Good urban design is essential to creating attractive, high quality and sustainable places in which people wish to live, work and relax.
The key elements of high quality design are that:
- development should respond to the context and character of an area
- places are well connected and easy to find your way and move through
- development creates places that are safe and accessible to all
- places are interesting and provide variety and vitality for communities and businesses
- well designed and useable areas of public realm - the spaces between buildings are incorporated into schemes
Good design should be the aim of all involved in the development process. Development should be design-led.
The council expects to see developers and designers paying particular attention to the principles of urban design when proposing development in the borough. The appearance of proposed development and its relationship to its context are material considerations in determining planning applications.
Please refer to:
- the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
- local policies contained in the:
More advice
Further suggested reading includes:
- National Planning practice guidance 2014
- Urban Design Compendium 2 – English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation, 2006
- Manual for Streets - DfT and DSLG, 2007
- Manual for Streets 2 – A Wider Application of the Principles – CIHT, 2010
- Car Parking: What Works Where – English Partnerships 2006
- Protecting design quality in planning - CABE, 2002
The council has an urban design officer who works closely with planning officers, councillors, planning applicants and developers to promote and facilitate the delivery of quality development within the borough.
Public art
Good public art enhances the quality, variety and richness of the built environment and public spaces.
Find out more about Public art in Bracknell Forest.