A high quality urban environment results from the complex inter-relationships of a range of factors including building form, urban grain, architectural style, street frontages, spaces, greenery, activities and circulation/movement patterns. The Council expects high standards of urban design. All new development proposals should seek to create successful, meaningful and memorable buildings and spaces.

1. To achieve high standards of urban design, new development will be expected to:

(a) respond to its context (see policy DES 1: Reinforcing Local Character and Identity);

 

(b) reinforce or enhance the established (or proposed) urban or suburban character, including density and urban grain;

 

(c) reinforce the scale and character of main road corridors and their key node and focal points. Development should respect existing building lines and have the principal means of access to building(s) located on the street frontage. Developments that do not relate to the street will be discouraged;

(d) contribute to a safe and secure environment by providing surveillance for paths, streets and public spaces. Vulnerable, unsupervised areas or paths should be avoided;

 

(e) integrate with the existing street pattern as appropriate and provide choice and convenience of movement for pedestrians and cyclists;

 

(f) ensure that parking provision is considered as an integral element of the design. Visual impact should be minimised and attention should be given to edge design adjacent to main roads. Pedestrian safety should be taken into account in all schemes;

(g) make a clear distinction between public and private space whilst protecting private space;

 

(h) avoid difficult to maintain common areas; and

 

(i) take account of the criteria in policy DES 3: Building Design and Materials.

2. Encouragement will be given to:

(a) the location of shops, businesses and social and community facilities along main roads accessible by public transport, particularly at key nodes and focal points, as a means of strengthening their role as places of interest and centres of community and social activity;

 

(b) mixed uses and higher density/scale developments at key nodes and focal points (both existing and proposed) and in the vicinity of appropriate rail stations; and

(c) co-ordinated frontage and appropriate boundary treatment, particularly along main road corridors, in residential, shopping and industrial areas, and screen or boundary planting at key or sensitive locations.

3. In new residential developments, the following principles should also be followed:

(a) the design criteria set out in policy RES 2: Residential Site Layouts;

 

(b) buildings should face through routes and side streets giving supervision to street activity and providing/promoting a feeling of security for pedestrians;

 

(c) the design should be permeable by providing through routes for pedestrians and cyclists. Larger developments should have more than one road access and seek to integrate with the surrounding street pattern. The use of too many cul-de-sacs should be avoided;

(d) traffic calming measures should be provided in residential areas to improve residential amenity and conditions for walking and cycling;

 

(e) landscape and streetscape design must be of a high quality and be considered as an integral part of the development; and

(f) there should be a clear distinction between public and private space.

Note:

1. The existing character of areas subject to regeneration and development may change (e.g. Areas of Focus). Developers should consult the Planning Authority for advice and refer to any additional guidance for these, or other, areas.

2. The Council’s Urban Design Strategy provides the background and justification for the design policies and is summarised in the City Plan Technical Note: Built Environment.