Design and planning

Achieving a successful planning outcome is obviously fundamental. Design information and the key design messages need to be communicated as an integral part of the planning application submission process. The application is invariably made up of different components:

■ planning application form

■ required drawings

■ planning support statement

■ environmental statement

■ design and access statement.

There will invariably be a need to support the application with further reports and analyses. These will typically be discussed at length as part of screening and scoping exercises and may vary from the analysis of specific topics (such as traffic, noise, air quality, flood risk etc) to preparation of a full environmental statement in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations.

The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) has published guidance on the validation of planning applications (The Validation of Planning Applications: Guidance for local planning authorities (2007)). This document contains the national list of planning application requirements, together with recommendations on how local authorities can extend this. Planning application requirements may influence the design of a proposed development, or at least the information provided with the planning application.

The Design and Access Statement should explain the design thinking behind a proposed development. It should demonstrate how a development has been designed to accommodate people's needs as well as justifying elements such as building layout, form, scale etc. The EIA process (if required) should be integral to the design process, allowing the design to evolve, and incorporate appropriate measures to mitigate potential adverse impacts.