3.4  General Design Standards

The Authority requires designs for individual Dwellings, Dwelling Blocks and [other facilities] on [each of the sites] that will inspire all who live in them whilst making a positive statement in the community.  Designs must also meet all other requirements of this Output Specification in respect of technical and operational performance, and compliance with regulations and safety.

The Authority endorses the work that the Government and CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) is undertaking to promote higher design standards in PFI projects and public buildings.

The Bidder is to achieve a high quality urban design following the guidance provided by the department for Communities and Local Government, the Homes and Communities Agency and CABE.  Responsibility for the design work will rest absolutely with the Contractor.  In addition to designs meeting the requirements of this Output Specification, the Authority wishes to provide guidance of a more general nature.  The background information listed below contains central and local government guidance on PFI projects, together with housing specific matters.

The Contractor should ensure that proposed designs do not contravene such guidance14.

a)  General Design Guidance

i.  Better Public Buildings, a proud legacy for the future.  The Better Public Buildings Group (2000)

ii.  How to achieve Design Quality in PFI projects.  OGC (2003)

iii.  Achieving Quality in Local Authority PFI Building Project's. 4 P's

iv.  Designing for Accessibility. Centre for Accessible Environments.

v.  Inclusive Design Guidance Notes. English Partnerships

vi.  The Principles of Inclusive Design. CABE

vii.  By Design. Urban Design in the planning system. DETR and CABE

viii.  Urban Design Compendium. English Partnerships. Housing Corporation

ix.  Towards an Urban Renaissance: the final report of the Urban Task Force, Urban Task Force  1999

x.  Better Places to Live: By Design.  A companion to PPG3. Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions and CABE 2001

xi.  Urban Design Guidance. Urban Design Group

xii.  Our Towns and Cities: DETR (Nov 2000)

xiii.  The Value of Urban Design: CABE, UCL, DETR

xiv.  Delivering Great Places to Live: 20 questions you need to answer (CABE)

xv.  Better Streets, Better Places, Delivering sustainable residential environments; PPG3 and highway adoption.  ODPM 2003

xvi.  Safer Places: The Planning System and Crime Prevention: ODPM & Home Office. 2004

xvii.  Living Places: Cleaner, safer, greener, ODPM 2002

xviii.  Place Check Questionnaire: Urban Design Alliance

xix.  Design Reviewed Urban Housing: CABE (2004)

b)  Housing Guidance

i.  Housing Design Handbook. BRE (1993)

ii.  Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing April 2007

iii.  Lifetime Homes. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation

iv.  Better Neighbourhoods: Making higher densities work (2005)

v.  Perceptions of Privacy and Density in Housing: Design for Homes, Popular Housing Research

vi.  Affordable Housing- Better by Good Design. Housing Corporation & CABE (2003)

vii.  Housing Layout - Lifting the Quality.  Planning Officers Society, The House Builders Federation & DETR. 1998

viii.  Planning for Sunlight and Daylight, BRE

ix.  CABE Space (2004) Green space strategies: a good practice guide

x.  Design & Quality Standards.  Housing Corporation, April 2007.

c)  Transportation and infrastructure guidance

i.  PPG13: Highway Considerations in Development Control.  DETR, 2001

ii.  Tomorrow's Roads: Safer for Everyone: DETR  2000

iii.  Places, Streets & Movement: A Companion Guide to Design Bulletin 32. Residential Roads& Footpaths. DETR (1998)

iv.  Home Zones: A Planning and Design Handbook: Mike Biddulph

v.  Home Zone Design Guidelines: Institute of Highway Engineers (2002)

vi.  Inclusive Mobility: A guide to best practice on access to pedestrian and transport infrastructure.  Department for Transport, (DFT) 2002

vii.  Planning and Access for Disabled People: A good practice guide. ODPM London 2003

viii.  Manual for Streets. CLG and DoT

ix.  Car Parking: What works where. English Partnerships

d)  Sustainable development guidance

i.  Building Sustainability: how to plan and construct new housing for the 21st century: TCPA, WWF

ii.  [Sustainable Construction Policy]15

iii.  Planning for Passive Solar Design: BRECSU (BRE), DTI, DETR

iv.  Environmental Site Layout Planning: Solar Access, Micro climate and Passive Cooling in Urban Areas: BRE, JOULE DETR

v.  The Green Guide to Housing Specification. BRE

vi.  A Sustainability Checklist for Developments.  BRE, DTRL, DTI

vii.  The Green Guide to Specification. BRE

viii.  A Sustainability Checklist for Developments: A Common Framework for Developers and Local Authorities: BRE, DTRL, DTI

ix.  Code for Sustainable Homes: DCLG, BRE, April 2007.

x.  English Partnerships: Space for Growth

xi.  ODPM (2003) Sustainable communities: building for the future ODPM (2004) Creating sustainable communities: greening the gateway, a greenspace strategy for Thames Gateway

xii.  ODPM (2005) Creating sustainable communities: greening the gateway implementation plan

e) Landscape and Public Open Space

i.  Adherence to BS3882:1965 - Recommendations and Classification for Top Soil

ii.  Adherence to BS5370-3:1991 Maintenance of Amenity and Functional Turf

iii.  European Standards for Playground Equipment: EN1176 and EN1177.

iv.  CABE (2004) Housing audit, assessing the design quality of new homes

v.  CABE (2004) Public attitudes to architecture and public space: transforming neighbourhoods

vi.  CABE Space (2005) What are we scared of? The value of risk in designing public space

vii.  CABE Space (2004) A guide to producing park and green space management plans

viii.  CABE Space (2005) Start With The Park

ix.  Clean Neighbourhoods and Environmental Act 2005

x.  Control of Weeds, Section 14 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

xi.  Control of Injurious Weeds, Weeds Act 1959

xii.  Dunnett, N, Swanwick, C and Woolley, H (2002) Improving urban parks, play areas and green spaces, London, DTLR. To download a copy visit www.odpm.gov.uk

xiii.  DTLR (2002) Green spaces, better places - final report of the Urban Green Spaces Taskforce. To download a copy visit www.odpm.gov.uk

xiv.  English Nature (2004) Providing accessible natural greenspace in towns and cities, a practical guide to assessing the resource and implementing local standards for provision. To download a copy visit www.english-nature.org.uk

xv.  Environmental Protection Act 1990: Code of practice on Litter and Refuse

xvi.  Local Nature Reserves (LNRs): status, declaration and management

xvii.  NPFA (2001) The six acre standard, minimum standards for outdoor playing space, London, NPFA

xviii.  Mayor's Draft Supplementary Planning Guidance 'Preparing for Children and Young People's Play and Informal Recreation.

xix.  ODPM (2002) Planning policy guidance 17, planning for open space, sport and recreation

xx.  ODPM (2002) Assessing needs and opportunities: planning policy guidance 17 companion guide

xxi.  ODPM (2002) Over the garden fence

xxii.  ODPM London (2002) The Right Hedge for you

xxiii.  Urban Parks Forum (2001) Public parks assessment. To download a copy visit www.green-space.org.uk

xxiv.  Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA)

f)  Accessibility

i.  Accessible Environments: Designing for the accessibility

ii.  ODPM: Developing Accessible Play Space (2003)

iii.  Selwyn Goldsmith: Designing for the Disabled

____________________________________________________________________________________________

14 The guidance listed within this section should be reviewed on each occasion as updates and new guidance is constantly being issued.  Furthermore, the project specific circumstances should be considered when determining whether or not it is reasonable to expect the Contractor to comply with any listed guidance.

15 As produced by the Authority.