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Cardiff Residential Design GuideSupplementary Planning Guidance

Approved January2017

Table of Contents

1 Introduction

2 ResidentialenvironmentsinCardiff

3 Theorganisationofthisguide

4 Cardiffplanningpolicycontext

7 Therightdesignprocess7 Designteam7 Designdrawings9 Consultationandengagement9 DesignReviewwiththeDesignCommissionfor Wales10 Thewrongdesignprocess

11 Summaryofthekeydesignquestionsthat mustbeaddressed

12 Partoftheneighbourhood13 Doesthedevelopmentprovide,orisitcloseto, neighbourhoodfacilitiesthatarereachablealong directandsafewalkingandcyclingroutes?15 Isthereanaccommodation/tenuremixthatreflects theneedsandaspirationsofthelocalcommunity?15 Doesthedevelopmenthavegoodaccesstopublic transport?17 Istheschemewellconnectedinternallyandtoits context?

18 Creatingplaces19 Doesthedevelopmentmakeefficientuseofland andprovidehomesatareasonabledensity?21 Isthedesignspecifictothescheme?25 Doestheschemesympatheticallyintegratewith existingbuildings,landscapeortopography?28 Dothebuildingsandlayoutmakeiteasyto findyourwayaroundandresultinanattractive townscape?31 Doestheschemeincludeadequateprovisionof well-designedpublicspaces?35 Dothebuildingsandlayouthelptomakeitfeelsafe andsecureandreduceopportunitiesforcrime?37 Doesthedevelopmenthavefeaturesthatreduceits environmentalimpact?

39 Streetandhome40 Arethestreetsandspacesdefinedbybuildings andlandscapesothatthehighwaysdonotdominate theircharacter?43 Arestreetsandpublicspacesdesignedwitha clearpurposeandtoastandardthatmeetstheneeds ofallpotentialusers?46 Sharedspacestreetsusinghomezonedesign principles48 Isresidentandvisitorparkingsufficientandwell integratedsothatitdoesnotdominatethe streetscene?48 Carparking51 Cycleparking52 Aretheindividualhouseswelldesignedtomeetthe needsandaspirationsoffutureoccupantsandalsoin relationtotheircontext?53 Doesthedesignconformtonecessaryamenity standards?53 Privacy53 Outdooramenityspaces53 Outlook53 Daylightandsunlight54 Howwewillapplydaylightandsunlight assessments56 Doesthedesignincludeadequateandwell-designed wasteandrecyclingfacilities,andcareinthelocation andintegrationofmetercupboards?57 Isthestreetscapebothattractiveandrobust?57 Surfaces58 StreetFurniture59 PublicArt

60 Usefulpublicationsreferredtointhis guidance

61 Appendix1 Consultees

63 Appendix2 SummaryofExternal ConsultationCommentsandResponses

Mae’rddogfenymahefydargaelynGymraeg.ThisdocumentisalsoavailableinWelsh

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WelshGovernmentsupporttheuseofSupplementaryGuidance(SPG)tosetoutdetailedguidanceonthewayinwhichdevelopmentplanpolicieswillbeappliedinparticularcircumstancesorareas.SPGmustbeconsistentwithdevelopmentplanpolicesandnationalplanningpolicyguidance.SPGhelpstoensurecertainpoliciesandproposalsarebetterunderstoodandappliedmoreeffectively.Theydonothavethesamestatusastheadopteddevelopmentplanbutareamaterialconsiderationinthedeterminationofplanningapplications.

Thissupplementaryplanningguidance(SPG)outlinestheissuesthatadesignfornewresidentialdevelopmentinCardiffshouldaddressasitseeksplanningpermission.Itappliestomajorresidentialdevelopmentproposalsproviding10dwellingsormore,andwhichrequireaDesignandAccessStatement.DesignadviceforsmallerresidentialprojectscanbefoundintheInfill Sites SPG.

ThisguidancesupplementsandisinlinewithcurrentWelshGovernmentpolicyondesign,aspresentedinPlanning Policy Wales(WelshGovernment,constantlyupdated)andTechnical Advice Note 12: Design(WelshGovernment,constantlyupdated).ItalsosupportstheproperimplementationofManual for Streets (DepartmentforTransport,2007).ItshouldbereadinconjunctionwithpoliciesinthecurrentCardiff Local Development Plan 2006-2026 (CardiffCouncil,2016),theCardiff Liveable Design Guide(1)(CardiffCouncil,2015)andotherrelevantCardiffCouncilsupplementaryplanningguidancewhicharecrossreferencedatappropriatepointsinthetext.

DesignersshouldbemindfuloftheneedtoalsosatisfyBuildingRegulations,andshoulddevelopschemeswhichwillconformtobothregulatoryregimes.

ThisguidanceiswritteninthefullknowledgethatCardiffCouncilhastoworkcloselywiththehousebuildingindustryandbeawareofthemarketconditionsthatmayapply.Uncertainty,delayandchangingrequirementslateintheplanningprocessaremajorconcernsforbothdevelopersandtheplanningauthority,andsothisguidanceprovidesaclearstatementofwhattheplanningauthorityexpectsbothintermsofhowdesigninformationshouldbepresented,butalsohowdesignissuesshouldbeaddressed.Planningapplicationssubmittedinlinewiththeserequirementscanbedealtwithefficiently.

Introduction

Theuseofimages

Pleasenotethattheimagesinthisdocumentareincludedtoillustrateparticularpointsreferencedinthetext.Inclusionofanimagedoesnotmeanageneralendorsementofotherattributesofthescheme.

1. This guide can be read in conjunction with the Cardiff Liveable Design Guide which provides place making, planning and urban design guidelines that the Council will apply to strategic development sites throughout the city.

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Cardiffisareasonablycompactcitywithasuccessfulcitycentreandregeneratingbay.Reflectingitshistory,itcontainsringsofresidentialdevelopmentthatreflectitsperiodsofgrowth.Itcontainsmanypopularneighbourhoodswhichareclosetosignificantopenspaces,wellservedbypublictransportandofferingaconvenientmixofuses.Intheinnersuburbspeoplecangetaboutonfoot.Neighbourhoodusestendtobeaccessiblylocatedonradialstreets.Cyclinginfrastructureisimproving.

ThecityhassomecelebratedVictorianandEdwardianhousingaroundveryattractiveurbanparks(2),andcontainsapopulargardensuburb(3).Theoutersuburbsbuiltduringthelast30yearstendtocontainneighbourhoodenvironmentswhichhavegivenprioritytothecar(4).Itislesspopulartowalkandtheenvironmentscantendtolackplacesofdistinctcharacter.Provisionofneighbourhooduseshastendedtobeprovidedinfreestandingbuildingswhichcanbedominatedbycarparking.TheseneighbourhoodsreflectthecharacteristicsofsimilardevelopmentsthathaveoccurredelsewhereintheUK.

ThelastfewdecadeshavealsoseensignificantgrowthinapartmentlivinginboththecitycentreandCardiffBay.Theseareashaveapreponderanceof1and2bedroomhomes,andwhilsttheapartmentshavebeensuccessful,oftenwithagreatsettingoverlookingthebay,sometimestheyhavebeendesignedinaninsularorgatedformandhaven’talwaysresultedinmuchpedestrianvitalityintheircontexts,ortheestablishmentofreallygreatstreetsorpublicspacesbetweenthem(5).

Cardiff’sLocalDevelopmentPlanmakesprovisionforthedeliveryof41,000newdwellingsinCardiffovertheplanperiod.Thissignificantgrowthemphasisestheimportanceofthisguidanceaswetryandensurethatnewhomesareplannedanddesignedtoreinforceorestablishnewsustainableneighbourhoodsandplacesinlinewithbestcontemporaryurbandesignpractices.

AcrosstheUKnewwaysofthinkingandpracticinghaveledtogreatimprovementsinnewresidentialdevelopmentstoovercomesomeoftherecognisedfailingsofpreviouslydevelopedschemes,andbothpolicyandguidanceproducedbytheWelshGovernmentgivespowersthroughtheplanningsystemtoensurethatdevelopmentshereinCardiffarealsodesignedanddevelopedtothehigheststandards.

Residential environments in Cardiff

2. Cardiff contains many popular Edwardian residential areas which remain popular today.

3. Rhiwbina Garden Village

4. Outer suburbs built during the last 30 years tend to contain environments which have given priority to the car.

5. Some recent apartments have been designed in an insular or gated form which hasn’t always resulted in much pedestrian vitality in their contexts.

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Gooddesignwillonlyemergewhengooddesignersaregiventhechancetocompletetherightplanninganddesignprocess.Thisguidestartsbyoutlininghowwewouldexpectthatprocesstobeorganisedsothatdesignershavethetimeandopportunitytoaddresstheissuespresentedhere.

Followingthisweofferadviceaboutthefullrangeofissuesthatconcernus,organisedaroundsimilarthemesandquestionspresentedinthehousebuildingindustryendorsedBuilding for Life 12 Wales(6)andtheassociatedhousebuilderqualitymarkBuilt for Life.Westartbylookingathowtheschemeshouldfitintoanexisting,orhelptoestablishanew,neighbourhood.Thenwediscusshowdevelopmentsshouldresultindistinctiveplacesthatrelatewelltotheircontexts.Finallywediscusshownewhomesshouldfitintowell-designedstreets.Organisingtheguidanceinthiswayhelpsyoufindthepartoftheguidancemostrelevantforyourscaleofdevelopment.Designersoflargerschemesshouldbefamiliarwithallofit,whilstsmallerprojectscanfocusontheissues,forexample,relatedtobuildingsandstreets.

Manyoftheseissuesarebestcommunicatedthroughtherightplansandotherimagespresentedcoherentlyinadesignandaccessstatement(DAS).GoodadviceonhowtoproduceaDAScanbefoundintheWelshGovernment’sTechnical Advice Note 12: Guidance on Design and Access Statements (7).WerecommendthatanyDASshoulddirectlyillustrateandexplainhowanydesignrespondstotheissuesdiscussedhere,andintheorderthatwepresentthem.

The organisation of this guide

6. This guidance is based on issues and criteria presented in Building for Life 12 Wales

7. Good guidance on how to produce a Design and Access Statement can be found in TAN12 guidelines

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Cardiff planning policy context

Cardiff’sadoptedLocalDevelopmentPlanhasarobustsetofplanningpoliciesandguidelinescontrollingandpromotingthegooddesignofdevelopmentsinthecity.Werecommendthatathoroughreviewofpolicyandguidanceisundertakentounderstandwhatmightapplytoasite.Althoughitisnotnecessarytoprovideadrylistofrelevantpoliciesandguidelinesinadesignandaccessstatement,itisimportanttoexplainhowthefeaturesofadesignhaveconsideredtherequirements.

Inparticularwerecommendareviewof:

• Planningpolicydesignations• Speciallandscapedesignations• Conservationareacharacterappraisalsandthedetails

ofanyscheduledmonumentsorlistedbuildingsorotherheritageassetsthatinfluenceasite

• Treepreservationorders• Anyrelevantsitespecificdevelopmentbriefs• Othersupplementaryplanningguidance• Theplanninghistoryofthesite

Otherrelevantsupplementaryplanningguidancerelatedtoresidentialdevelopmentsalsoincludesguidanceonhighwayandparkingstandards,theprovisionofaffordablehousingandopenspace,planningobligations,tallbuildings,publicart,publicrightsofwayanddevelopment,treesanddevelopment,communityfacilitiesandresidentialdevelopmentandwastecollectionandstorage.Asnecessary,newformsofguidancearealwaysbeingcreated.Ifyouareuncertainaboutwhichsupplementaryplanningguidancemightberelevanttoyourdevelopment,theCouncilwillbeabletoadviseyouastowhichmightbemostrelevantatapre-applicationdiscussion.

RelevantinformationisavailableontheCardiffCouncilwebsite,includingthecurrentCardiff Local Development Plan andthefulllistofsupplementaryplanningguidance.

Appraisaloftheschemeagainstnationalandlocaldesignpolicies,guidanceandstandardsisundertakenbyofficersoftheCouncilwithrecommendationsmadetotheplanningcommitteeaspartofthedevelopmentmanagementprocess.

AnumberofspecificpoliciesintheLocalDevelopmentPlanrelatetothedesignqualityofmajorresidentialschemes,andthisSPGaimstoprovidemoreinformationabouthowweexpectthesedesignqualitiestobeachieved:

PolicyforMasterPlanningonStrategicDevelopmentSites

PolicyKP4intheCardiff Local Development Plan requiresthatanydevelopmentonastrategicsiteofmorethan500homesadoptsamasterplanningapproach.DetailsofhowtoconformtothisrequirementcanbefoundontheCardiffCouncilwebsitein:

• Cardiff Local Development Plan Masterplanning Framework

• Liveable Design Guide: Placemaking, urban design, architecture

PolicyKP4statesthatmajordevelopmentsshouldaccordwiththefollowingMasterPlanningGeneralPrinciples:

1. Developmentschemeswillbeplannedinacomprehensiveandintegratedmanner,reflectingpartnershipworkingandsettingoutthephasingofdevelopmentalongwithatimelyprovisionofsupportinginfrastructure.Masterplanswillneedtoencompassthewholeofadevelopmentarearegardlessoflandownershippatterns,andthiswillrequirepartnershipworking,involvingallrelevantparties;

2. Highdensityresidentialandmixed-usedevelopmentshallbefocusedalongpublictransportcorridorsandinneighbourhoodcentres,withlowerdensitiesprovidedelsewheretodeliveranoverallrangeandchoiceofaccommodationtomeetdifferentneeds;

3. Dedicatedsustainabletransportcorridorsshallincludeprovisionforpublictransport,cyclingandwalkingwhichwillformkeyelementsoftheoverallmasterplanandeffectivelylinkintothewidernetwork;

4. Walking,cyclingandpublictransportwillbeattractive,practicalandconvenienttravelchoicesforall;

5. Provisionofafullrangeofsocialandcommunityfacilitieswillbeconcentratedwithinmixeduseneighbourhoodcentreslocatedalongpublictransportcorridorsandeasilyaccessedbywalkingandcycling;

6. Themasterplanningprocesswilleffectivelyrespondtothelocalcontextandthecontextofclimatechange,tocreatenew,welldesignedneighbourhoodswithadistinctivecharacterwhichresidentswillbeproudof;

7. Newdevelopmentshallrespondtolocaldeficienciesandprovidegoodconnectivitytoadjoiningareasandbeinformedbyfeedbackfromexistingcommunities;

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8. Multi-functionalandconnectedgreenopenspacesshallformstrategicallyimportantlinkstothesurroundingareatoprovideroutesforpeopleandwildlifeandopenspacesforsports,recreationandplay;

9. Existinglandscapes,biodiversityandhistoricfeaturesofthesiteshallbesympatheticallyintegratedintothedevelopment,takingopportunitiestoprotect,enhanceandmanageimportantfeaturesalongwithmitigationandenhancementmeasurestoprovidesatisfactorycompensatorymeasures;

10. Innovativeandcreativemanagementsolutionsforenergy,managementofsurfacewaterandwasteshallbeadoptedtomakenewdevelopmentsmoreenvironmentallysustainable.

Inadditiondevelopmentwillalsoaccordwithguidancesetoutinsite-specificmasterplanningframeworks,iftheyhavebeenprepared.

PolicyforGoodQualityandSustainableDesign

PolicyKP5intheCardiff Local Development Planistheprincipalpolicyrequiringhighquality,sustainabledesignwhichmakesapositivecontributiontothecreationofdistinctivecommunities,placesandspaces.Thisguidanceelaboratesonhowtherequirementsofthispolicycanbesecuredinresidentialdevelopmentledschemes.Thepolicyrequiresthatdevelopment:

• Respondstothelocalcharacterandcontextofthebuiltandlandscapesettingsothatlayout,scale,form,massing,height,density,colour,materials,detailingandimpactonthebuiltandnaturalheritagearealladdressedwithindevelopmentproposals;

• Provideslegibledevelopmentwhichiseasytogetaroundandwhichensuresasenseofcontinuityandenclosure;

• Providesadiversityoflandusestocreatebalancedcommunitiesandaddvibrancythroughouttheday;

• Createsinterconnectedstreets,squaresandspacesasdistinctiveplaces,whicharesafe,accessible,vibrantandsecureandincorporatepublicartwhereappropriate;

• Providesahealthyandconvenientenvironmentforallusersthatsupportstheprinciplesofcommunitysafety,encourageswalkingandcycling,enablesemployment,essentialservicesandcommunityfacilitiestobeaccessiblebysustainabletransportandmaximisesthecontributionofnetworksofmulti-functionaland

connectedopenspacestoencouragehealthierlifestyles;

• Maximisesrenewableenergysolutions;• Achievesaresourceefficientandclimate

responsivedesignthatprovidessustainablewaterandwastemanagementsolutionsandminimisesemissionsfromtransport,homesandindustry;

• Achievesanadaptabledesignthatcanrespondtofuturesocial,economic,technologicalandenvironmentalrequirements;

• Promotestheefficientuseofland,developingathighestpracticabledensitiesandwhereappropriateachievingtheremediationofcontaminatedland;

• Ensuresnoundueeffectontheamenityofneighbouringoccupiersandconnectingpositivelytosurroundingcommunities;

• Fostersinclusivedesign,ensuringbuildings,streetsandspacesareaccessibletoallusersandareadaptabletofuturechangesinlifestyle;and

• Locatestallbuildingsinlocationswhicharehighlyaccessiblethroughwalkingandpublictransportandwithinanexistingorproposedclusteroftallbuildings.

RespondingtoEvidencedSocialNeeds

PolicyKP13seeksdevelopmentswhich:deliversustainableneighbourhoods,tackledeprivationandimprovethequalityoflifeforall.Thisincludes:

• Providingarangeofdwellingsizes,typesandaffordabilityincludingseekingtoprovideatargetof6,646affordabledwellingsovertheremaining12yearsofPlanperiod

• Supportingthevitality,viabilityandattractivenessofexistingDistrictandLocalCentresandtheirregeneration,includingretailandothercommercialdevelopmentandhousingofanappropriatescale;

• Encouragingtheprovisionofafullrangeofsocial,health,leisureandeducationfacilitiesandcommunityinfrastructureforbothexistingandnewcommunitiesthatareaccessibletoallbywalkingandcyclingandpublictransport;

• Supportingtheregenerationofdeprivedcommunitieswithinthecityandmaximisingtheadditionalbenefitsthatnewcommunitiescanbringtoadjoiningorsurroundingcommunities;

• Encouragingtheenhancementofcommunitiesthroughbetterequalityofaccesstoservicesforall,promotingculturalandwiderdiversityforallgroupsinsociety,andcreatingplacesthatencouragesocialinteractionandcohesion;

• Developingnewculturalandsportingfacilities

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WaterSensitiveUrbanDesign

PolicyEN10requiresdevelopmenttoapplywatersensitiveurbandesignsolutions(theprocessofintegratingwatercyclemanagementwiththebuiltenvironmentthroughplanningandurbandesign).Toincludethemanagementof:

• Waterdemandandsupply;• Wastewaterandpollution;• Rainfallandrunoff;• Watercoursesandwaterresource;• Flooding;and• Waterpathways.

WalkingandCycling

WearecommittedtodeliveringformsofdevelopmentthatmeettherequirementsoftheActiveTravel(Wales)Act.

PolicyT1oftheCardiff Local Development Plan requiresdevelopmentswhichenablepeopletoaccessemployment,essentialservicesandcommunityfacilitiesbywalkingandcycling.TheCouncilwillsupportdevelopmentswhichincorporate:

CommunitySafetyandCreatingSafeEnvironments

PolicyC3requiresthatallnewdevelopmentsandredevelopmentsshallbedesignedtopromoteasafeandsecureenvironmentandminimisetheopportunityforcrime.Inparticulardevelopmentshall:

• Maximisenaturalsurveillanceofareaswhichmaybevulnerabletocrimesuchaspubliclyaccessiblespaces,openspace,carparkingareasandfootpaths;

• Havewelldefinedroutes,spacesandentrancesthatprovideconvenientmovementwithoutcompromisingsecurity;

• Maintainperceptibledistinctionbetweenpublicandprivatespacesthroughwell-definedboundariesanddefensiblespace;

• Provideagoodstandardoflightingtopublicspacesandrouteswhileminimisingenergyuseandlightpollution;and

• Bedesignedwithmanagementandmaintenanceinmind,todiscouragecrimeinthepresentandfuture.

Health

PolicyC6requiresdevelopmentstoreducehealthinequalitiesandsupporthealthylifestylechoicesbyensuringthattheyprovideaphysicalandbuiltenvironmentthatsupportsinter-connectivityandactivetravelchoices,aswellasenhancingroadsafety.

ClimateChange

PolicyKP15seekstomitigateagainsttheeffectsofclimatechangeandadapttoitsimpacts.Developmentproposalsshouldtakeintoaccountthefollowingfactors:

• Reducingcarbonemissions;• Protectingandincreasingcarbonsinks;• Adaptingtotheimplicationsofclimatechangeat

bothastrategicanddetaileddesignlevel;• Promotingenergyefficiencyandincreasingthe

supplyofrenewableenergy;• Avoidingareassusceptibletofloodriskinthe

firstinstanceinaccordancewiththesequentialapproachsetoutinnationalguidance;and

• Preventingdevelopmentthatincreasesfloodrisk.

tobuilduponCardiff’sroleasamajortourist,culturalandsportingdestinationforvisitorsandresidentsalike;and

• Designingoutcrimeandcreatingcommunitieswhicharesaferandfeelsafer.

• Highquality,sustainabledesignwhichmakesapositivecontributiontothedistinctivenessofcommunitiesandplaces;

• Permeableandlegiblenetworksprovidingsafe,convenientandattractivewalkingandcyclingroutes;

• ConnectionsandextensionstotheCardiff Strategic Cycle NetworkandroutesformingpartoftheCardiff Walkable Neighbourhoods Plan;

• Measurestominimisevehiclespeedandgiveprioritytopedestriansandcyclists;

• Safe,convenientandattractivewalkingandcyclingconnectionstoexistingdevelopments,neighbourhoods,jobsandservices;

• InfrastructuredesignedinaccordancewithstandardsofgoodpracticeincludingtheWelshGovernmentDesign Guidance - Active Travel,andtheCouncil’sCycling Design Guide;

• Supportingfacilitiesincludingsigning,securecycleparkingand,wherenecessary,showerandchangingfacilities;and

• Theprovisionofcar-freezones.

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Gooddesignscanonlyemergefromastrongdesignprocesswhichwillalsoreadilyprovidecontentforadesignandaccessstatement.Suitabledesignerswillbeveryfamiliarwiththisprocess.

Designteam

Astrongdesignteamwithaproventrackrecordindeliveringgoodresidentialdevelopmentswillunderstandtheissuespresentedhereandbeabletorefertosuitableprecedents.Ourexperiencetellsusthatgooddesignteamsdeliversuccessfulprojectsefficiently,andthattherequirementspresentedheremightrequiretheinputofprofessionalswithvariousformsofexpertise.

Itisimportanttoputtogethertherightteamtoaddressanyrelevantissues,includingexpertsinresidentialdevelopment,architecture,quantitysurveying,landscapearchitecture,urbandesign,highwayengineering,activetravel,ecology,planning,heritageandarchaeology.

DesigndrawingsThepreparationofgooddrawingsforboththeplanningapplicationanddesignandaccessstatementiscentraltoboththinkingaboutandcommunicatingtherelevantdesignqualitiesofascheme.TheCouncilexpectscleargraphicevidencerelatedtotheissuesraisedinthisdocument,andtimecanbewastedintheplanningapplicationprocessifrelevantimagesarenotprovidedatthestart.Drawingsshouldillustratethefollowingrequirements:

SiteAnalysis

Welshpolicyondesign,presentedinTAN12,stressestheimportanceofcontextandsiteanalysis:

“Understanding the site and its immediate and wider context is the basis for a meaningful and sustainable design response, and is the responsibility of all those involved in the design process, particularly planning applicants and their agents...”TAN12Design

TheWelshGovernmentandDesignCommissionforWales(DCFW)havealsopreparedseparateguidelinescalledSite and Context Analysis: Capturing the value of a sitewhichexplainhowtoapproachthetask(8).TheywerepromptedtodothisbecauseoftheinadequacyofanalysesassociatedwithschemessubmittedtotheDCFWfordesignreview.Wewillapplytheseguidelines

The right design process

intheassessmentofschemessubmittedinCardiff.

Designersshouldcompleteandpresentathoroughanalysistoensurethattheyfullyunderstandthecontextandsitethattheywillbeworkingon.Thelistofissuesthatmightbecomerelevantisnon-exhaustiveasallcontextsaredifferent,butwesuggestapresentationofthefollowinginformation,ifitrelatestothescheme:

Widercontext

• Thenetworkofgreeninfrastructureorecologicalsystems,areasoflandscapecharacterandthelocationofanyprotectedspeciesandhabitats;

• Publicrightsofwayandthewidernetworkofroadsandcycleroutes;

• Thepublictransportcontext,includingthewidernetworkofrailandbusservicesandthehierarchyofhighways,includingcycleroutes;

• Thelocationandcontentofnearbyneighbourhood,employmentandservicecentres.

8. We will apply guidance on how to complete and present a site and context analysis produced by the Design Commission for Wales.

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TheNeighbourhood

• Theprovisionoflocalsupermarketsandshopsinthevicinity,highlightingthewalkingdistanceandroutequalityfromthesite;

• Thelocationofotherlocalfacilitiessuchasschools,religiousbuildings,nurseries,doctors,dentists,communitybuildingsandpubs,alsohighlightingthewalkingdistanceandroutequalityfromthesite;

• Keyaspectsoftheneighbouringurbanformincludingnetresidentialdensitiesandbuildingheights(adviceonhowwemeasurenetresidentialdensityisonpage20);

• Anyspecificareasofcharacterinresidentialareassurroundingthescheme,andwhetherandhowthismightinfluenceadesign.Adviceonwhatshouldbeincludedinacharacterstatementisprovidedbelowinthesection“Is the design specific to the scheme?” (page 21).

TransportandAccessibility

• Publictransportfrequency,routesandstopstokeydestinations;

• Patternofaccessthroughthewidercontextandtoandacrossthesiteforactivetravellerssuchaspedestriansandcyclists;

• Patternofaccessthroughthewidercontextandtoandacrossthesiteforothervehicleusers.

NaturalFeaturesandOpenSpaces

• Sitetopography;• Watercourses,drainagesystemsandareasof

potentialflooding;• Thelocationofthesiteinrelationtothewider

strategiclandscapesystem,includingmajoropenspacesandareasofecologicalvalue;

• Thelocationandqualityofexistingplayspacesandsportsfields,includinglocalanddestinationchildren’splayareas,equippedteenplayareasandformalsportsandrecreationopenspaces;

• Sunpathandanyareasofshadowing.

SocialProfile

• Thesocialprofileoftheneighbouringareas;• Amarketanalysisofrecentsalesinthearea;• Crimemapdatahighlightinganysignificantissues.

OtherSiteSpecificAspects

• Topographyofthesite,indicatingwhichareascanbebuiltonandwhichmightbedifficult;

• Utilities:Gasmains,watermains,electricitypylons,cablesandsubstations,includinganynecessary

easements;• Treesandotherplantingonthesite,including

whichmightbeprotectedandwhichremoved;• Historicfeatures:archaeology,conservationareas

andlistedandotherbuildingsorotherfeaturestoberetained;

• Specificandimportantviewsfromandthroughthesitetoimportantlocallandmarks;

• Orientationofneighbouringhomes,indicatingtheirfrontsandbacksandgivinganindicationofboththequalityofthebacksandanyrelevantpointsofaccess;

• Boundaries:Thetypeandqualityofboundariestothesite;

• Othersiteconstraints:contaminatedsoilsandfilledareas,microclimateandnoisesources.

Opportunitiesandconstraints

Theresultsofthecontextandsiteanalysisshouldbesummarisedinanopportunitiesandconstraintsmapandprovidealistofpointswhichhighlighthowthesurveyshaveinformedtheemergingconceptandsubsequentdesign.Suchamapandstatementhelppeopleunderstandandappreciatehowyouhaverespondedtotheissuesrelatedtothesiteanditscontext.Opportunitiespresentedshouldstarttoshowinterestingideasforthescheme.

Designconcept

Largerschemeswillbenefitfromthepreparationofadesignconceptdiagramwhichhighlightsthekeystrategicdesignfeaturesofascheme,suchastheprincipalpatternofaccess,thelocationofcentresandusesotherthanhousing,theprotectionofgreencorridorsorcreationofopenspacesandkeylandscapefeatures,thenetworkofhighwaysandcycleroutes,thedensityprofileacrossascheme,buildingheights,thedistributionofanycharacterareasandkeybuiltformortownscapecharacteristics.Guidanceforeachcharacterareaandanyspecifickeybuiltformfeaturesshouldalsobeproducedtoinformreservedmattersapplications.

Designdrawings

Designdrawingsshouldrepresenttheschemewithinitscontextand,whererelevant,showthelocationandformofneighbouringdevelopment.

Alldrawingsshouldbedrawnandreproducedatascalethatwillenableproposalstobeassessed.Plansshouldhaveanortharrowifthetopoftheimageisnotnorth.

Aswelookatalotofdrawingsatvariousscaleselectronically,itisusefultohaveascalebaronplans,and/ortellusatwhatscaletheimageshouldbeprinted

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out,andthescalethatappliesatthisscale(eg1:500@A1).

Designrationale

Forlargerprojects,drawingsordiagramsthatunpickthequalitiesoftheschemeshouldexplaindifferentaspectsofthedesign.Theimagesshouldclearlynotatehowthedesignsrespondtothethemesandissuespresentedinthisguidanceandthatarerelevanttothesite.TheseshouldappearintheDesignandAccessStatement.

DesignandAccessStatements

Designandaccessstatements(DAS)offerasignificantopportunitytoexplainandjustifyyourdesign.DevelopersarerequiredtosubmitaDASthatillustratesandexplainsthedecisionsleadingtothefinaldesign.Itshouldprovideadequategraphicandwrittenevidencetoalevelofdetailwhichshowshowtheproposalhasachievedgooddesigninrelationtobothdesignpolicyandguidanceandalsoforthesiteinitscontext.DetailsofwhataDASshouldcontainandhowitshouldbepresentedcanbefoundintheWelshGovernment’sTechnical Advice Note 12: Guidance on Design and Access Statements (7).

Consultationandengagement

Followingthereceiptofapre-applicationenquiry,wewelcomediscussionsorworkshopswhichhelpestablishthedesignparametersagainstwhichafutureplanningapplicationwillbeassessed,andachancetoofferinitialadviceaboutwhatmightbeproposed.Suchdiscussionsaremosteffectivewheretheaboveprocesshasbeenfollowedthrough,timefordesignhasbeenfoundandrelevantdrawingshavebeenproduced.

Newdevelopmentscansometimesbecontroversialwithexistingresidents.Opportunitiesforengagementwithlocalcouncillors,civicandcommunitygroupsandcitizensshouldalsobeconsideredatanearlystageofthedesignprocess,sothatemergingdesignscanbeinformedbylocalconcernsandideas.

TheWelshGovernmenthasintroducedastatutoryrequirementforlocalplanningauthoritiestoprovidepre-applicationadvice,whilstthereisalsoarequirementforallapplicantsformajordevelopmentstoundertakepre-applicationpublicityandconsultationontheirplans.DetailsoftheCardiffpre-applicationservice,andrequirementsforpublicityandconsultation,canbefoundontheCardiffCouncilPlanningwebsite.Theaimoftheseprocessesistoraiseanysignificantplanningissuespriortothesubmissionofaformal

application.Thisprovidesapplicantswiththeopportunitytoconsidertheseissuesand,ifnecessary,amendtheproposalsbeforetheyarefinalisedandsubmittedasaplanningapplication.

DesignReviewwiththeDesignCommissionforWales

RelevantprojectsmaybesubmittedtotheDesignCommissionforWales’DesignReviewServiceforcommentandadvice(9).Thisisbestdonepriortothesubmissionofaplanningapplication.Theprocesshelpstoidentifyearlyopportunitiesforgooddesignqualityindevelopmentproposalsandassistsusinsecuringpublicvaluethroughdesignexcellence.ThisprocessmaybeinitiatedbytheapplicantortheCouncil.FurtherinformationaboutthisprocesscanbefoundatDCFW.org.

9. The Design Commission for Wales provides its own advice about how to submit schemes into the Design Review Service.

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Thewrongdesignprocess

Sometimesdesignprocessesareusedwhichdonotresultingooddevelopments.Themostcommonare:

• Notemployinggooddesignersrightfromthestart.Weknowthatgooddesignsareproducedbygooddesigners.Investinginthemwillhelpboththedesignandplanningprocess.

• Slavishuseofstandardhousetypeswhichhavenotbeendesignedforuseintherelevantlayouts.

• Thedesignoflargerschemeswithoutanyreferencetoaclearconceptwhichwouldshapetheoverallstructureandcharacterofthedevelopment.

• Theemploymentofurbandesignerstoproduceagooddesignforanoutlineplanningapplicationwhichestablishesasite’svalueandcapacity,andthenthesubmissionofpoorerdetailedreservedmattersplans.

• NotobtainingaStage 1 Road Safety Audit or a Combined User Auditfortheoutlinedesign.Thisomissionhastheriskthatthedesigncouldincludefeaturesthatintroducearoadsafetyproblemorissueswhichmaybedifficultandcostlytorectifyatalaterstage.

• Forlargerschemes,thesubmissionofvagueplanswhichlookgraphicallyconvincing,butwhichprovidenousefuldetailtoguideorcontrolthestructureorcharacterofsubsequentphases.

• Thedesignofschemeswithoutadequateunderstandingofasiteoritscontext.

• Theuseofminoramendmentstowaterdownwelldesignedfeaturesofaplanningconsent.

Wewillresistschemesthatemergethroughtheseandsimilarprocesseswhereweobserveapoorordecliningqualitytoadesign.

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Summary of the key design questions that must be addressed

Streetandhome

• Arethestreetsandspacesdefinedbybuildingsandlandscapesothatthehighwaysdonotdominatetheircharacter?

• Arestreetsandpublicspacesdesignedwithaclearpurposeandtoastandardthatmeetstheneedsofallpotentialusers?

• Isresidentandvisitorparkingsufficientandwellintegratedsothatitdoesnotdominatethestreetscene?

• Aretheindividualhouseswelldesignedtomeettheneedsandaspirationsoffutureoccupantsandalsoinrelationtotheircontext?

• Doesthedesignconformtonecessaryamenitystandards?• Doesthedesignincludeadequateandwell-designedwasteandrecyclingfacilities,and

showcareinthelocationandintegrationofmetercupboards?• Isthestreetscapebothattractiveandrobust?

Partoftheneighbourhood

• Doesthedevelopmentprovide,orisitcloseto,neighbourhoodfacilitiesthatarereachablesafelybywalkingandcycling?

• Isthereanaccommodation/tenuremixthatreflectstheneedsandaspirationsofthelocalcommunity?

• Doesthedevelopmenthavegoodaccesstopublictransport?• Istheschemewellconnectedinternallyandtoitscontext?

Creatingplaces

• Doesthedevelopmentmakeefficientuseoflandandprovidehomesatareasonabledensity?

• Isthedesignspecifictothescheme?• Doestheschemesympatheticallyintegratewithexistingbuildings,landscapeor

topography?• Dothebuildingsandlayoutmakeiteasytofindyourwayaroundandresultinanattractive

townscape?• Doestheschemeincludeadequateprovisionofwell-designedpublicspaces?• Dothebuildingsandlayouthelptomakeitfeelsafeandsecureandreduceopportunities

forcrime?• Doesthedevelopmenthavefeaturesthatreduceitsenvironmentalimpact?

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Newhomesandotherusesshouldenhanceandbecomepartofanexistingneighbourhood,orhelpcreateadistinctiveandpopularnewone.Goodneighbourhoodsarecentraltoopportunitiestoliveamoresustainableandhealthierlifestyle.

Theycanreducetheneedtotravelbyprovidingmostofthefacilitiesandservicesweneedwithinwalkingdistanceofourhomes.Thismixofusescanincludewelllocatedconvenienceshops,doctors’surgeries,communitybuildings,openspaces,nurseriesandprimaryschools,pubsandreligiousbuildings;allallowingpeopletomeettheirdailyneedswithouthavingtotravelfarfromtheirhome.

Theyshouldalsobesociallymixed,providingarangeofdwellingtypesandtenures,atarangeofdensities,toensurethatafullrangeoflocaldemandsandneedsaremet.

Thepatternofroutesshouldprioritiseactivetravelchoices,makingiteasyandconvenienttowalkandcycle,bothwithinthedevelopment,butalsotootherpartsofthecontext.Thisrequiresthatdevelopmentsarepermeable.

Finallydevelopmentsshouldsupporttheprovisionanduseofpublictransportbymakingiteasyandsafetogettowelllocatedpublictransportstops,allowingresidentsconvenientaccesstotherestofthecitywithoutbeingreliantonacar.

Part of the neighbourhood

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Doesthedevelopmentprovide,orisitcloseto,neighbourhoodfacilitiesthatarereachablealongdirectandsafewalkingandcyclingroutes?

Aspartofacommitmenttosecuringbothsustainableandhealthyformsofdevelopmentandpromotingactiveformsoftravel,suitablylargedevelopmentswillneedtoprovideagoodmixoffacilitieswithinwalkingdistancefromhomes,whilstsmallerschemeswillneedtoensurethattheycontainlayoutsthatconnectefficientlyandsafelytothosethatexistlocally.Wewillrequireformsofdevelopmentwhichareorientedtowardspedestrian,cyclistandpublictransportusers.

Wewillresistformsofdevelopmentthatarelocatedwithoutaccesstoadequatefacilitiesclosetopeople’shomesandwhichsuggestthatfutureresidentswillbecardependentwhentryingtoreachthingstraditionallyprovidedwithinwalkingdistance.Wewillalsoresistformsofdevelopmentwheretheprincipalroutestosuchfacilitiesareindirect,unattractiveorwouldfeelunsecure.

Wewilladoptarangeofmeasurestojudgethereasonabledistancefromhomestoanyrelevantfacilities.Wewillusethesedistancesasarule of thumb tojudgethevicinityofeitherexistingorplannedneighbourhooduses.

Providedirectaccesstoexistingornewshopsandotherneighbourhooduses,schools,leisurefacilitiesandopenspacesalongwelldesignedwalkingandcyclingroutes

Issuestoaddress

Locateanynewfacilitiesinresidentialareasatdistancesthatallowbothexistingandnewresidentseasyaccesstothemonfootorbybike(12).Integratethesefacilitiesintothefabricofthewiderdevelopmenttoavoidcreatingisolatedbuildingsdominatedbycarparkingandhighwayinfrastructure.

Providedenserformsofresidentialdevelopmentclosertoneighbourhoodcentresinordertoprovideenoughpeoplelocallytosupporttheirviability(11seeover).ForfurtherinformationseetheCardiffCouncilLiveable Design Guide.

Fullyintegratehomesforelderlypeoplewithinsafewalkingdistancetolocalfacilitiesandservicesandalsopublictransport,inordertohelpmaintainresidents’independence.

Designhomesinrelationtodistrictandlocalcentresorshoppingparadessothattheymighteasilybeconvertedtoretailorotherusesinthefuture.

(10).Thelayoutofadevelopmentandthequalityofconnectionsitprovidescanhaveasignificantimpactonwalkingdistancesandpeople’stravelchoices.

Furtherinformation:• WelshGovernment(2014)Design Guidance Active

Travel (Wales) Act 2013• CardiffCouncil,Cardiff Cycle Design Guide• Sustrans(2014)Handbook for cycle friendly design

10. Provide direct access to existing or new shops and other neighbourhood uses, schools, leisure facilities and open spaces along well designed walking and cycling routes. Integrate neighbourhood uses into the street network so that they are convenient and comfortable to walk to and between.

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11. Provide denser forms of development close to neighbourhood centres and any other retail provision in order to help the viability of the commercial uses and public transport.

12. Locate any new facilities in residential areas at distances that allow both existing and new residents easy access to them on foot or by bike. We will adopt these distances as a rule of thumb for judging the accessibility of sites and distances to facilities and services.

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Doesthedevelopmenthavegoodaccesstopublictransport?

Providingpedestrianaccesstopublictransportstops,connectinghomestotherestofthecity,iscentraltosupportingmoresustainableformsofdevelopmentandgivingtransportandtravelchoicestoresidents.Thesestopsshouldbewelllit,overlookedbyneighbouringpropertiesandintegratedintothestreetscene.Significantinterchangesshouldincludesecurecyclestoragesothatpeoplecancombinecycleandbustrips.TheCouncilwillalwayswelcomeinnovativeschemeswhichexplorewaysofreducingcaruseandthenegativeimpactsofcarsonstreetsandpublicspaces.

Maximisethenumberofhomesonsitesthatareclosetogood,highfrequencypublictransportroutes,reachedalongsaferoutes(14).

Embracekeyconnectionsanddesirelinestooff-sitelocaltransportfacilitiesandstops.

Promotesustainableinter-modaltravelopportunitiesbyprovidingsafeandshelteredcyclestorageatallhomesornearrelevantpublictransportstops.FurtherguidanceonstandardsforcycleparkingcanbefoundintheManaging Transport Impacts and Parking Standards SPG,andadviceonthechoiceofpubliccycleparking,intheCardiff Public Realm Manual.

Explorescopeforcarfreedevelopmentsorcar-poolingschemes.

Issuestoaddress

Isthereanaccommodation/tenuremixthatreflectstheneedsandaspirationsofthelocalcommunity?

Schemesshouldprovideanappropriatemixofdwellingtypestoestablishorcontributetoabroadbasedcommunity.Whilstwewouldacceptthebestpartsofaschemewillattractthemostprestigioushomes,designsingeneralshouldalsoresultinstreetsthataretenureblindsothatitisnotpossibletodifferentiatebetweenhomesthataremarketsale,affordablerentedandlowcosthomeownership.Wewillresistformsofdevelopmentthathighlightsocialdivisionsthroughtheformofthelayoutorsignificantdistinctionsinfaçadetreatmentsorlandscaping.

Providearangeofdwellingtypestoestablishorcontributetoabalancedcommunity.

Issuestoaddress

13. We will resist social or affordable housing that is not seamlessly integrated into a layout.

14. Development should maximise the number of homes on sites that are close to good, high frequency public transport routes.

TheCouncilrequiresallaffordablerentedunits(socialrentedandintermediaterented)tomeetthestandardsidentifiedintheWelshGovernment’s(2005orsubsequentamendments)Development Quality Requirements.Designswillalsoensurethat,despitethesestandardsandtheirimpact,allhomesofwhichevertenureareintegratedintotheoveralldesignconceptandexternallyfinishedtoasimilarstandard(13).

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Ensurethatpublictransportstopsandsheltersareintegratedintothelayout,areoverlookedbyneighbouringpropertiesandwelllit(15).

FurtherguidanceonthedesignofrecommendedbusshelterscanbefoundintheCardiff Public Realm Manual.

15. We will resist forms of development in which public transport stops are not fully integrated into the layout, and properly overlooked by neighbouring properties.

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16. New routes should link directly with surrounding footpaths, cycle ways and roads so that pedestrians and cyclists can gain direct access.

17. We will resist forms of development which result in a preponderance of private rear gardens located next to public streets and spaces.

Istheschemewellconnectedinternallyandtoitscontext?

Incontrasttopreviousapproachestohighwaydesign,whichoftenresultedinfewpedestrianchoicesandlongerandsometimesbusierroutesbetweenpartsofacommunity,wenowexpectthepatternofstreetstoputequalemphasisonmeetingtheaccessrequirementsofpedestriansandcyclists.Well-connectedorpermeablelayoutsgivepedestriansandcyclistsmorechoiceandshorterroutes.Oftentheycanchoosetowalkorcyclealongrouteswithlesstraffic.Thishelpsmakewalkingandcyclingapositivechoice.

Streetsintheschemeshouldbewellconnectedinternallyandtotheircontext.Publicroutesshouldalsobeoverlookedbytheprincipalfrontagesorspecificallydesignedsideelevationsofhomes.

Wewillresistformsofdevelopmentwhichprovideapoorpatternofaccessforanycategoryofuser,orwhereroutesarenotsafe.

Issuestoaddress

Linkroutesdirectlywithsurroundingfootpaths,cyclewaysandroads(16).

Patternsofaccessshouldnotresultinapreponderanceofprivatereargardensbeinglocatednexttopublicspaces(17).

Allowforreasonableaccesstofutureneighbouringdevelopmentsites.

Footandcyclenetworksshouldbemorepermeablethanthoseprovidedforothervehicles,allowingdirectpatternsofaccessforactivetravel.

Inlargerschemes,donotuseablockstructureandpatternofaccessthatseparatespublicpedestrianandcyclistroutesfromotherhighwayusers,suchasaRadburnlayout.

FurtherguidanceondesigntosupportactivetravelcanbefoundinWelshGovernment(2014)Design Guidance Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013.

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Creating places

Ratherthanresultinginblandresidentialenvironments,housingdevelopmentsinCardiffwillcontributetobuildingonorestablishingdistinctiveplaces.

Inthepastmanyhousingdevelopmentshavebeencriticisedforignoringaspectsoftheircontext,orresultingfromthetheimpositionofstandardhighwayandhousingdesigns.

Peoplebuyhouses,butwewantthosehousestobepartofgreatplaces.Homeswillbelaidouttoestablishdistinctive,diverse,attractive,safe,wellusedandcherishedplaceswhereawiderangeofpeoplechoosetolive,andwhichwillhavequalitiestohelpthemremaineconomically,environmentallyandsociallysustainable.

Greatplacesresultfromtheexplicitthoughtgiventothequalitiesofthespacesbetweenbuildings,ratherthanjustthedesignofthehomes.Individualhomesallcontributeinsomewaytothequalitiesofaplace,anddevelopmentsshould:ensurethereareenoughpeopletosupportarangeoffacilitiesandservices;respondtothespecificqualitiesofthecontext;includearangeofdistinctivestreetsandotherpublicspaces;beeasytofindyourwayaround;haveanattractivetownscape,feelsafeandincludedesignfeaturesthatreducetheimpactofthedevelopmentontheenvironment.

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Doesthedevelopmentmakeefficientuseoflandandprovidehomesatareasonabledensity?

Thevitalityandviabilityofneighbourhoodcentresandpublictransportservicesaredependentuponhavingagoodnumberofpotentialcustomerswithintheircatchmentareas.Lowdensityformsofdevelopmentcanreducetheirviability,andoftenresultinlesssustainableformsofdevelopmentwhichcan’tbereadilyreachedbyactivetravelmodes.Inordertosupportthevitalityandviabilityoflocalshopsandserviceswewillwelcomedesignsthatcanincreasedevelopmentdensitieswithinwalkingdistance,wheretheyalsoconformtootherguidancepresentedhere.

Inaddition,variationsinthedensityofdevelopmentcanallowforgreatervarietyinthespatialandvisualcharacterofaschemewhichcanenhancethetownscapeandhelppeoplefindtheirwayaround.

Thereisnorelationshipbetweendevelopmentdensityandtheabilityofaschemetoprovideadequategreenspacesormeetamenitystandards,althoughtheformofgreenspacemightgofromprovidingprivatetomoresharedformsofgardenoropenspace.Wewillalways

welcomeinterestingapproachestoprovidingamenityspaces.

OurLDPpoliciesforstrategicsitestypicallypresentdesirednetdensitiesforparticulartypesofdevelopmentacrossaneighbourhoodandwewillapplysimilarprinciplestootherrelevantlocations(18).HowweworkoutthenetdevelopmentdensityispresentedinFigure20(seeover).

Theshiftfromhousingtoapartmentstypicallyoccursatabout35dph,andtheintroductionofapartmentscanhaveasignificantimpactonthenumberofunitsprovidedonasite.ThiscanbeseeninNinianParkandPhoenixWayexamplesshowninFigure20.Tomeetthedensityrequirementstheintroductionofapartmentsintosomeareasofaschememightbenecessary.

Provideresidentialdensitiesadequateenoughtosupportlocalcommercial,communityandpublictransportserviceswithinwalkingdistanceofpeople’shomes.

Denser,morecompactandtallerformsofdevelopment,coupledwithadditionalattentiontodesigndetail,canpositivelydefinekeyspaces,frontagesandmainstreets(19).

Issuestoaddress

18. Expected net development densities for different areas within a neighbourhood based on LDP policies for strategic sites. These will be applied unless character and context factors require a more sensitive approach.

*WhereanLDPpolicyisnotafactorwemayconsiderameasureofbedspacesperhectaretojustifyadensity.Wherethismeasureisconsidered,wewilltypicallytreat3bedspacesandequivalentto1dwelling.

19. Higher densities or taller buildings can be used to positively define key spaces, frontages and main streets. Newhall, Harlow.

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RadyrSiding29dph

NinianPark47dph

PhoenixWay66dph

PorthTeigr70dph

16.20.NetResidentialDensities

Thenetresidentialdensityisanaverageacrossthehousingareaonly.Thelandtakefortheassessmentincludesthelandtakenforhouses,privategardens,pavements,minoraccessroads,carparkingand‘incidental’openspace.Itexcludeslandusedfor‘significant’publicopenspaces(1),parks,playspaces,schoolsandtheirgrounds(2),andlandorparkingassociatedwithcommercial(3)orcommunitybuildings(4).

Iftheboundarydoesnotincludehousingonbothsidesofastreet,theboundaryisdrawndownhalfofthehighway.

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Isthedesignspecifictothescheme?

Gooddesignsseektoestablishdistinctiveandinterestingresidentialareas.Clearideasforplacemakingwillinformdesignideasforstreet-andlandscapesaswellashowhouseorotherbuildingtypeswillbecombined.Wewelcometheuseofstandardbuildingtypeswheretheyareusedandadjustedtosuittheirpositioninacarefullyconceivedlayoutandtownscape.Wewill,inparticular,encouragespecialcareinapproachestourbandesigninimportantlocationsrequiringspecialtownscapetreatments.Wewillsupportschemesthatareinformedbyathoroughcharacteranalysisofthecontextandsite,althoughthisdoesnotmeanweexpectdesignstomimicthosewithinthecontext.Wewelcomeinnovationinthedesignofhomeswhereanawarenessofcontexthasbeendemonstrated.

Standardhousetypesshouldbegroupedandadjustedtosuittheirpositioninacarefullyconceivedlayoutandtownscape.

Presentthedesigninrelationtoitscontext.

Developacleardesignvisionforthedevelopmentinordertodemonstrateitsresponsetocharacterandcontext.Itcouldbein keepingwithareasofgoodcharacter,andinparticularconservationareasaffectedbythescheme,orcreateapositivenewidentitythatcomplementsanexistingcharacter.

Issuestoaddress

Designsshouldbebasedonathoroughplanforthebuiltform(22seeover).Thiscouldincludeideasfor:

• keyviewsoutof(towardsdistantfeaturesandlandscapes)orthroughasite;

• keyvistascreatedwithinthesite;• principalfrontages,includingsuggestionsaboutbuilt

formcharacter,buildingscaleandmassing,parkingarrangements(toreduceitsimpactonatownscape),roofforms,landscapingideastoreinforcethespecialcharacterincludingtreeplanting,softandhardlandscapingandideasaboutboundarytreatments;

• keynodalplacestobedefinedbyspeciallandscapeandbuiltformtreatmentsandpossiblyrequiringmorebespokedesignsolutions;

• secondarynodalplacestobedefinedbyaspeciallandscapeand/orbuiltformtreatmentandrequiringcarefuluseofwhatmightbestandardhousetypes,adjustedtothissetting;

• landmarkbuildings(locatedtovarythetownscape–tocloseavistaorcreatepunctuation);

• keycornersrequiringspeciallydesignedbuildingswithanequaltreatmentoftwofacadesandnotjustwindowsontwoelevations.

Forsignificantschemeswewillexpectthismaterialtobepresentedtoscaleattheoutlineplanningapplicationstage.

Foranycategoryoffeaturehighlightedattheoutlineplanningstage,specificdesignguidance,precedentimagesanddrawingsshouldhighlighttheexpectedtreatmentofthefeatureinanysubsequentreservedmattersapplication.

21. We will resist schemes where the poor use of standard house types, and a lack of ideas for streetscape, results in bland or placeless environments.

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22. Outline planning applications should contain built form and landscape diagrams similar to that below, and which present a design with the important categories of issue considered. This will give us confidence that we will achieve certain qualities in a final scheme, like that at the bottom, but still allow flexibility in the development of a detailed design. See also guidance on character statements.

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Streets

Street hierarchy sections and building lines

Qualities of principal frontages (see Figure 19)

Parking strategy for residents and visitors, including principles to reduce the impact of parking on prominent frontages and integrate parking into the street scene

Key street section dimensions

Highway standards

Plots and buildings

Plot widths and depth, indicating front and rear garden area Building lines Building types

Building heights

Roof lines and forms

Building styles or architectural details

Materials used in houses and ancillary buildings

Cycle parking provision

Treatment of utility boxes

Treatment of refuse areas

Boundary treatments – front, side and rear

Public realm

Materials in the streetscape

Tree and hedge protection

Tree planting types and principles

Other landscape designs

Lighting

Signage

Public art

Special groups and spaces

Treatment of special views and vistas, nodal and secondary spaces, and special corner buildings (See Figure 19)

24. Categories of detail which can be used to inform character statements

Wewillexpectkeynodalspacestobephasedintoadevelopmentinawaythatguaranteestheirqualities,eitherbydeliveringtheminonego,orthroughapprovalofadesigncodewhichspecifiesitskeyqualities.

For larger schemes, character areasshould be specified on a relevant plan(23). There should be a logic to thischoiceofareaslinkedtoaspectsofthelayout.Wewillresistdesignswherewecannotunderstandthelogicofcharacterareasinrelationtothelayout.Ideasforcharacterareaswillonlybeconsidereduseful if a distinctive character is likelytoresult.

For each area highlighted in thecharacterareaplan,designideasforthecategories of issue presented in Figure24shouldbeprovidedasrelevant.

Precedentimagesshouldalsobeusedinanydesignandaccessstatementtoillustratespecificaspectsofanydesign,andalsolinkedtothecategoriesinFigure24.Genericprecedentimagesunlinkedtoaspecificaspectofadesignwillnotbeconsidereduseful.

23. Character area plan. For each area, the aspects of the design that create a distinctive and successful character should be presented in a character statement. The aspects of the design that can be presented and illustrated are listed in Figure 24.

Representationsoftreesinplansand3Dviewsshouldrepresenttheselectedtreespeciesattheirapproximatefullygrownheightandcrowncircumference,toconfirmtheadequacyofthegrowingspaceprovidedforit(22).

DesignCodesmaybeusedtoensurethatmasterplansareimplemented,thequalityofdevelopmentbetweenphasesisconsistent,andtheplannedcharacterareasareclearlydistinct(25seeover).

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25. Design Codes may be used to ensure that: master plans are implemented, the quality of development between phases is consistent, and the planned character areas are clearly distinct. (Images: Pegasus Group)

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26. Integrate any listed buildings or other historic features of a site into a scheme in an acceptable way

Doestheschemesympatheticallyintegratewithexistingbuildings,landscapeortopography?

Alldevelopmentsitesaredifferent,andweexpectdesignstotryandenhancethisdistinction.Thisisparticularlythecasewheresiteshavecharacteristicsthatneedprotectingorwhichmightenhanceascheme.Suchthingsincludethetopographyoftheland,featuresprovidingadistinctivehistoriccharacteroridentity,aspectsoftheecologyandlandscapeincludingtrees,orviewsinto,throughorfromthesite.

Nationalgovernmentguidancein TAN 5 Nature and Conservationrequiresdevelopmentstointegratebiodiversityintoallplanningdecisions,aswellasensuringspeciesandhabitatprotectionandmitigatingtheeffectsofclimatechange.TAN 12 Design stressestheimportanceofcontextandsiteanalysisinhighlightinganyimportantassetsasaprecursortoenhancingtheminadesign.

Workingwithorenhancingtheseaspectsofasitewilladdvaluetoadevelopmentbecausethesefeaturesareoftenimportanttoandpopularwithbothestablishedandthefutureresidentsinanarea.Wewillresistschemeswhichhavenotunderstoodandappreciatedthesespecificaspectsofasite.

Respondtoandreinforcelocallydistinctivepatternsofdevelopment(listedbuildings(26),conservationareasandhistoricparksandgardens)andlandscapedesignations(TPOs,SSSI,sitesofimportancefornatureconservation).

Respondtoanyspecificaspectsofthetopography,byeitherbuildingalongcontoursor,wherepossible,creatingsomedramainthetownscapebyexploitingtheslope.

Protectorenhanceanysiteelementswhichcontributetolocalcharacter,wheretheyhavealongtermsustainablefutureaspartofthedevelopment.

Exploitexistingornewviewstoattractiveaspectsofthecontextorfeaturesofthenewscheme(27seeover).

Complementthescaleandmassingofneighbouringbuiltforms,unlessaspecificacceptanceofachangeinscaleandmassinghasbeenindicatedasacceptable.

Integrateestablishedtrees(28seeover),hedgerowandotherlandscapeelementsthatmustberetainedthroughthecleardesignationandtreatmentofecotonesorbufferzones.

Uselandscapearchitectstoproducealandscapingstrategywhichintegratestheschemewiththesurroundingcontext.

Issuestoaddress

Exploreopportunitiestoprotect,enhanceandcreateconnectedwildlifehabitatsandalsoencouragebiodiversity.Strategicwoodlandcorridorsaffectedby

Highgroundorslopingtopographycanmakedevelopmentprominentinsurroundingviewsofthesiteandparticularlysensitivedesignisrequiredinsuchcases.

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27Gooddesignswilltakeadvantageofviewsfromandthroughasite

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Don’tcreateawkwardorunusablepiecesoflandwhichhavenoclearfunctionoraestheticvalue,orwhichwillbedifficulttomanageandmaintain(30).

Translocatehabitatsforanyprotectedspeciesaffectedbyadevelopmentandwhichcan’tbesuccessfullyaccommodatedwithinasite.

Wewillensurethatthehabitatsofprotectedspeciesaremaintainedandenhancedasaresultofdevelopmentproposals,throughboththedesignofaschemeandplansforpublicspacemanagement.

28. Integrate existing trees into new public spaces

29. Strategic wildlife corridors

30. “Left over” areas of land should be designed out of schemes.

urbanisationcanbeprotectedthroughtheintroductionofappropriatelywidegreencorridors(29).

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Dothebuildingsandlayoutmakeiteasytofindyourwayaroundandresultinanattractivetownscape?

Newresidentialareasshouldbeeasytounderstandforbothresidentsandvisitors.Aneighbourhoodthatiseasytounderstandtendstofeelsaferandmoresecure,whilstpeoplewillknowhowtotraveldirectlyacrossawiderarea.Thisrequiresaclearnetworkofreasonablydirectanddistinctivestreetsandurbanspacesthatareinteresting,welcomingandpeople-friendly.Peoplearehelpedtonavigatethemselvesalongthisnetworkwheretherearealsodistinctivelandmarksandfocalplaces,memorableviews,worksofartandalsowellplacedsignage.Bycontrast,indistincthousingorevenwallsorfenceslocatedalongstandardroadsformingwindingcul-de-sacscanmakeitfeellesssafewhilstalsobeingmoredifficulttoknowwhereyouareorwherearoutemightbegoing.Sometimesthedesignofbuildingsandtheurbanspaceatkeyjunctionsshouldbetreatedwithparticularcare.Thesearethepointsthatpeopleneedtoknowwheretheyare,whilstthedesignoftheenvironmentshouldprovideorientationtowherepeoplemightwanttogo.

Wewillresistdevelopmentswhichresultinanindistinctorplacelesscharacter,andwhereweanticipatepeoplewillbecomeeasilylost.

Theresidentialtownscapeisdeterminedbyhowbuildingsandaspectsofthelandscapearegroupedtoformdifferentviewsandvistas,andcreatedifferentplacesinascheme.Thequalityofatownscapeisalsoinfluencedbysomeaspectsoftheexteriorlandscapeandarchitecturaldetailingwhichwillbediscussedwhenwelookmorecloselyatthedesignofhomesandstreetscapes.

Views,vistasandtheresultingplacescanbewellcomposedandattractive,orpoorlyconsideredandchaoticorevendull.Agoodtownscapewillresultinplacesinaschemebeingdistinctiveandmemorable.Thinkingaboutthetownscapeisanestablishedtraditioninurbandesign.Understandingkeyviewsrequiresimagesthatshowthethreedimensionalaspectsofadesignfromtheviewpointofauser.Normalplansandelevationsdon’talwaysclearlyexpresswhatpeoplewillseeinplaces.Aerial3Dviewsdon’tshowusevidenceofwhatpeoplewillseefromgroundlevel.Goodstreet-levelviewsshouldbeusedtodesignwhatisexperiencedatthehumanscale,evenindevelopmentswhichmightincludelargebuildings.

Cardiffalreadyhasmanyattractivetownscapes,butaninterestintownscapedoesn’trequirethere-creationoftraditionalorestablishedforms.Wewillencourage

eithertraditionalorcontemporarytownscapeswhichexploittheopportunitiesforplacemakingaffordedbytheManual for Streets.

Placesthatlackdistinctivenessandinterestwillbelesspopularandmightbelessinterestingtowalkorevencyclearound.Boringplacesmakeevenshortjourneysfeellonger.Aspartofawidercommitmenttosupportingactivetravelwemustensurethatwalkingroutesareattractivesothatwalkingbecomesapositivechoice.Agoodtownscapeinvolvesideasaboutthestrategicviewsandplacestobeintroducedintoascheme,butitcanalsoinvolvethinkingabouthowhousesaregroupedtogether.Wewillensurethatstandardhouses,inparticular,havebeenusedandadjustedtocreateaconsideredtownscape.

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Linknewresidentialareastokeyuses,facilitiesandopenspacesintheestablishedsettlementviadirectandlegiblerouteswhicharewelloverlookedandlit.

Establishadirectandconnectedpatternofstreetsandspacesforpedestriansandcyclistswithinthescheme.

Framestreetsandpublicspaceswithkeybuildingfacadesandactivefrontages,andnotwallsandfences,tohelphighlightthemasdistinctiveplacesandmaintainoverlooking.

Usekeyusesorcreatedistinctivebuildinggroupings,views,gatewayandlandmarkfeaturestoaidwayfindingbyestablishingamemorabletownscapeatkeypointsinthescheme(32).

Usechangesinscaleandmassingofbuildings,orelementsofabuilding,tohighlightimportantspacesandintersections(32).

Issuestoaddress

Designthestreetsectionstoestablishaspatialhierarchywhichallowthestatusofstreetstobereflectedintheirform,whilstcreatingvarietyinthelayout(31).

Locateanddesignanymarketingsuiteandhomessothattheydonotimpactonthelongtermdesignintegrityofanyprominentstreetorspace.

Locatedistinctiveurbanspacesinadevelopmentatfocalpointscreatedbythepatternofaccess.Peoplecanusethemtoorientatethemselves,theycanformasocialfocusforresidentsfromagroupofstreets,andtheycanaccommodatepartsofasustainableurbandrainagescheme,largertreesandpossiblyalsolocalplayfacilities(32).

Theentrancetoapartmentblocksshouldbelegibleandwelcoming.Apartmentblocksshouldalsobeidentifiablewithclearsignageprovidingblocknumberingornaming.

Ensurethatpedestrianlevelviewsofthetownscapearepreparedsothatthetownscapecharactercanbeunderstoodandadjusted.

Integratekeyviewsintothedesigntowardssignificantlandmarkbuildingsorfeatureseitheroutsideof,orinsidethesite.Thesewillbeidentifiedinathoroughsiteandcontextanalysis.

Closeorpunctuatesignificantviewsthroughaschemewithspeciallydesignedbuildingsorlandscaping(34seeover).

Designbuildingsatprominentcornerstoreflecttheirpositioninalayout.Ensuretheyhaveasuitablescaleandmassing,withfacadesthatareequivalentintermsofmaterialsanddetail,andwindowsthatofferadequatesurveillanceofthetwostreets(33seeover).

31. Varying street sections will establish a spatial hierarchy

32. Key points in a scheme, where important routes meet, can be the location for any commercial and neighbourhood uses, a prominent public space, and buildings forming a distinct townscape.

Therelationshipbetweenstreetsandpublicspacesandhomesshouldbeasdirectandstraightforwardaspossibleforbothresidentsandvisitors,sothatpeoplecaneasilyfindfrontdoors.

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33. Buildings on significant corners should be designed to have a degree of prominence, whilst also having a plan and facade that offer a frontage treatment when seen from either street. Ingress Park, Greenhithe.

34. Close or punctuate significant views through a scheme with specially designed buildings or landscaping 35

Ensurelandscapingandboundarytreatmentsreducetheimpactoffrontageparkingonstreetviews(35).

Avoidclose-boardedfencesonboundariesthatfrontontopublicspacesandparkingareasastheycanhaveapoorvisualappearance(36a).Introducemoreattractivesolutions(36b).

36b36a

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Doestheschemeincludeadequateprovisionofwell-designedpublicspaces?

Publicspacesshouldbedesignedbylandscapearchitects.Theseprofessionalsknowhowthedesignofpublicspaceshouldbeapproached.Theyunderstandthatagoodqualityofpublicspaceiscentraltoresidents’satisfactionwiththeirneighbourhood.Publicspacesincludethestreets,butalsoothertypesofurbanorgreenspaces,includingplayareas.Theirqualitycanmakewalkingandcyclingapleasure,andthereforesupporthealthierlifestyles.Theycanreinforceasenseofplace,localidentityandpride,andtheycanhelppeoplefindtheirwayaround.Theyareoneoftheplacesthatneighbourswillmeet.

Inthepastthesuccessofpublicspaceswassometimesjudgedbytheamountthatwasprovided.Todayweknowthatanover-provisionofpoorlydesignedpublicareashasnotbeensuccessful,andsoweareinterestedinsecuringtherightamount,butalsoensuringitisofgoodquality,withplansforitsongoinguse,managementandmaintenance.

StandardsfortheprovisionofdifferenttypesofopenspaceinnewresidentialdevelopmentswillbefoundintherelevantchapteroftheGreen Infrastructure SPG.Concernforstandardsisnot,however,enough.

37. Principles for informing and evaluating the design of public spaces in residential areas. Adapted from 12QualityCriteria, Gehl Architects.

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Designlandscapingtomaintainsightlinesacrossspacesandprovideareasonabledegreeofoverlookingofpublicspacesfromneighbouringhomes.Wewillresistformsofdevelopmentthatdonotfrontontoneighbouringpublicspaces(39).Openspacethatistuckedawayinthecorner

Differentformsandcharacterofpublicspaceareattheheartofplacemaking.Wewillexpectdesignsforlargerschemestointroduceavarietyofresidentialsettingsandspacestogivepartsoftheschemecharacter,aswellasaccommodatingavarietyoftypesofopenspace.Keypublicspacesmustbelocatedappropriately,ratherthanresultingfromleftoverspacefollowingthepositioningofhighwaysandhomes.

Publicspacesshouldbedesignedtosuccessfullycombineecological,visualorsocialfunctions.Asaresultwewillalsojudgethedesignofspacesagainstaconsistentsetofprincipleswhichwillensurethatallspacesaresafe,healthyandcomfortable,andalsoprovidingspacesthatresidentswillenjoy(37).

Spacesmustbedesignedtobothbeandfeelsafe,andprotectresidentsfromanyunpleasantimpactswhichmightbefeltfromasite’scontext.Theyshouldbedesignedtoallowuseforactivetravel,sittingandsocialising.

Familiesarekeentoknowthattheircommunitiescontainsuitableplayareas,andahierarchyofplayspacesforbothyoungchildrenandteenagersshouldbeintegratedintoadesigntoensurethatthereareopportunitiesforallagesandabilitiesinconvenient,safe,accessibleandattractivelocationswhicharewelloverlooked,butwillnotattractanti-socialbehaviour.Thesespacesshouldreflectcurrentthinkingandbeofahighqualitytoattractchildrenandfamiliesandbecomeavaluedpartofthelocalenvironment.Poorqualityorunimaginativespaceswillnotbeattractivetoyoungpeople,willnotbevaluedbyalocalcommunityandmightfallintodisuse.

Thescaleofurbanspacesshouldbeatahumanscale,withconcernforboththehardandecologicallandscape.Thedetailsofaspaceshouldberobustandattractiveanddesignsshouldsupportsustainablepatternsofdrainage,protectimportantnaturalassetsandotherwisepromotebiodiversity.Wewillmakeuseofspecialistadviceregardingecologyandtrees,andparticularattentionwillbegiventoprotectingexistinggoodqualitytreesandfindingspacefornewlargetreesindevelopments.

Spacesshouldbedevelopedashomesarebuilt,andweshallseektoensurethatphasingofawiderdevelopmentaccountsforthis.

Finallywewillwanttoensurethatsustainableplansareinplaceforthefuturemanagementandmaintenanceofpublicspaces.

Designswillshowhowtheyaccommodatearangeofurbanspaceswithinthebuiltform(38).

38. Developments should be designed around ideas for distinct places within a scheme. Schemes exclusively dominated by the character of highways will be resisted.

39. We will resist forms of development that do not front neighbouring public spaces

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Accesstoareasofpublicspacewillminimisetheimpactoftrafficthroughappropriatehighwaydesigns,providingtreatmentswhichallowyoungchildrenindependentaccesswithouttheneedofparentalsupervision(40).

Althoughextremeconditionsarereasonablyrare,wewillwanttoensurethatopenspacesarenotbadlyaffectedbyexposedconditions,andinparticulartraffic,pollutionandnoise.Spaceswillbelocatedtoofferexcellentenvironmentalconditionsforsocialactivities.

Attentionshouldbepaidtoresultingmicro-climatesinallplannedopenspacestoensurethattheanticipatedeffectsofwindandshadowwillnotaffecttheplanneduseofspaces.

Lightingschemeswillbeprovidedwhichenhancefeelingsofsafetyinallpublicareasofadevelopment.

Hardneighbourhoodspacesshouldbeprovidedatahumanscale.Researchhassuggestedthatspaceslarger

40. Highways should be designed to allow young children access to open and play spaces without parental supervision. Recent guidelines in Manual for Streets are being implemented to allow this to happen. The above examples show shared space solutions.

Unlessotherwisedictatedbynaturalsitefeatures,locatethemainopenspacecentrally,orwhereitiseasilyaccessiblefromallpartsofthenewdevelopmentand,whereappropriate,otherneighbouringdevelopments.Thismakesitafocalpoint,helpsinorientatingvisitorsenteringthedevelopment,andencouragesusebythewholecommunity.

Designsforopenspaceshouldaccountforhowtheyprovidearangeofactivitiesandbenefitsforawiderangeofresidents,inlinewiththethemesintroducedinFigure37.Openspaceshouldbemulti-functionalandflexibletotakeintoaccountthedifferingneedsofthoseliving,workingandvisitingthearea.

ofthesite,orhashousingwithhighboundaryfencesbackingontoit,shouldbeavoidedasthisfrequentlyleadstolongtermproblemsofanti-socialbehaviour.Openspacesthatareoutofsightanddifficulttoaccessareseenasathreatratherthanapositiveassetbyresidents.Thekeydesignaimistocreateasenseofownershipandsafety.

Inoutlineapplicationslandscape/greeninfrastructureparametersplansshouldclearlysetoutstrategicopenspaceandgreeninfrastructureconceptswhichcanbecarriedforwardtoreservedmattersapplications.Suchplansshouldsetoutobjectivesfordifferentareasandroutesandconsiderlongtermmanagement.Thismightincludeareasforhouseholder/communitymanagement.

than60metrescanstarttofeeloverlarge.Overlargepublicspacesbetweenbuildingscanfeeldangerousandanonymous.Aruleofthumbisthatspacesshouldbedesignedsothatpeopleinneighbouringpropertiescanrecognisethepeoplecomingandgoingacrossthespace.Thisiscalledasocialdistance.Thebuildingofdenseandtallresidentialbuildingsshouldnotresultinoverlargeneighbourhoodspaces.

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41. Plans and sections should demonstrate how tree crown and root growth will be accommodated in relevant growing areas.

Wherenecessary,openspacesshouldbeimplementedonaphasedbasisasnew,adjacenthomesarecompleted,toensurethatopenspacesarecreatedasthecommunitydevelops,ratherthanlefttotheend.

TreatmentsshouldbeinformedbyCardiff’sadoptedPublic Realm Manualwhichprovidesdetailedadviceabouthowtoapproachthedesignofthepubliclandscape,includingthestreetsinresidentialareas.

Ifpublicspacesarenotofferedforadoptionthenaviablestrategyfortheirmanagementandmaintenancewillbesecuredthroughplanningconditionandlegalagreement.

Designsshoulddemonstratehowtheycanaccommodatebothavenueandlargespecimentrees,andplansandsectionsshouldaccommodatetheprovisionofbothplantingandgrowingspaceforallrelevantvarietiesthatareselected(41).

Wewouldpreferlayoutsthataccommodateanumberoflarge,long-livedtreesplantedin“fit for purpose”beds,ratherthanalargernumberofsmallorfastigiatedtrees,squeezedinwhereverthereisspaceleftover.

Plansshouldprovideforbothformalandinformalplayopportunitiesinlinewithrequirementsinthe Green Infrastructure SPG,andplayspacesshouldbedesignedinaccordancewithcurrentthinking.Furtherguidanceontheprovisionanddesignofopenandplayspacescanbefoundin:• Green Infrastructure SPG (forthcoming)• www.playwales.org.uk• PlayEngland(2008)Design for Play

Treesareapopularfeatureofstreetscapeswhichmustbelocatedtohaveecologicalandtownscapeimpactinspacesthataresuitableforthem.Treeplantingshouldbegivenproperconsiderationduringtheearlydesignstagesratherthanbeingtreatedasanafterthought.Furtherguidanceonplantingtreescanbefoundin:• the relevant part of the Green Infrastructure SPG

(forthcoming)• The Cardiff Public Realm Manual

Withinanopenspacethemostactiveareas(egplayareas,teenareas,seating)shouldbeinhighlyvisiblelocations,butatasufficientdistancefrompropertiestominimisedisturbance

Openspaceshouldbuildinresiliencetoclimatechange,providingfloodmitigationforextremeeventstoprotectsurroundingbuildingsandinfrastructure.Theprimaryfunctionoftheopenspacehowevershouldremainasaspacethatcanbeusedactivelyforrecreation,withwelldrainedgroundconditionsallowinggooddrainageandrecoveryafterextremeweatherevents.

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Dothebuildingsandlayouthelptomakeitfeelsafeandsecureandreduceopportunitiesforcrime?

Itiswellunderstoodthatthedesignofresidentialareascanhelppeoplefeelsafeandreduceopportunitiesforcrime.

Fourqualitieshelptoachievethis:

• vitalityorcomingandgoingbyneighboursandthepublicmeansthattherearepeopleaboutwhocankeepaneyeonthings.

• aclearandeffectivedistinctionbetweenpublicandmoreprivatespacesmeansthatpeopleknowwherethereisarightofaccessorcontrol.

• viewsfromneighbouringhomesofallpublicareasthroughtheuseofwindows,lightingandgooddesignofthelandscapemeanthatpeoplefeelsafe,whilstpotentialcriminalsmightfeelobserved.

• Footpathswithanopenaspectandoverlookedbyadjoiningdwellingsmeansthatallareasofpublicspacewillhavesurveillanceandfeelsafe.

Wewillsupportschemesthathavethesequalities,and

Thenetworkofstreetsandotherpublicroutesshouldbedirectandvisuallyopen,andinanetworkthatwillencouragegoodlevelsofusethroughouttheday,safelymixingpedestriansandvehicleusers(42).

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resistdesignswhichresultinplacesfeelingunsafeorcreatingpotentialcrimehotspots.FurtheradviceonthisissuemightalsobesoughtfromtheSecuredbyDesignwebsite(securedbydesign.com)wherethereisdetailedadviceaboutdesigningnewhomeandresidentialspaces.

Aspartofawidercommitmenttosupportingactivetravelwemustalsoensurethatwalkingandcyclingroutesfeelsafeallofthetimesothatwalkingandcyclingbecomesapositivechoice.

42. Networks should be direct and visually open, with the main public routes for all users fronted and overlooked by homes.

Footpathsandparkingareaswillbeoverlookedbyhabitablerooms.

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Locateutilitymetersinthepublicrealm,butnotasaprominentfeatureonabuildingfacade(44).

Gatedcommunitieswillnotbeacceptedwheretheynegativelyimpactonthereasonablepermeabilityofawiderareaorresultinpoorsurveillanceofneighbouringstreetsandpublicspaces.

Wherealleywaysarebeingsuggestedasasupplementaryformofaccess,wewillexpectthemtobegatedandcontrolledbyresidentsifthereareotherwiseinadequatedefensiblespacemeasures,suchasdirectsurveillanceoftheroutefromneighbouringhomes(46).

Wewillresistdesignsleadingtopublicareasofdevelopmentresultinginblindcorners,andwhichmightbeintimidatingforusers(45).

45. We will resist designs that result in public areas of a development which result in blind corners.

46. Where alleyways are a necessary feature of a design, if they are not overlooked we will expect them to be gated and controlled by residents.

43. Maintain a clear distinction between public and private space in a resulting block structure

44. Locate utility meters in the public realm, but not as a prominent feature on a building facade

Ifsegregatedfootpathsareunavoidabletheyshouldbewelllitandhavegoodsitelinesalongtheirlengthtoavoidpotentialhidingplaces.

Maintainacleardistinctionbetweenpublicandprivateareasthroughthedesignofascheme,withpublicroutesatthefrontofdwellings.Thepatternofpermeabilityshouldnotresultinapreponderanceofpublicroutestotherearofproperties(43).

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Doesthedevelopmenthavefeaturesthatreduceitsenvironmentalimpact?

Planning Policy Walesandnationalplanningpolicyguidanceexpectstheplanningsystemtoprovidenewhomesandbuildingsinawaywhichisconsistentwithsustainabilityprinciples.ThisisexplainedintheWelshGovernmentpublication(2014)Practice Guidance: Planning for Sustainable Buildings.

Well-designedschemesareenergyefficientandminimiseorevenenhancetheirlifetimeimpactonthenaturalenvironment.Moreenvironmentallysustainablehomesanddevelopments:requireaslittleenergyaspossibleandexploitrenewableenergysources;sustainablymanagetheuseofwaterwithinandfromthesite;andincludealandscapingstrategythatexploresthepotentialtomaintainanddevelopasite’sbiodiversity.Majordevelopmentsofover100dwellingsare,inparticular,requiredtoexplorehowlowcarbonandrenewableenergytechnologiesandsupplysystemscanbeusedwithintheirschemes.

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Providealayoutthatoptimisessolargainforhomesbyensuringthatprincipallivingspacesbenefitfromasouthernaspect(47).

Usedesignsthatminimiseenergydemandandincludealternativeorrenewableenergysourcesinthedevelopment.

Majordevelopmentsofover100dwellingswillneedtosubmitanindependentenergyassessmentinvestigatingthefinancialviabilityandtechnicalfeasibilityof

Adoptawaterefficiencystrategyandexploreopportunitiestoincluderainwaterharvesting,greywaterrecyclingsystemsandgreenroofs.

Minimisesurfacewaterrunofffromsealedsurfacessuchasdrivewaysandpaths.

Integrateasustainableurbandrainage(SUDS)systemintothesitelayout,tocontrolsurfacewaterrunoffandthereforereducetherisksofflooding,promotebiodiversityandcreateavaluableamenityasset(48).

Highlight“bluecorridors”inaninitialphaseofanalysisanddesigntoproperlyaccountforsurfacewaterflowpathsandthespaceneededtoaccommodateanyfuturewaterattenuation.

Drainageschemeswillberequiredtoattenuatevolumesofwatertoaccommodaterainfallevents1in100years,plusa30%climatechangeallowance,pendingagreement.Thissignificantvolumewillneedtobeaccountedforinthelayoutofthedevelopment,andpreferablywithabovegroundattenuation.

RecentguidanceonSUDScanbefoundinWelsh Government (2016) Recommended non-statutory standards for sustainable drainage (SuDS) in Wales. FurtheradviceonSUDSinCardiffwillbefoundintheGreen Infrastructure SPG andinaforthcomingSPGdedicatedtothetopic.

47. Homes designed and located to optimise solar gain can take many forms.

incorporatingrenewableandlowcarbontechnologiesintotheirscheme,inlinewithpolicyEN12oftheCardiff Local Development Plan.

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48. We will welcome developments integrating sustainable urban drainage which is designed to be an attractive and interesting feature of the environment.

49. We will welcome residential landscapes designed and managed to promote biodiversity.

Includealandscapingstrategywhichwillincreasebiodiversitybasedonnativespecies(49).Goodadviceondesigningforbiodiversitycanbefoundelsewhere.SeeforexampletheforthcomingGreenInfrastructureSPGandalso:TownandCountryPlanningAssociation

Theadoptionofsustainabledrainageschemeswillneedtobeconsideredatpre-applicationstageanditisrecommendedthatearlyconversationswiththeCouncilandDwrCymru/WelshWaterareundertakentoensurethatthedevelopmentisacceptabletotherelevantbodyandadoptionagreementsaresetoutinprinciple.

(2004)Biodiversity by Design: a guide to sustainable communities,orTownandCountryPlanningAssociationandtheWildlifeTrust(2012)Planning for a healthy environment - good practice for green infrastructure and biodiversity,orWildlifeTrustWales(2016)Green Infrastructure: a catalyst for the well-being of future generations in Wales.

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Street and homeAtadetailedlevel,newhomescontributetoformingstreetsandothertypesofurbanspace,whilsttheyalsohaveanimpactonotherhomesintheirimmediatecontext.Atthisscalewewanttoseeideasforthecharacterofstreetsandspacesthroughconcernfordetailedaspectsofthenewtownscape.Wewanttoensurethatpublicspacesareallinclusive,providingsafeandconvenientaccessforeveryone.Wewanttoensurethatthereisenoughcarandcycleparkingwhichmustbewelldesignedintoascheme.Schemesshouldconformtostandardsforbothprivacyandamenity.Homesshouldprovideadequatefacilitiesforthemanagementofwasteandrecycling.Resultingstreetscapesshouldalsobebothrobustandattractive.

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Arethestreetsandspacesdefinedbybuildingsandlandscapesothatthehighwaysdonotdominatetheircharacter?

Ourstreetsandothertypesofpublicspacewillbedesignedtobedistinctiveplaceswhereresidentscanenjoyagoodqualityoflife.Theywillbedesignedforallstreetusersandshouldberegardedassocialspaceswhichaccommodateamixofactivitiescommontoresidentialareas,includingwalkingandcyclingaswellaschildren’splay.Thesespaceswillbeakeyfocusinourneighbourhoods,andwewillencouragedesignswhichcreateadistinctiveandinterestingurbandesignandlandscapingframework.Homesshouldthereforebedesignedaccordingtohowtheycontributetothisframework.Ofparticularneedistoensurethatthesestreetsandspaceshavefrontageandarewelloverlookedsothattheyfeelsafeandarealsolikelytobewellusedbypedestrians.

Streetsshouldaccommodatenecessaryvehicularaccessandparkingwithoutgivingexclusivepreferencetomeetingtheneedsofdrivers.Assuch,theirspatialandvisualcharactershouldnotbedominatedbyadherence

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Positionbuildingsandlandscapestoestablishadistinctiveurbanform.Wewillresistdevelopmentswherethecharacterofaschemeisbasedaroundthedesignofroads(50).

torigidhighwaystandards.Manual for Streetshighlightsamovementtowardscombiningdistinctivestreetcharactertypeswithmoretraditionalstandardsforroadsbasedontrafficflowsandthenumberofbuildingsserved.Weexpectthespatialandvisualcharacterofdifferentplacesinaschemetobedesignedfirst,andthenanystandardstobefullymetwithinthedesignoftheplaces.

WeembracetheguidancepresentedinManual for Streets1and2.WewillthereforeresistformsofhighwaytreatmentbasedoneitherDesign Bulletin 32,whichhasnowbeensuperseded,orDesign Manual for Roads and Bridgeswhichisnotrelevanttothesetypesofhighway.

50. It is expected that the character of places within a scheme will be designed before detailed highway ideas and standards are applied to a layout.

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Designthespatialcharacterofstreetsandpublicspacestoreflecttheirpositioninthehierarchy.

Designbuildings,orgroupsofbuildings,toturncorners,sothatelevationsinprominentlocationshaveadesignqualityconsistentwiththeprincipalfaçade(51).Ensureallpublicareas,includingstreetsandalleyways,areoverlooked.

Entrancestobuildingsshouldbeorientedtowardsandvisiblefromthestreet.

Thetransitionfrompublicspacetohomeshouldbedesignedtoenhancethekerbappeal,withcareinthedesignofboundarytreatments,binstorage,landscapingandentrances.

Well-designedboundarytreatments,suchaswallsandfences,reinforcedefensiblespaceandcanbeaprominentandattractivefeatureofthetownscape(52).

Boundarytreatmentsvisiblefromthepublicrealmshouldbeagoodquality,withrobustmaterialscomplimentingthoseusedinbuildings.Indistinctfencing,suchascloseboardfencing,canbeusedinpositionsnotvisiblefrompublicspaces.

51. Designs should consider how homes turn prominent corners so that surveillance and the attractiveness of the frontages are maintained.

52. A design code for this development specified the need for simple white timber fencing of a particular height, leading to a great variety of designs which enhance the streetscape.

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53. Highway engineering measures should be seamlessly integrated into the place making ideas (bottom) rather than dictating and dominating the resulting character (top).

Dimensionsaccommodatingmanoeuvringvehiclesinthehighwayarea,likehammerheads,shallbeaccommodatedwithinwelldesignedurbanspaces,insteadofdictatingtheirformandcharacter(53).

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Arestreetsandpublicspacesdesignedwithaclearpurposeandtoastandardthatmeetstheneedsofallpotentialusers?

TheWelshGovernmentexpectsdevelopmentstobeinclusive,anddesignedtoprovideaccesstothewidestrangeofpeople,butshowingparticularawarenessofthespecificneedsofolderpeople,childrenandpeoplewithmobilityorsensoryimpairments.Inadditionthedesignofresidentialstreetsshouldaccommodatetheneedsofallusersthroughaprocesswhichmeetstheneedsofvulnerableusersfirst,beforeconsideringtheaccommodationofotherformsofmovement.Ingeneralstreetsshouldmeettheneedsofpeopleinthefollowingorder:pedestrians,cyclists,emergencyvehicles,andthenothervehicles.Thisapproachensuresthatpedestrianandcyclistroutesareshortanddirectandjunctionsareeasyandsafeforthemtocross.

Designallroutestoaccordwithcurrentnationalandlocalsupplementaryplanningguidanceandstandardsforparking.Furtherinformation:• WelshGovernment(2014)Design Guidance Active

Travel (Wales) Act 2013 • Managing Transport Impacts and Parking Standards

SPG• CardiffCouncil,Cardiff Cycle Design Guide• DepartmentforTransport(2007)Manual for Streets• DepartmentforTransport(2010)Manual for Streets

2: Wider application of the principles

Createstreetswithbuiltformsandhighwaydesignswhichresultinvehicledesignspeedsofnomorethan20mph.

Ensurethatallpublicspacesaredesignedtobeinclusivesothatallpeople,includingthemorevulnerable,canmovefreely,safelyandefficientlywithinandbetweenneighbourhoodsorgetasimilarqualityofaccesstotherestofthecity:

• Levelsacrossalayoutmustensureaccessibilityforallusers,withprovisionofappropriateslopegradientsofabout5%,withpotentialtohavenomorethan8%oververyshortdistances.

ConsulttheCity’sAccessOfficeratanearlystageofdesigningstrategicdevelopmentsandschemesinvolvingasignificantprovisionofpublicspace,toseekhelpinidentifyingbarrierstoaccessandgettingguidanceonadjustments.

Accommodatedirectandsafepedestrian,cyclistandvehicularmovementsatjunctionsandcorners.Furtherinformation:

• WelshGovernment(2014)Design Guidance Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013

• Managing Transport Impacts and Parking Standards SPG

• Cardiff Cycle Design Guide

Junctionsarekeyspacesinaneighbourhoodandtheirspatialandvisualcharactershouldnotbedominatedbyunnecessarilygenerousvisibilitysplaysorexcessivecornerradii(54).

Designstreetsasinformalsocialandplayspacesbyexploringtheuseofwell-designedsharedspaceor“homezone”treatments,reflectingprinciplesandlessonsfromcurrentguidance.Seethespecificguidanceonpage46/47.

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Ensurethatjunctiondesignsalongbusierroadsembracecurrentthinkingandpractices,meetingtheneedsofpedestriansandcyclists,whilstallowingefficientandsafevehicularmovements.

Sweptpathanalysiswillberequiredtoprovethathighwaygeometrywillbeadequatetoaccommodateemergency,domesticwasteanddeliveryvehiclesonallhighwaysandinturningareas,andalsoforbusesondesignatedroutes.

ObtainaStage 1 Road Safety Audit andCombined User AuditfromtheHighwayAuthoritytohighlightanyproblemsregardinghighwaysafety,activetravel,inclusiveaccessibilityandenvironmentalaspectsofascheme.ThesewillhighlightanyroadsafetyproblemsthatcanberectifiedbeforeaStage2RoadSafetyAuditcompletedaspartoftheTechnicalApproval.

• Buildingsshouldhavelevelentrances.• Pathanddrivesurfacesshouldincluderoutesthat

arefirm,level,non-glareandnon-slipwhenwetordry.Exclusiveuseofloosematerials,suchasgravel,cobblesandunevensetts,isnotrecommended.

Furtherguidanceininclusivedesigncanbefoundin:DepartmentforTransport(2005)Inclusive mobility.

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54. On quiet residential streets, traffic goes slower where visibility is constrained, whilst a more vivid townscape is also possible. Shared space treatments can help establish plenty of room for vehicles to manoeuvre.

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55. Required dimensions for highways

Designallhighways,cycleroutesandfootpathstocomplywiththeminimumdimensionalstandardspresentedinFigure55.

Pathsfornon-motorisedusersshouldbedesignedtoincludemeasuresthatwilldetermisusebyprohibitedusers.Theuseofbarriers(seeanexamplein53,topimage)shouldberesisted,asthesefeaturesmaydiscriminateagainst,oralsobebarriersfor,legalusers,andmaycontravenetheDisabilityDiscriminationAct.

Streetlightingshouldbelocatedtoprovideasuitablelevelofilluminationofallpublicspacesandpositionedsothatlightingcolumnsdonotobstructfootways.Treesandotherformsofplantingshouldnotbeplantedwheretheywillgrowtolimitthereasonableeffectivenessofstreetlighting.

InrelationtotheCouncil’swintermaintenanceofroads,developmentsmaybeaskedtoaccommodategritbinsinsuitablelocations.

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Sharedspacestreetsusinghomezonedesignprinciples

Designsusinghomezonedesignprinciplesresultinresidentialstreetsinwhichtheroadspaceissharedbetweenvehicleandotherroadusers(56).Theaimistoreducetheimpactoftraffic,changethewaythatstreetsareusedandtoimprovethequalityoflifeinresidentialstreetsbymakingthemplacesforpeople,andnotjustdominatedbymovingorparkedvehicles.Thedesignoftheenvironmentshouldmakeitcleartomotoriststhattheysharethestreetspacewithotherpeople,andthattheyshoulddriveaccordingly.

Withinsuchenvironmentsthestreetwillbedesignedtoreducenormaltrafficspeedstobelow20mph.

Reducing traffic speeds to the recommended design speed will be achieved more easily where there is a stepped reduction in speed on the approach to the area.

Homezonesshouldbelocatedatthemostlocalendoftheroadhierarchyandbethedestinationformosttraffic.

Carriagewaydesignshouldincludefeatureswhichlimitforwardvisibility,andencourageslowdriving,butalsobedesignedtoaccommodatelargervehicles.

The highway width available for all users should not create unacceptably wide paths for motorised users, nor make manoeuvring unduly onerous for larger vehicles that may need to enter. Routes for vehicles will have to be validated by swept path analysis to the satisfaction of

the highway authority.

Varioustechniquesmaybeusedtoachievethedesireddesignspeedincluding:sharedsurfaces;indirectroutesforvehiculartraffic;carefulhighwaydesign,areasofplantinginthestreet;carefuluseofsurfacematerials;featurestoencouragetheuseofthestreet,suchasseatingandplayequipment;andappropriatesignsand‘gateways’tomarkthelimitsofthearea.

Careshouldbetakentoavoida“walltowall”pavingtreatmentthaterodesstreetcharacter.Pavingofanysharedsurfaceareascanreflecttheuseofthespace,andinparticular,highlightthepathforvehicles,areasofparkingorsittingandplayspaces.MaterialchoicesforadoptedareasshouldbebasedonthepaletteintheCardiff Public Realm Manual.

Vehiclesshouldnothavetotravelmorethan400metresalongahomezone.Longerdistancescanresultindriverfrustration.

Homezonesshouldnotexperiencemorethanabout100vehiclemovementsduringtheafternoonpeakhourwhenthereisthechanceofmostconflictbetweenpeopledrivingandotherstreetusers,includingchildrenplaying.

Adesignatedsaferouteforblindandpartiallysightedpeople,butalsoforothervulnerablestreetusers,shouldbeprovidedthroughanysharedspaceelementofascheme.Thisroute,andtheapproachtoit,shouldbesuitablymarkedtomeettheneedsofthevisuallyimpaired(57).

56. Well designed home zones successfully combine the listed features.

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Itmaynotbenecessarytohighlightjunctionpriorityinahomezone.

Homezonescanbeclearlymarkedattheirentrancesandexitswithcarefullydesigned‘gateway’features,tominimisetheneedforsignage.

Homezonespaceswillbedefinedbybuildingsandlandscaping,ratherthanbyconventionalkerbedgesandcarriageways.

Dwellingsthatdefinetheedgesofahomezoneshouldoverlookthespace,andfrontgardensshouldnotbelong,ensuringthatthereisadirectrelationshipbetweenthedwellingsandthehomezonespace.

Homezonespacescanincludefeaturestoencouragesocialinteractionsuchascommunalseatingareasandplayequipment.Theseshouldbecarefullysitedtoavoidanylossofresidentialamenity.

Someon-streetparkingwillbeprovidedinhomezones,butitmustbeprovidedinclearlymarkedbays

andarrangedinsuchawayastonotinconveniencepedestriansand/orcyclists.

Opportunitiesforindiscriminateon-streetparkingshallbeminimisedthroughthecarefularrangementofplantingandotherfeatureswithinthespace,andcontrolledparkingzonesmightbeintroducedtoregulatethelocationofparking.

Parkingspacesthatareprovidedwillbecarefullyintegratedbetweenplantingtominimisethevisualimpactofparkedcars.

Wewillresistsharedsurfaceschemeswhich,throughtheirdesign,donotbenefitresidentsbyvirtueoftheirdimensions,geometriesoranticipatedspatialoraestheticqualities(58).

Furtherguidanceonthedesignofhomezonescanbefoundin:• Biddulph,M(2001)Home zones: a planning and

design handbook• IHIE(2002)Home zones: Design guidelines

57. Home zones should include a safe route for vulnerable street users which, through design, limit incursion by any vehicles.

58. We will resist shared surface schemes which, through their design, do not benefit residents by virtue of their dimensions, geometries or anticipated spatial or aesthetic qualities.

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Isresidentandvisitorparkingsufficientandwellintegratedsothatitdoesnotdominatethestreetscene?

Weareinterestedinhowschemesaccommodatebothcarandcycleparking.Howweaccommodatecarparkinginparticularisakeyconcernofhousebuyers,butinsensitivesolutionscanhaveasignificantimpactonthevisualcharacterofbuildingsandstreets.Wemustaccommodatetherightnumberofparkingspaces.Variousapproachestoaccommodatingparkingareacceptable,andthebestschemesoftenincludeamixofsolutions,withapproachesadjustedtoreflecthowparkingcontributestoachievingotherurbandesignobjectivesandaspirations.Wewillresistschemesinwhichoffstreetparkingdominatesthevisualcharacteroftheenvironmentwhenseenfromtheperspectiveofapedestrian.Streetviewsmustbedesignedtohaveadeliberatetownscapeandlandscaping,intowhichsuitableapproachestoparkingareadded.Atahigherlevelofdetail,theparkingneedstobeconvenientandwelloverlookedwithconcernshownforbothresidentandvisitorspaces.Thelandscapingtreatmentofparkingspacesshouldalsobeconsideredaspartofawiderstreetscene.

Carparking

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Provideenoughparkingforresidentslocatedclosetopeople’shomes.Thebestschemesarenotdominatedbyparkedcars,andintegratecarsinavarietyofways(59).Furtherguidanceonthedesignandstandardsforparkingcanbefoundin:• Managing Transport Impacts and Parking Standards

SPG• EnglishPartnerships(2006)Car parking: what works,

where

Ensureparkingareasarewelloverlookedbythepeoplewhoownthevehicles?

Provideadequatevisitorparkinglocatedconvenientlyandintuitively,preferablyonorclosetothestreet(60).

Inkeylocations,ensureparkedcarsarewellintegratedintothestreetscenewhilstnotvisuallydominatingtheresultingtownscapeorfrontage.Ensurelandscapingorfrontboundariesareusedtosoftenthevisualimpactofvehiclesparkedperpendiculartoabuildinglineand/oron-plotandinfrontofthebuildingline.(61).59. The best schemes are not dominated by parked cars, and

integrate cars into a layout in a variety of ways

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Siteanddesignparkingsothattheprincipalbuildingfrontageanditspedestrianaccessisfromorascloseaspossibletothestreet.

Reducethepotentialforfootwayparkingthroughthecleardesignationofanyon-streetspacesandtheuseoffeaturessuchaskerbbuild-outs,bollardsandplanting.Markindividualparkingspacesinanattractivewayaspartofthelandscapetreatment.

Undercroftparkingmustonlybeusedandlocatedwhereithasleastimpactonprominentfrontages.Schemesshouldensurethatallprincipalfrontagestopublicspacesareactive,withthepresenceofdoorsandwindows.Keyfrontagesdominatedbygaragesorthescreeningofparkingwillberesisted(62).

60. Visitor parking should be located close to homes, and on or close to the street.

61. Landscaping and good boundaries should shield cars parked perpendicular to and in front of a building line.

62. Undercroft parking must only be used and located where it has least impact on prominent frontages.

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Designgaragestohavematerialsanddetailingconsistentwiththewiderscheme.Theyshouldnotbepositionedatprominentlocationsinthestreetscene,suchasoncorners,infrontofconsistentbuildinglinesorattheendofprominentstreetvistas.

Wherepossible,drivewayegresswidthsshouldbeonevehiclewide,sothatopendrivewaysdonotvisuallydominatethecharacterofstreets.

Ensurerearparkingcourtsaresmall,sothatpeoplewhousethemwillgettoknoweachother.Avoidmultipleaccesspointsfromthepublicrealm,anddon’tputpublicroutesthroughthem.Asafe,directandconvenientroutebetweenhomesandanyrearparkingcourtmustbeprovided.Allowasufficientbudgetforappropriate

Wewillresistapartmentdevelopmentswhereprincipallivingspacesfacedirectlyontocarparkingareasorcourtswithinadequatelandscapingtosoftentheoutlook.

Forhigherdensityschemeswewouldencouragebasementorgroundfloorparkingtobecoveredwithalandscapeddeckprovidingprivateorcommunalamenityspaceforresidents(64).

63. Rear parking courts can be an attractive feature of a scheme if they are small, closely linked to and overlooked by well designed homes and attractively landscaped (bottom image). If any of these qualities are missing they can feel a bleak and may not be used (top image).

boundarywalls,landscapingandlighting.Thinkaboutiftheirlocationandthelocalcrimeratejustifiestheinstallationofgates(63).

Accesstoundercroftparkingorentrancesthroughbuildingswhichareuncontrolledbygatesshouldincludeasignindicatingthemaximumheightofvehiclesthatbeaccommodatedunderthebuilding.Thisistoreducetheriskofcollision.

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Cycleparking

Allformsofresidentialaccommodationrequireadequatebikeparkingspacestobedesignatedinadesign.Designdrawingsshouldshowthelocationandamountofcycleparkingbeingprovidedinascheme,andreassureusthatthiswillbeshelteredandsecure.Furtherguidanceoncycleparkingstandardsanddesigncanbefoundin:

• WelshGovernment(2014)Design Guidance Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013

• Cardiff Cycle Design Guide,and• Managing Transport Impacts and Parking Standards

SPG• Detailsonrecommendedcyclestandscanalsobe

foundinthe Cardiff Public Realm Manual

Inhousingschemes,cycleprovisioncouldbedesignedandbuiltintothefrontelevations,alongwithrefuseandrecyclingstorage.Anysuchprovisionshouldbedesignedtobeanintegralpartofthehousedesign,andnotappeartobeanafterthought.

Inapartmentschemes,convenient,secure,coveredcycleparkingshouldbeprovidedwithinthecurtilageofthescheme.

Provideadequatevisitorcycleparkinginformalpublicspaceswherecyclistsmightneedit.Putitclosetokeydestinations,inlocationsthathavecomingandgoing,areoverlookedandwelllit.Furtheradviceonstandardsforon-streetcycleparkinginfrastructurecanbefoundintheCardiff Public Realm Manual.

Issuestoaddress

64. Higher density schemes can establish attractive and useful spaces on parking decks.

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Aretheindividualhouseswelldesignedtomeettheneedsandaspirationsoffutureoccupantsandalsoinrelationtotheircontext?

Individualhomesshouldbewelldesignedandexhibitarchitecturalquality.Thisdoesnotmeanthatweareinterestedinimposinganarbitrarystyleofarchitectureondevelopersortheirdesigners.Itmeansthathomesshouldbedesignedtorealisethequalitiesrequiredfromthisguidancewhilstalsoprovidingadesignofhomeswhichfullysatisfyboththeneedsandaspirationsofresidents.Homesshould:

• provideenoughroomtoaccommodateitsoccupantsandtheirlifestylesincomfort;

• provideforinclusiveaccessibility,inlinewithPartMoftheBuildingRegulations;

• beenergyefficient;• berobustandeasytopersonaliseandmaintain;• resultinasuccessfulkerbappealandenhancethe

appearanceofanarea.

Thebestdesignsmightalsobeinnovativeandinteresting.

Wewillencouragebuildingswhichcelebratethepositiveelementsofalocalcontextorprovideagoodnewcontemporarycharacterandform.Thismeansthatwewillencouragegroupsofbuildingswhichhavegood:

• scaleandmassing;• roofforms;• buildingmaterialsanduseoftextureandcolour;• windowproportionsandfacadecomposition;• boundarytreatments;• detailingofallaspects,includingporches,entrances

andwindows,transitionsbetweenmaterials,rainwatergoods,eaves,soffitsandweatherboards,chimneysandironwork.

Issuestoaddress

Wewillworktoimprovearchitecturalcompositionswheretheproportionswithinafacadeorgroupoffacadesappeartoberandomorillconsidered.

Wewillresistformsofdevelopmentwherethescaleandmassingofanybuildingsorotherelementofascheme,arediscordant,oraspectsofaschemearepoorlychosenorlocatedinthestreetscene.

Ancillaryelementsofahome,suchastheboundaries,garages,sheds,cycleparkingandwastestorageandrecyclingstructures,shouldbetreatedasanintegralpartofthedesign.Theirqualityshouldmatchthatoftherestofthedevelopment.

Wewillresistblanddevelopmentscontainingbuildingswhichincludelittleevidenceofcareintheirformandcomposition,arepetitionofuninterestingelementsandacompleteabsenceofanyrelevantdetailing.

Materialsshouldbegoodqualityandfitforpurpose.Theyshouldbeselectedtocomplimenttheoverallcompositionandvisualcharacterofaschemeandalsoanticipatetheeffectsofweathering.

TheCardiffLiveable Design Guidediscusseshowwewanttoencourageenergyefficientpatternsofdevelopmentandformsofhousing.Wewillwelcomehomesdesignedtobeenergyefficientorotherwiseinnovativeinformandcharacterwhereallothermattershavebeendealtwithwell,includingsensitivitytocontext.

Wewillresisthomeswhichwethink,foranyreason,willnotprovideenoughroomtocomfortablyaccommodatetheanticipatedoccupants.

Wewillhighlightsituationswhereaccesstohomesmightfallbelowstandardsofinclusivitythroughtheintroductionofstepsorslopes,orunevensurfaces,whichdiscriminateagainstpeoplewhohaveamobilityimpairment.

Levelsacrossalayoutmustensureaccessibilityforallusers,withprovisionofappropriateslopegradientsofabout5%,withpotentialtohavenomorethan8%oververyshortdistances.

Buildingsshouldhavelevelentrances.Pathanddrivesurfacesshouldincluderoutesthatarefirm,level,

non-glareandnon-slipwhenwetordry.Exclusiveuseofloosematerials,suchasgravel,cobblesandunevensettsisnotrecommended.Furtherguidanceininclusivedesigncanbefoundin:DepartmentforTransport(2005)Inclusive mobility.

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totheformandcharacterofthedevelopment.Theyshouldbedesignedtoensurethatallfunctionalrequirementsoftheresidents(equivalenttoaprivategarden)aremet,suchasrelaxation,clothesdryingorrefusestorage.

• Balconieswillneedtobeprovidedforapartmentswithnodirect,safeorconvenientaccesstoacommunalgardenorothersuitablepublicgreenspaceswithintheirvicinity.Theyshouldbeaminimumof5m².Theyshouldbelocatedinpositionswheretheyreceivedirectsunlightforsomepartoftheday,andpreferablywithasouthernaspect.

Balconiesshouldgenerallybeavoidedinestablishedsuburbanlocationscharacterisedbylargerreargardensiftheywillresultinsignificantoverlooking.

Outlook

Habitableroomsinindividualdwellings,includingsingleaspectflats,shouldhaveapleasantoutlookontostreetsoramenityspaces,ratherthan,forexample,faceapoorlylandscapedparkingarea.

Doesthedesignconformtonecessaryamenitystandards?

Meetingamenitystandardswillnot,onitsown,resultinwell-designedneighbourhoods,butresidentsandneighboursareconcernedabouttheirprivacy,theiraccesstoreasonablysizedgardensorothertypesofoutdoorspace,andalsothequalityofnaturallightintheirhomes.Designsmightprovidetheseamenitiesininnovativeways,andsothesecommonstandardswillalwaysbeusedflexiblyifadesignsolutionjustifiesit.

Issuestoaddress

Privacy• Aprivacydistanceofatleast21metreswillbe

requiredbetweenfacingwindowstohabitableroomsontheprivatesideofadevelopment.Designmeasurescanbeusedtosecureprivacybymeansotherthandistance,suchasbycarefulwindowpositioningandscreening.

• Theminimumoverlookingdistancefromarearwindowabovethegroundfloortoaprivategardenareaofafacingdwellingshouldbeatleast10.5metres.

• Wherehomesareangledat30degreesormoretoeachother,theycanbeclosertogether,butmeasurestolimitgardenoverlookingmightbenecessary.Suchschemeswillbejudgedontheirmerits.

• Thescaleandmassingofanydesignmustnotbeoverbearingorresultintheunacceptableovershadowingofneighbouringproperties.

Outdooramenityspaces

• Provideenclosedandsecureprivatereargardensforallhousesandgroundfloorflatsthatmightserveasfamilyaccommodation.

• Gardensshouldmeasureatleast10.5mindepthor50m²overall.Visualprivacyshouldbeprovidedforatleastpartofthegarden,andideallythespaceimmediatelytotherearofthedwelling.

• Innovativewaysofprovidingoutdooramenityspacearealwaysencouragedandwillbeconsideredontheirmerits.

• Well-designedsharedamenityspacessuchasroofgardens,communalgardensandadditionalareasofplaycanbesuitableinsomeformsofdevelopment.Wheretheseareintroducedtoasuitabledesign,wewillallowtherequiredgardenstandardtobemixedbetweentheseprivateandsharedamenityspaces,solongasallotherstandardsaremet.

• Forcommunalgardens,aminimumareaof75m²shouldbeprovidedforupto5unitswithanadditional10m²foreachadditionalunit.

• Communalgardensshouldbeclearlydefined,secureandprivate,accessibletoalloccupantsandintegral

Daylightandsunlight

TheBREpublicationSite Layout Planning for Daylight and Sunlight: A Guide to Good Practiceprovidesaseriesoftechniquesforassessingtheextenttowhichanydevelopmentprovidesadequatedaylightandsunlighttohabitableroomswithinanydevelopment,oraffectedneighbouringbuildings.

Wewillapplythesestandardstoaninitialjudgementofschemes,andmayrequestfurtherevidencetojustifyadesignapproachincertainsituationsifweareconcernedaboutthelikelyadequacyandimpacts.

Wemayapplyseparateassessmentstojudgetheimpactofdevelopmentonaneighbouringoutdoorarea,suchasapatio,andwewilltypicallyseekextensionsofatleast2storeystobeawayfromthepropertyboundarybyatleast2m.

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Howwewillapplydaylightandsunlightassessments

TheassessmentofsunlightanddaylightisbasedontheBREguidancepresentedinSite Planning for Daylight and Sunlight- a guide to good practice .

Althoughchangestopermitteddevelopmentrightshaveallowedcertaintypesofinfilldevelopmentwhichmightexceedthesestandards,wheretheopportunitytocontrolexists,wewillapplythestandardsinareasonablemanner.

Theseguidelineswillsometimesbeusedflexiblyaswerecognisethatlightcanbeprovidedtolivingspacesviaanumberofmeanswhichmightnotbeevidentfromtheassessmentapproaches,whilstcertaintownscapesituationsmightreasonablydeservesomeflexibilityintheiruse.Assuchthestandardsareinitiallyusedasatriggertoinvitefurtherjustificationforadesign.

Wewillresistdevelopmentswhichdonotmeetthesestandardswithoutfurtherjustificationorotherreasonablemeasuresbeinginplacetoprovideadequatelight.

Thestandardsapplyequallytoimpactsonbothnewandexistingbuildings,andshouldbeassessedaccordingly.

Thestandardswillnotapplytoaffectsresultingfromtheheightofminorgables

Wherethestandardsarenotbeingmet,wewillalwaysseekwaystoimprovethesituationtotherequiredstandard.

The25degreerule

Thefirstassessmentrelatestowindowsfacingotherbuildingsorrelevantstructures.

Asignificantbuildingorstructurewillbeobstructingreasonablelighttoarelevantwindowifitbreaksalineprojectingupfromthecentreoftherelevantwindow25degreesfromthehorizontal(66).

Affectedrooms

Thisguidanceappliestohabitableroomswhich,accordingtothelayoutplan,arethemaindaytimelivingspacesofthescheme.Assessmentswillnotrelatetotoilets,bathrooms,circulationspaces,storerooms,galleykitchensorsimilarspaces.Roomscontainingbedswillonlybeincludedinanassessmentiftheyformpartofthedaytimelivingspace.

Roomscontainingmorethanoneeffectivesourceoflight,suchaswindowsonotherfacades,lightwellsortubeswillnotbeincludedinanyassessment(65).

Ifthisoccurs,applicantscanprovethatwindowswillnotbeadverselyaffectedbythisstructurebyquantifyingthedaylightusingtheSkylightIndicatororWaldramassessmentssetoutintheBREpublication.Themeasureofdaylightreachingawindowshouldnotfallbelow27%.Softwareapplicationsexisttohelpwithsuchanassessment.

Ifthewindowisinaglassdoor,thelinecanoriginatefrom2metresabovetherelevantfloororstoreylevel.

Ifanewbuildingisimprovinganexistingsituationthenthestandardsmaybeappliedflexibly,andbeforeandafterstudiesshouldbeprovided.

66. The 25 degree line projecting from the centre of the relevant window. In this case the scheme is immediately acceptable.

65. Rooms containing more than one source of light will not be included.

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The45degreerule

Thesecondassessmentrelatestoanyextensionsfromanexistingbuildingline,andwindowsaffectedbythisextension.

Anextensionwillbeobstructingreasonablelighttoarelevantwindowifitbreaksalineprojecting45degreesbothhorizontally(assessedinaplan)andvertically(assessedinrelevantelevations)fromthecentreofthewindow(67).

Extensionswithapitchedroofshouldbeassessedfromthecentreofthepitch.

Thismeasurecanalsobeappliedtotheassessmentofrelevantwindowsinacourtyard.

Facingwindowscanbeassessedusingthe25degreemethod.

Itisparticularlyimportanttoavoidthetunnelingeffect,whereawindowisaffectedbyprojectingextensionsfromtwodirections.

67. A 45 degree line projecting from the centre of the window in both elevation and plan shouldn’t hit the relevant extension. In these cases the scheme is acceptable in elevation, but the plan shows the extension is too deep.

Sunlight

Windowsfacingwithin90degreesofduesouthwillgainsomedirectsunlightforsomeperiodoftheday,ifthereisnoobstruction.

Sensitivedesignoflivingspaceswillensurethateachdwellinghasamainlivingroomwhichcanreceiveareasonableamountofdirectsunlight.

Overshadowing

Outdoorpublicspacesdesignedforoptionalactivities,likesittingandplaying,mayneedtoprove,throughshadowmodelling(68),thatthespacesreceivedirectsunlightbetweenthestartofAprilandthestartofOctober.

68.

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Doesthedesignincludeadequateandwell-designedwasteandrecyclingfacilities,andcareinthelocationandintegrationofmetercupboards?

Wastecollectionandstoragefacilitiescanhaveasignificantimpactonthevisualcharacterofadevelopment,whilsttheirlocationinaschemecanimpactontheirconvenienceofuseandcollection.Welldesignedschemeswillconsiderwastefacilitiestobeanintegralpartofthearchitecturalorlandscapetreatment.Inasimilarway,metercupboardscanbeeitheranunnecessarilyprominentfeatureofafacade,ortheycanbepositivelyintegratedandvisuallyunobtrusive(69).

Issuestoaddress

Specificinformationabout,andstandardsfordesignfor,wasteandrecyclingcollectionservicesandfacilitiescanbefoundintheWaste Collection & Storage Facilities SPG.

Schemesshouldprovidesuitablespacesforthestorageofgeneralwastebins,recyclablematerialcontainers,foodbinsandgardenwastebins(onlywhereagardenisprovided).Thestorageofwastecannotoccuronthehighwayorinpublicspaces.

Providesufficientaccessforwastecollectionvehiclestopullupandcollectbinswiththeminimumtraveldistancefromthevehicletotheagreedkerbsidecollectionpoints.Vehiclesshouldbeabletogetwithin25metresofanystoragepoint,butshorterdistancesarepreferred.

Apartmentschemeswhichprovidecommunalrecyclingandrefusestoragespacesincorporatedwithinthebuildingaregenerallypreferred.

Inparticular,anyrefusestorageareasvisiblefrompublicspacesshouldbewellintegratedintothestreetscene.

Facilitiesandspacesshouldbeanintegralpartofthedesignandbesensitivelylocated,well-screenedandeasilyaccessibleforbothresidentsandcollectioncrews.

Metercupboardsinacontrastingcolourfromtherestofabuildingfacadecandetractfromtheappearanceofdwellingelevationsandiftheyareusedatalltheyshouldbesituatedastobestminimisetheirharmfulvisualimpact.

Metercupboardsshouldbeintegratedintoadesignandvisuallyunobtrusivefromthestreetfrontage.

69. Refuse storage and the position of meters should be integrated into the facade design of any relevant buildings so that they aren’t prominent.

Adegreeofflexibilityisrequiredforanywastestoragearea,duetotheeverchangingnatureofwastecollectionmethodsusedbythisCouncil.Wastemaybeseparated

intofurtherwastestreamswhichmayrequirethestorageofmore/differentcontainers

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Surfaces

Wherestreetsaretobeadopted,surfacematerialsshouldbeselectedfromtheCardiff Public Realm Manual,andshouldbeappropriatetotheirfunctionwithinthestreet.PleaseconsulttheCouncilearlyinthedesignprocessaboutanymaterialstobeusedonhighwaysthatwillbeadopted.

StreetscapesshouldhaveregardtoactivetraveladviceandstandardsprovidedintheWelshGovernment’sDesign Guidance: Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 in

Isthestreetscapebothattractiveandrobust?

Manual for Streetshasseenaquietrevolutioninhowstreetscanbedesigned.Gonearethestrictstandardsofthepast,resultinginmonotonousenvironments,tobereplacedwithopportunitiestocreateagreatervarietyofresidentialsettings.

Thisgreaterfreedomrequiresmorecaretoensurethatstreetscapesarewelldesigned,andwewillgivesupporttoschemeswherethestreetscapeisbothattractiveandrobust,butwhereitwillalsobeeasytomanageandmaintain.

Inparticular,streetscapedesignsshouldmeettheneedsofvulnerablestreetusers.

Issuestoaddress

ordertosupportourwidercommitmenttoactivetravelopportunities.

Therangeofmaterialsusedinaschemeshouldbekepttoaminimum,butbeenoughtohighlightdifferentstreetfunctionsand,wherepossible,createvisualinterest.Asimplepalleteofgoodqualityandeasilyavailablematerialswillhelpusmaintainadoptedstreetsurfacesinthefuture.

Streetscapesshouldbedesignedtosupporttheneedsofvulnerablestreetusers.Sharedsurfacesmustbedesignedtoprovideasaferoutethrough,freefromanytrafficorparking,forpeople,includingthepartiallysighted.Materialsshouldbeselectedtoprovideconvenientroutestoallareasforwheelchairusers.Contrastofmaterialshouldbeusedtohighlighthazards.Arbitrarycontrastsandsmallscalecontrastingpatternsshouldbeavoided,asthesecanbedistractingandhardtointerpretforpeoplewhorelyonclearvisualcues.

Poorlydesignedstreetscapescancontributetothemonotonyofresidentialenvironmentsandmightsuggestanundesirablepriorityforvehicleusers,particularlyinsharedspaces.Wewillresistdesignswherewethinkalackofideasforbuiltform,highwaygeometry,plantingandstreetscapedesignwillresultinthisquality(70).

70. We will resist designs where we think a lack of ideas for built form, highway geometry, planting and streetscape design will result in a bland townscape which might give too much priority to vehicle users.

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StreetFurniture

Theuseofstreetfurnitureshouldbeanintegralpartofthedesign,andwillhelptoestablishanarea’squalityandcharacter.Itshouldbeunobtrusive,highquality,fitforpurposeandcoordinatedtocomplimentthevisualcharacterofthewiderstreetscapedesign.

Wherenecessary,itemsshouldbegroupedtogether,columnsshouldbeshared,orfeatureslikestreetlightsattachedtobuildingstoreducetheclutteringeffectofuncoordinateddesigns.

Aswithotheraspectsofastreetscape,limittherangeofcoloursanddesignsused,sothatthestreetfurnituredoesnotdominatetheview,butensurethatitemsareclearlydistinguishablewithintheircontext,sothattheyarevisibletopeoplewhoarepartiallysighted(71).

71. Street furniture should be clearly distinguishable within its context so that it is visible to people who are partially sighted.

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PublicArt

Publicarthassometimesbeenaverycelebratedfeatureofnewresidentialenvironments,andwewillencourageitsinclusionwithinrelevantdevelopments.

Whererequiredbypolicy,wewouldencourageearlythoughtabouthowartmightbeintegratedintoadesignandthensubsequentlymaintained.FurtherguidanceonhowpublicartmightbedevelopedintoaschemecanbefoundintheCardiff Public Art Strategy.TheCardiff Public Art SPGprovidesdetailedguidanceoftheCouncil’srequirementsfortheprovisionofartworksarisingspecificallythroughthedevelopmentprocess.

Wewouldencouragearttobeintegratedintothemostprominentpositionsorviewsinalayoutsothatitcanbeseenandenjoyedbythemostpeople(72).

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Artshouldnotcauseanyformofobstruction,andshouldbeclearlyvisiblewhenviewed,atanappropriatepoint,againstitscontext.

Publicartdoesnotneedtobeused,inatraditionalsense,tocreatediscreteworks.Insteaditcouldbeintegratedintothedesignofmoreordinaryaspectsofaplace,suchassurfaces,signage,seating,boundarytreatmentsorironwork(73).

Artworkscouldbedevelopedwithinputfromfutureresidentsinordertoestablishasenseofownershipandsupportforworksthatemerge.

73

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Useful publications referred to in this guidance

WelshGovernment

Planning Policy Wales

Design Guidance Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013

Development Quality Requirements

Practice Guidance: Planning for Sustainable Buildings

Recommended non-statutory standards for sustainable drainage (SuDS) in Wales

Technical Advice Note 5: Nature and Conservation

Technical Advice Note 12: Design

Technical Advice Note 12: Design Guidance on Design and Access Statements

CardiffCouncil

Local Development Plan 2006-2026Local Development Plan Masterplanning FrameworkLiveable Design Guide: Placemaking, urban design, architectureCycle Design GuidePublic Art StrategyPublic Realm Manual

SupplementaryPlanningGuidance

• Public Art• Green Infrastructure (forthcoming)• Infill Sites• Managing Transport Impacts and Parking

(forthcoming)• Sustainable Urban Drainage (forthcoming)• Waste collection and storage

UKGovernment

DepartmentforTransport(2007)Manual for Streets, London:DfT

DepartmentforTransport(2010)Manual for Streets 2: Wider Application of the Principles,London:DfT

DepartmentforTransport(2005)Inclusive Mobility,London:DfT

Others

Biddulph,M(2001)Homezones:aplanninganddesignhandbook,Bristol:PolicyPress

Birkbeck,DandKruczkowski,S(2015)BuildingforLife12:Wales,Nottingham:NottinghamTrentUniversity

BuildingResearchEstablishment(2011)SiteLayoutPlanningforDaylightandSunlight:AGuidetoGoodPractice,Watford:BRETrust

CountrysideCouncilforWales(2006)ProvidingAccessibleNaturalGreenspaceinTownsandCities:APracticalGuidetoAssessingtheResourceandImplementingLocalStandardsforProvisioninWales

DesignCommissionforWales(2016)SiteandContextAnalysis:Capturingthevalueofasite,Cardiff:DCFW

EnglishPartnerships(2006)Carparking:whatworks,where,London:EP

InstituteofHighwayandIncorporatedEngineers(2002)Homezones:designguidelines,London:IHIE

PlayEngland(2008)DesignforPlay

Sustrans(2014)Handbookofcyclefriendlydesign,Bristol:Sustrans

TownandCountryPlanningAssociation(2004)Biodiversitybydesign:aguidetosustainablecommunities,London:TCPA

TownandCountryPlanningAssociationandtheWildlifeTrust(2012)Planningforahealthyenvironment-goodpracticeforgreeninfrastructureandbiodiversity,London:TCPA

WildlifeTrustWales(2016)GreenInfrastructure:acatalystforthewell-beingoffuturegenerationsinWales

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Appendix 1 Consultees

Publicconsultationwasundertakenbetween8thSeptemberandthe20thOctober2016.ApressnoticewasplacedinalocalnewspaperonWednesday7thSeptember2016.CopiesofthedraftguidancewasplacedinallCardifflibrariesandatCountyHallReception.ThedraftguidancewasalsopublishedontheCouncilwebsite.LettersnotifyingthatconsultationwasbeingundertakenonthedraftguidanceweresenttoallCouncillors,theWelshGovernment,CommunityCouncilsinCardiffandanyinterestedpersonsandthefollowingorganisationsknowntohavegeneralinterestinplanninginCardifforapotentialinterestinthisguidance:

AlderKingAlternativesforTransportAMECEnvironment&InfrastructureUKLimitedArtsCouncilofWalesArupAsbriPlanningLtdAssociatedBritishPortsAssociationofInlandNavigationAuthoritiesAtkinsAustin-Smith:LordBakerAssociatesBartonWillmoreBellwayHomes(WalesDivision)LtdBiffaBilfingerGVABlackEnvironmentNetworkBlakeMorganLLPBNPParibasRealEstateBovisHomesBoyerPlanningBristolCityCouncilBryantHomes(SouthWest)BTGroupplcBusinessintheCommunityWalesC2JCadwynHousingAssociationCaerauandElyCommunitiesFirstCaerphillyCountyBoroughCouncilCampaignfortheProtectionofRuralWalesCardiff&ValeParentsFederationCardiff&ValeUniversityHealthBoard(UHB)CardiffAccessGroupCardiffAgainsttheIncineratorCardiffBus

CardiffBusUsersCardiffCivicSocietyCardiffCommunityHousingAssociationCardiffCyclingCampaignCardiffEthnicMinorityEldersCardiffGreenpeaceCardiffHeliportCardiffInternationalAirportLtd.CardiffLocalAccessForumCardiffMetropolitanUniversityCardiffNaturalistsCardiffPedestrianLiberationCardiffTransitionCardiffUniversityCardiffWestCommunitiesFirstCarolynJonesPlanningServicesCDNPlanningCelsaManufacturing(UK)LTDCemexUkOperationsLtdCFWArchitectsCGMSConsultingCharteredInstituteofHousinginWalesChichesterNunnsPartnershipChrisMorganChwaraeTegCivilAviationAuthorityCoalAuthorityColegGlanHafrenCommunitiesFirstAdamsdownCommunityHousingCymruCommunityLandAdvisoryServiceCymruConfederationofBritishIndustryConfederationofPassengerTransportConnectionsDesignCountryLandandBusinessAssociationCSJPlanningConsultantsDanescourtCommunityAssociationDavidLockAssociates***DaviesSuttonArchitectsDavisMeadeAgriculturalDerekProsserAssociatesDesignCircleRSAWSouthDesignCommissionforWales***Development,Land&PlanningConsultantsLtdDisabilityArtsCymruDisabilityWalesDLPConsultantsDPPCardiffDriversJonasDTBDesignDTZDwrCymruWelshWaterEdenstoneHomesEqualityandHumanRightsCommissionEthnicBusinessSupportProjectFederationofSmallBusinessesFirstCityLimitedFirstGroupplc

FirstplanForestryCommisssionWalesFreightTransportAssociationFriendsofNantfawrCommunityWoodlandFulfordsLand&PlanningGLHearnGPowysJonesMScFRTPIGardenHistorySocietyGeraintJohnPlanningLtdGLHearnLtdGlamorgan-GwentArchaeologicalTrustLtdGlamorganGwentHousingAssociationGMAPlanningGraigCommunityCouncilGraigProtectionSocietyGreatWesternTrainsCompanyLimitedGrosvenorWatersideGVAGVAGrimleyHOWCommercialPlanningAdvisorsHafordHousingAssociationLimited/HafodCareAssociationLimitedHalcrowHammondsYatesHarmersHarmersHeathResidentsAssociationHerbertRThomasLLPHomeBuildersFederationHutchinson3GUKHylandEdgarDriverHywelDaviesInterfaithWalesJacobsBabtieJeremyPeterAssociatesJLLJohnRobinsonPlanning&DesignJohnWottonArchitectsJonesLangLaSalleJPMorganAssetManagementKeepWalesTidyKellyTaylor&AssociatesKingsmeadAssetsLimitedKnightFrankLandscapeInsituteWalesLevvelLtdLinc-CymruLisvaneCommunityCouncilLlandaffConservationGroupLlandaffSocietyLovellPartnershipLoyn&CoArchitectsLUCMadleyConstructionMangoPlanningandDevelopmentLimitedMarshfieldCommunityCouncilMartinRobesonPlannningPractice

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McCarthy&Stone(plc)McCarthyandStone(WesternRegion)MeadgateHomesLtdMineralProductsAssociationMorganColeMottMacDonaldNathanielLichfieldandPartners***NationalYouthArtsNaturalResourcesWales***NeameSuttonNetworkRailNetworkRailInfrastructureLtdNewportCityCouncilNFUCymruNorthWestCardiffGroupNovellTulletO2UKOakgroveNurseriesOldStMellonsCommunityCouncilOrangeOrigin3PantmawrResidentsAssociationPeaceMalaPeacock&SmithPegasusPentyrchCommunityCouncilPersimmonHomes***PetersonWilliamsPeterstoneCommunityCouncilPhillippaColePlanningAidWalesPlanningPotentialPolice&CrimeCommissionerPowellDobsonPowergenProsperoPlanningQuarryProductsAssociationQuincoRaceEqualityFirstRadyr&MorganstownAssociationRadyrandMorganstownCommunityCouncilRadyrandMorganstownPartnershipandCommunityTrust(PACT)RadyrFarmRadyrGolfClubRapleysRedrowHomes(SouthWales)ReevesRetailPlanningConsultancyLtdRenplanReservoirActionGroup(RAG)RhiwbinaCivicSocietyRhonddaCynonTafCountyBoroughCouncilRICSWalesRioArchitectsRiversideCommunitiesFirstTeamRobertTurelyAssociatesRobertsLimbrickRobertsonFrancisPartnershipRoyalCommissionontheAncient&HistoricalMonumentsofWales

RoyalNationalInstitutefortheBlindRPSGroupPlcRSPBCymruSaveCreigiauActionGroupSavillsSavills(Cardiff)ScopeCymruScottBrownriggSellwoodPlanningShawnCullenSKDesignsSLRConsultingSouthWalesChamberofCommerceCardiffSouthWalesPoliceCrimePreventionDesignAdviserSouthWalesWINSplottandTremorfaCommunitiesFirstSportWalesSSEEnergySupplyLtdStFagansCommunityCouncilStedmanArchitecturalStewartRossAssociatesStonewallCymruStrideTreglownTownPlanningStuartCoventryScottWilsonSullivanLand&PlanningSustransCymruSWALECTaffHousingAssociationTanner&TilleyTaylorWimpeyTerryNunnsArchitectsThe20thCenturySocietyTheBoardingCentreLtdTheDesignGroup3TheGeorgianGroupTheInstituteofCemeteryandCrematoriumManagementTheLandMarkPracticeThePlanningBureauTheRoyalTownPlanningInstituteTheurbanistsTheVictorianSocietyTheWildlifeTrustofSouth&WestWalesTheatresTrustT-Mobile(UK)LtdTongwynlaisCommunityCouncilTorfaenCountyBoroughCouncilTurleyAssociatesUnitedWelshHousingAssociationUrbanCityLtdUrddYouthGroupVelindreNHSTrustCorporateHeadquartersVirginMediaVodaphoneWales&WestHousingAssociationWalesCouncilforVoluntaryActionWalesWomen’sAidWattsMorganWelshAmbulanceServicesNHSTrust-SouthEastRegion

WelshGovernmentWelshGovernment-EconomySkillsandTransportDivisionWelshLanguageCommissionerWelshLanguageSocietyWelshTenantsFederationLtdWentloogeCommunityCouncilWhiteYoungGreenPlanningWimpeyHomesWyevaleGardenCentresLtd.

Commentsrelevanttothedraftguidancewerereceivedfromtheaboveconsulteesindicated***.

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Appendix 2 Summary of External Consultation Comments and Responses

PageNo. Comment Response

Generalcomment

Thisisaverythoroughdocumentthatcoversindetailtheelementsthatshouldbeconsideredinthedesignandreviewofresidentialdevelopments.ThepositionoftheCouncilisfirmincertainareassettingoutclearexpectationsfordevelopers.ThereferencetoBuildingforLife12WalesaswellastheSiteandContextAnalysisGuideandPlanningforSustainableBuildingswrittenbyDCFWiswelcomed,asisthereferencetoconsultingtheCommission.Thesub-sectionheadingsprovideahelpfulsetofquestionsforthereviewofadevelopmentproposal.

Noresponserequired

Generalcomment

Thescopeandcontentofthedesignguideisexhaustive.Althoughthismaybehelpfulinsettingoutthetypesofissuestobeconsidered,ithasthepotentialtobecomeunwieldyinbothpreparingschemesandassessingthedesignofadevelopmentifstringentlyfollowed.WiththelevelandnatureofdesignissuesraisedintheSPG,itisverylikelythatmanyprincipleswillconflictwithoneanotheranditwillrarelybepossibleforaschemetoincorporateallofthedesignprinciples,especiallywhenfurtherconsiderationsuchas,siteconstraints,competingconsulteeinterestsanddevelopmentcostsaretakenintoaccount.ItisthereforevitallyimportantthatabalancedapproachtodesignisadoptedandthattheissuessetoutintheSPGarenotusedasachecklisttobefollowedinpreparingorassessingdevelopmentschemes.WeconsiderthatthedraftSPGshouldcomprisegeneralguidance.

ThethemesandissueswithintheguidearecommontothedesignersofresidentialschemesandinlinewithbothTAN12andBuildingforLife12(Wales).ThelevelofcontentprovidedisbroadlyinlinewithpreviousSPGonthistopicfrom2008.Itaddressesthefullrangeofissueswhichadesignerforamajorschemeshouldconsider,butitshouldalsobeevidentthatnotallissueswillberelevanttoallschemes.TheguidanceiswrittenwithcareinhowlanguageisusedtoclarifyareaswheretheCouncilwilltakeastrongview,andareaswherewewouldencourageconcern.Gooddesignerswillbefamiliarwiththematerialandapproach.

Generalcomment

Sectionandsub-sectionnumberingmayhelpwithorientationwithinthedocument.Furtheruseofsummariesandcrossreferencesmayhelptoreducetheamountoftextfurther.

Wefeelthatthestructureofthedocumentisclear,withuseofstraightforwardheadingsandsubheadings.Itisalsographicallystructuredwithacleartableofcontents.Wearenotconvincedthatsummarieswouldaddadditionalclarity,asthekeyissuesarealreadysummarisedunderrelevantquestions.

Generalcomment

Aretheredifferingneedsorconsiderationsforinner-cityresidentialdevelopmentcomparedtoedgeofsettlementorinfill?Hasanyworkbeendoneonunderstandingthelocalcontextofdifferentareasthatcouldbereferenced?

Theguidancehasbeenwrittentobegenericandrelevanttoallareasofthecity.Referencesinthedocumenttotheneedforsiteandcontextanalysisencourageappropriatedesignapproachestoembracevarietyindifferentpartsofthecity.

Generalcomment

Itmayalsoberelevanttocover:developmentphasingconsiderations;providingorallowingconnectionstopotentialfuturedevelopmentsites;andfuturemanagementandmaintenanceconsiderations.

Referenceisbrieflymadetotheneedforphasingplanstoaccountforthedeliveryofnecessaryinfrastructureandopenspaces(4,32).ItalsofeaturesinLDPpolicyKP4.Referencetonecessaryplansformanagementandmaintenanceofpublicspacesarereferredtoonpgs.27,31,32and34.Theneedtoaccountforaccesstofutureneighbouringdevelopmentsitesisreferredtoonpage17.

Generalreferencetostandardhousetypes

Theappearanceofdwellingsisonlyoneelementofthedesignprocessandtheuseofhousetypesfromhousingdevelopers’patternbooksdoesnotprecludeaschemefrombeingofahigh-qualityofdesign.Layout,access,relationshiptopublicopenspaceandservicesaswellaspublicrealmconsiderationsarejustsomeofthemanyaspectsthatcanresultinwell-designedcommunities,regardlessofthepreciseappearanceofthehousetypes.Therearemanyexamplesofhigh-qualitydevelopmentschemeswherestandardhousetypeshavebeenutilised.WeconsiderthatthetoneofthemessagesetoutinthedraftSPGinrespectoftheuseofstandarddeveloperhousetypesneedsfurtherconsideration.

Theguidancedoesnotmakethepointthattheuseofstandardhousetypesisanundesirableformofdevelopment,whilstthesubstanceoftheguidancereflectsafullrangeofissues.Referencetothisissuecanonlybefoundonpages10and21.OnPage21theguidancestates:“Avoidexcessiveuseofstandardbuildingtypes(21).Standardhousetypesshouldbegroupedandadjustedtosuittheirpositioninacarefullyconceivedlayoutandtownscape.”Wewillbrieflyaddfurthertexttohighlightapositivemessageabouthowstandardhousetypesarewellusedinmostsituations,anddeletethefirstsentence.Wewillalsoadjustthetextonimage21tomakereferencetothestreetscapeandlandscapedesignasafactorshapingthequalitiesofascheme.Theseissuesareaddressedfurtherelsewhereintheguidance.

Generalreferencetostandardhousetypes

Standardhousetypescancontributetothecreationofanattractiveformofdevelopmentwithitsowncharacterprovidedthatthestandardhousetypesutilisedareofavarietyoftenuresandcontainanappropriatedegreeofvariationinscale,material,massingandfenestration.

Seeaboveresponse

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11 Summarisingthekeydesignquestionsthatmustbeaddressed.CreatingPlaces,thirdbullet,wesuggesttheuseofalternativewordingto‘exploit’,suchas‘sympatheticallyintegratewith’or‘respondpositivelyto’.Aswellasprovidingviewsfromthedevelopment,highgroundorslopingtopographycanalsomakeadevelopmentprominentinsurroundingviewsofthesiteandparticularlysensitivedesignisrequiredinsuchcases.

Wordingwillbeadjusted.

12-17 GuidanceunderthisSectionisimportantbuthasitslimitationsifthestructureandformofexistingdevelopmentsthatdefinetheimmediatephysicalcontextofasitesuffersfromseriousurbandesigndeficiencies.Theapproachthereforeneedstobehonestaboutthecontextofexistingdevelopmentandtheextenttowhichnewdevelopmentshouldrespectthiscontextandcanbetrulyintegratedwithanexistingneighbourhood.

Thisguidancerelatestoanymatterswithinthecontrolofadesignerordeveloperandnottourbandesignproblemsthatmayexistwithinthewidercontext.Theguidancemaybeusedtoassessthesuitabilityofsomesitesforsustainableformsofdevelopment,anditiscorrecttosaythatsomemaybefoundunacceptable.Weareconfidentthatthescaleofdevelopmentatstrategicsitesmeansthattheseissuescanfullyaddressedwithinthesite.

19 Aminimumdensityof40dwellingsperhectareonkeysecondarystreetsandthespinestreetmaynotalwaysbeachievable.Theminimumdensityrequirementswouldprecludecertainhousetypesfrombeingdeliveredeventhoughtheremaybeademandforsuchhousing.

Thediagram,originallyfromtheCardiffLiveableDesignGuide,willbeadjustedtomorecloselyreflectexistingLDPpolicyforstrategicsites,includingtheirspineroutes.Withinstrategicsitesthereisscopetodeliverafullrangeofhousetypestomeetvarioustypesofdemand,atvariousdensities.

19 Whilstdensityisnormallyarelevantconsiderationinassessingtheefficientuseofland,marketdemandandhousingneedwillhaveimplicationsonthetypesandsizesofhousingthatcanbeprovided,whichinturnwillinfluencethetypeandsizeofresidentialdevelopment.Thiswillinturnhaveimplicationsonthescaleanddensitythatcanbeachieved.Wesuggestthatotherstandardssuchasplotratiosorhabitableroomsperhectare,alongsideotherconsiderationssuchasscale,buildingheightsandformscouldbeusedasthesemaybemorevaluableforguidingandtestingproposals.

Densityisanestablishedindicatorassociatedwithsustainabledevelopment-tosupporttheviabilityoflocalfacilitiesandpublictransport.Thehigherdensityrangesdonotprecludeachoiceofresidentialtypologiesbeingdelivered,includingterracedorcourtyard,andshelteredformsofhousing,aswellasflatsandapartments.InthetextwewilldefertotheLDPpoliciesforthekeystrategicsiteswhichalreadyrefertothedensitiesweexpect.ForothersiteswewilladjustthetabletoreflectLDPpolicymoreclosely,andalsocreatescopeforamoreflexibleapproachtodeliveringdensityrelatedtobed-spacesperhectare.

19 [Ourdevelopment]isunlikelytoalwaysmeettheminimumdesiredstoreyheightsofdevelopmentsspecifiedforthevaryinglocations.

Weagreeingeneraltermsthatadiscussionaboutdensitydoesnotneedtoembracebuildingheightswhicharereferredtoelsewhereinthedocument.Theywillbetakenoutofthediagram.

19 WefeelitneedstobemadeclearerthatthedensityandheightfiguresfordevelopmentsetoutwithinFigure18aretheCouncil’sdensityambitionsasopposedtominimumstandards.

MinimumdensitiesarereferredtoinLDPpolicyforspecificstrategicsites.Awayfromthesesites,acommitmenttosustainableformsofdevelopmentrequiresreferencetominimumdensitystandardsifwearetodeliverformsofdevelopmentwhichreducetheirenvironmentalimpact,asreflectedwithintheLDPgenerally.AligningothersiteswithdensityexpectationsforstrategicsitesintheLDPisconsistent.

19 Shoulddensity,streettypeandunittypecorrelateinthisway?Forexamplesmallapartmentblocksormaisonettesonastreetofotherwisesemiordetachedhousingcouldprovideagreatervarietyofhousingoptionsandgreaterdiversity.

Wepartiallyagree.Referencestounittypeandbuildingheightwillberemovedfromthispartoftheguidance,althoughreflectingLDPpolicieswewillcontinuetomaintainconcernfordensitiesalongkeyroutes.Itispossibletoaccommodateavarietyofbuildingtypeswithinthesedensityranges.

21 ThevastmajorityofhousingtobedeliveredacrossCardiffovertheLocalDevelopmentPlanperiodwillbedeliveredbynationalhousebuildersthatwillhavepatternbooksofhouse-typesthattheyarecapableofdelivering.Althoughthesemaybeabletobevariedtosomeextent,commerciallyitwillnotnecessarilybepossibletoprovidebespokehousetypesforspecificlocations.

Theissueofbespokedesignisonlyreferredtoonpage21inbulletpoint4inthelist,whereitissuggestedthatplansforbuiltformshouldhighlightkeynodalspaces“requiringspeciallandscapeandbuiltformtreatmentsandrequiringmorebespokedesignsolutions”.Wehavechangedthistosay“possiblyrequiring”.

21 GuidanceunderthisheadingonPage21statesthattheCityCouncilwill“resistdevelopmentsthatmakeexcessiveorinappropriateuseofstandardbuildingtypeswhichdominatetheformandcharacterofascheme”.Wefeelthatthereisadangerwiththisstatementinthatitmaypreventthecreationofwell-planned[developments]whicharecharacterisedbysimple,homogenous,standardhouse-types.WethereforerequestthattheGuideisamendedtoreflectthepotentialforstandardbuildingtypesalongsidebespokedesignsinprominentlocations,especiallythoseintransportcorridorsorneighbourhoodcentres.

Theguidehasbeenadjustedaccordingly.

29 Apartmentblocksshouldbeareclearlyidentifiablewithclearsignageprovidingblocknumberingornaming.Theentrancetoapartmentblocksshouldbelegibleandwelcoming.

Thepointswillbeadded.

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33 Undertheissuestoaddresssection(pages33-34)werecommendtheinclusionofLandscape/GreenInfrastructureParametersPlanstoclearlysetoutstrategicopenspaceandgreeninfrastructureconceptsinoutlineapplications,whichcanbecarriedforwardtoreservedmattersapplications.Suchplansshouldsetoutobjectivesfordifferentareasandroutesandshouldconsiderlongtermmanagement,inparticularareasandfeaturesforpublicrealmandhouseholder/communitymanagement.

Thepointhasbeenincluded.

38 Wesuggestthetextwhichdiscusseslandscape(page38)shouldmakereferencetotheforthcomingGreenInfrastructureSPGasafurthersourceofguidance.Wealsorecommendreferenceismadetothefollowingdocuments:-WildlifeTrustsWalesGreenInfrastructureReport;-CountrysideCouncilforWales(nowNRW)GreenspaceToolkitAccessibleNaturalGreenspaceStandards.

Thefirstpublicationwillbeenadded.Thesecondcouldnotbereadilyfound.

39 ExperiencesuggeststhatrequirementsbyHighwayAuthoritiestoadheretostrictengineeringstandards,andminimisemaintenanceliabilitiesformajorstreetscanundermineplace-makingefforts.Ambitionsforthetypesofstreetsandspacesenvisionedby‘ManualforStreets’canonlyberealisedwiththeclearsupportoftheHighwaysDepartment….Ifplaceistofeaturewellinhighwaydesign,theHighwaysDepartmentwillneedtobeinvolvedfromtheoutsetandatthedifferentstagesofthemasterplanningprocess

Ourhighwaysteamhaveprovideddetailedfeedbackonthisdocument,andweareverymindfuloftheissue.

53 TheminimumgardensizeforhomessubjecttoWelshGovernment’sDesignQualityRequirements(DQR)is40sqm.Intheabsenceofanyfirmjustification,wequestiontheproposedminimumstandardssetoutinthedraftSPG.

MinimumstandardsforprivategardenstofamilyhousingreflectaconsistentstandardbetweenvariousSPGswithintheCity,includingthepreviouseditionofthisSPG,andhistoricversionsondesignguidanceoninfilldevelopment.Theareaisconsistentwiththeapplicationofotheramenitystandardsintheguidanceappliedtothesmallesthousesdevelopedinthecity,includingtheneedforatleasta10.5mdistancetoneighbouringreargardensforreasonsofprivacy.TheCounciliscommittedtoensuringthatallfamiliesofthesmallesthousescanenjoyareasonableoutdoorarea,butisflexibleinhowotherformsofamenityspaceareprovidedinotherresidentialtypologies.Scopealwaysexistsfordesignerstosuggestinnovativeformsof,forexample,communalamenityspaceprovisionwhichmightreducetheareas.Thisisreflectedelsewhereinthetextonpage53.

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Forfurtherinformationonanyaspectofthisguidancepleasecontact:

design@cardiff.gov.uk