as a whole.
6.2.6 The need for well-maintained shop fronts and appropriate advertisements is identified in conservation area character appraisals and the Enfield Characterisation Study (2011). Applicants should look to surrounding buildings, similar buildings elsewhere, historic records (such as photos), and remaining architectural features to develop an appropriate design for replacement shop fronts and advertisements.
6.2.7 The requirement to light window displays at night and include visually permeable, internally mounted shutters reflects the need to maintain safety and reduce the fear of crime within centres outside of business hours. It is necessary to limit the degree to which glazed areas are obscured (i.e. items fixed directly to the glazing which prevent visual permeability) in order to maintain both safety, through protecting active frontages, and visual amenity. This requirement is likely to be a condition of planning consent for new buildings/shop fronts.
DMD 42 Design of Civic/Public Buildings and Institutions 1 ) Civic buildings, institutions and other buildings providing services to the public, must be designed to a high standard and have prominence within their community. Development must meet all of the following criteria and will only be permitted if it:
2) The layout of larger institutions, especially those occupying more than one building, must consider whether public access through the site is necessary to facilitate movement within the area. In these cases, way-finding infrastructure may also be required. This policy should be read in conjunction with Core Strategy Policy 30. |
Justification and guidance on implementation
6.3.1 Civic/public buildings and institutions are defined as any building that provides a public service, or to which the public has a high degree of access. These can include, but are not limited to: police and fire stations; educational facilities; health care facilities; leisure and cultural facilities; community halls and gathering spaces; administrative centres and government buildings.
6.3.2 These buildings are important because they provide a shared resource within communities, and contribute to a shared sense of identity. The buildings are often bespoke in their design and by their nature, their appearance and scale are often different to that of surrounding buildings. Therefore, they are likely to stand out and act as landmarks. Many existing examples are highlighted as such in the Enfield Characterisation Study (2011). 6.3.3 The combination of their prominence, importance to the community and public accessibility means that the quality of their design is particularly important. The provisions in the above policy ensure that the potential of these buildings to contribute to a place’s identity will be maximised.
6.3.4 The Enfield Characterisation Study (2011) demonstrates how larger institutions have the potential to create a barrier to movement, especially when security measures are introduced to limit access to the site. Measures set out in the policy, such as the creation of internal streets, can maintain security while preserving/creating public routes along desire lines.
DMD 43 Tall Buildings
Areas inappropriate for tall buildings include those:
2. There will be a presumption against tall buildings in sensitive areas, with the onus being on the developer to demonstrate how the proposal avoids the negative impacts associated with the sensitive classification. Areas likely to be sensitive to tall buildings include:
3. Applications for tall buildings in areas meeting the appropriate criteria may be acceptable in principle. The actual suitability of a proposal will always depend on the context of the site and details of the proposed building. Locations that may be appropriate for tall buildings are areas outside of those described above and which:
In the majority of cases more than one or all of the above criteria will need to be met, depending on the proposal. 4. Further and more detailed urban design analysis will need to be undertaken in all cases to examine the suitability of individual sites. In addition to the requirements set out in policy 7.7 of the London Plan (2011), proposals will only be permitted if all of the following criteria are met. Development must:
5. There are a number of existing tall buildings that are inappropriate to their context. Any proposal for redevelopment of these sites must result in a significant reduction in the negative impact on the surrounding area and a net improvement to the quality of the development. Proposals for replacement tall buildings should seek to comply with the criteria set out in part 4 of this policy. A reduction in height must be achieved for any replacement buildings located in inappropriate locations. 6. The requirements of Policy 7.7 of the London Plan (2011) and those detailed in part 4 of this policy should be explicitly addressed in the applicant’s Design and Access Statement, which should include a detailed urban design analysis of the proposal showing how it responds to, and impacts upon, its context. Applicants will be required to submit accurate visual representations of the proposal as seen from the surrounding area, including from agreed points within important local views. Visual representations will need to accurately display the appearance of the building in a number of conditions (e.g. daytime, night time and in different seasons and atmospheric conditions). Visual representations should be prepared in line with the advice given in part 3 and Appendix C of the London View Management Framework SPG (Mayor of London, 2012). This policy should be read in conjunction with Core Strategy policy 30 |
Justification and guidance on implementation
6.4.1 Tall and large buildings are those that are substantially taller than their surroundings, cause a significant change to the skyline or are larger than the threshold sizes set for the referral of planning applications to the Mayor 1(London Plan, 2011).
6.4.2 Tall buildings, by their nature, are more visible, have a greater impact on microclimate and are usually more intensively used than smaller buildings. These impacts can be positive, negative, or a mixture of both, but will always depend on the context within which the building is located. The policy will ensure that the impact of tall buildings is positively managed by ensuring that tall buildings are located appropriately and are built to the highest standards possible.
6.4.3 The policy is supported by the London Plan, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE)/English Heritage publication Guidance on Tall Buildings (2007) and local evidence contained in the Council's report on the location of tall buildings and important local views (2013).
6.4.4 The Council's report on the location of tall buildings and important local views (2013) maps the location of the borough's existing tall buildings, many of which do not meet the requirements of this policy and have a negative impact on the quality of the surrounding environment. A map showing the location of existing tall buildings is also provided in Appendix 15 of this document. There may be a number of financial and other reasons that restrict the degree to which replacement buildings can achieve a reduction in height. The Council would not wish to prevent development that can improve both the quality of life of occupants and those in the surrounding area. However, the onus will be on the developer to demonstrate why a proposal should be an exception to any of the criteria in part 4 of the policy, and a reduction in height should be achieved in all cases where the location is inappropriate for tall buildings. All proposals for redevelopment must achieve a net positive impact on the quality of the environment and impact on the surrounding area. This may include, but is not limited to: improved urban design; better quality housing; improved public realm; the provision of community facilities; a better mix of uses; increased sustainability; and high quality architecture.
6.4.5 The Council has committed to producing (and updating where necessary) a number of Area Action Plans and Supplementary Planning Documents. These cover the geographic areas most likely to contain sites (and/or sub areas) appropriate for tall buildings by way of the presence of one or more of the “appropriate” criteria listed in the above policy, (the areas include North East Enfield, Central Leeside/Meridian Water, Enfield Town and Edmonton Green). The more focused nature of these documents will allow more detailed urban design studies to take place and the application of the “sensitive” and “inappropriate” criteria to test whether any such sites/sub areas exist. The Council has already begun this process, for example through the development of the New Southgate and Meridian Water Masterplans and Ponders End Central Planning Brief.
DMD 44 Conserving and Enhancing Heritage Assets 1. Applications for development which fail to conserve and enhance 2 the special interest, significance or setting of a heritage asset will be refused. 2. The design, materials and detailing of development affecting heritage assets or their setting should conserve the asset in a manner appropriate to its significance. 3. All applications affecting heritage assets or their setting should include a Heritage Statement. The applicant will also be required to record and disseminate detailed information about the asset gained from desk-based and on-site investigations. Information should be provided to the Local Planning Authority, Historic Environment Record and English Heritage. In some circumstances, a Written Scheme of Investigation will be required. This policy should be read in conjunction with Core Strategy policy 31. |
Justification and guidance on implementation
6.5.1 A heritage asset is defined as a building, monument, site, place, area or landscape identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in planning decisions, because of its heritage interest. Heritage assets include designated heritage assets and non-designated assets identified by the local planning authority (including buildings on the local list). It is important to note that, as a result of lack of information or awareness, many heritage assets remain undiscovered or without official recognition. The existence of an asset may become apparent as a result of a planning application, at which time the Council may deem that it is appropriate to apply this policy.
6.5.2 Policy 31 of the Core Strategy lists Enfield's heritage assets at the time of publication, and sets out a requirement that development should conserve and enhance them. Applicants should refer to the Council's website for the most up-to-date lists.
6.5.3 Enhancement of a heritage asset can take many forms, including, but not limited to: restoration, repair, removal of inappropriate development, increasing access, increasing visibility, increasing the educational value, conversion to a more appropriate use or enhancement of the asset’s setting. Only rarely will there be no opportunity for enhancement.
6.5.4 Development affecting the significance of an asset may include, but is not limited to: the introduction of new structures/objects; alterations; complete or partial demolition; removal of buildings/features or parts thereof; the introduction of signage or advertisements; changes of use (including the use of open spaces); subdivision or fragmentation; changes to landscaping; the removal of built or landscape features or parts thereof; or any other form of development which fails to conserve and enhance the asset or its setting. The setting of an asset is not limited to its curtilage and is defined as the physical and non physical environment in which the asset is experienced, including consideration of views to and from the asset, noise, dust and vibration, spatial associations and the historic relationship between places. Applicants for development affecting heritage assets are encouraged to use design and construction professionals with appropriate heritage expertise.
6.5.5 Replication and reference to the traditional characteristics of the asset will be appropriate in many instances. However, where uniform style is not necessary to conserve the significance of the asset (for example in a conservation area featuring development representing a number of ages and styles), a contemporary response that nevertheless respects aspects of the design, form and/or materials of the asset may be appropriate to provide a clear distinction between new and old.
6.5.6 Opportunities will be taken to secure comprehensive schemes for the repair, maintenance and future management of heritage assets in association with any development proposals through the use of planning conditions and obligations. This may include the removal of features which detract from the character or appearance of the asset. Heritage Statements: 6.5.7 The Heritage Statement should contain the information required to assess the impact of the proposals. Detailed requirements are set out in the Appendix 6 on
Heritage Statements.
6.5.7 The Heritage Statement should contain the information required to assess the impact of the proposals. Detailed requirements are set out in the Appendix 6 on Heritage Statements.
6.5.8 The Heritage Statement should address issues raised in relevant character appraisals, management plans or other relevant evidence-based documents to ensure that local issues are always at the forefront of decision-making and that the most up-to-date information guides development management decisions.
Recording and Dissemination of Information:
6.5.9 Heritage assets contain information about our past which can be easily damaged and never replaced. They can also form important sources of education and help to foster community pride and identity. The importance of the appropriate recording and dissemination of information about heritage assets is therefore highlighted in the NPPF and it is important that this be implemented through the development management process.
6.5.10 The receipt of satisfactory information acquired as part of the scheme’s implementation is likely to be a condition of beneficial occupation of the development or the matter of a S106 agreement.
6.5.11 Depending on the significance of the asset and the nature of the works proposed, a Written Scheme of Investigation may be required to ensure appropriate investigations are carried out before, during and after implementation. The Scheme will ensure that information about the asset is recorded and disseminated appropriately, and will be more likely where assets containing layers of historic fabric are affected and/or the proposals involve significant loss thereof. The Scheme should be proportional to the importance of the asset and the impact of the proposal.
1 For the purposes of development in Enfield, this is development which comprises or includes the erection of a building which is more that 30 metres high or development which comprises or includes the alteration of an existing building where the development would increase the height of the building by more than 15 metres; and the building would, on completion of the development, be more than 30 metres high.
2 References in this document to "conserving and enhancing" heritage assets differ from references in the Core Strategy to "preserving and enhancing" heritage assets in order to reflect the language used in the National Planning Policy Framework (2012).
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