3.GUIDANCE; Design Council

9 Streets for all

Are streets designed in a way that encourage low vehicle speeds and allow them to function as social spaces?

10 Car parking

Is resident and visitor parking sufficient and well-integrated so that it does not dominate the street?

Design Council Built For Life 12.

This is an influential guidance document. Building for Life 12 (BfL 12) is the industry standard for the design of new housing developments. Design Council Cabe states that it firmly believes that housing should be attractive, functional and sustainable – the guide presents how using Building for Life 12 these outcomes.

The guidance has a useful scoring system that can be set against a development to assess whether it has met certain criteria. It uses a traffic light system rather than points score. A well-designed scheme should perform well against all 12 of the new questions – the top score being 12 Greens. The questions are under 3 main headings; Integrating into the neighbourhood, Creating a place, Street & home.

1 Connections

Does the scheme integrate into its surroundings by reinforcing existing connections and creating new ones, while also respecting existing buildings and land uses around the development site?

2 Facilities and services

Does the development provide (or is it close to) community facilities, such as shops, schools, workplaces, parks, play areas, pubs or cafes?

3 Public transport

Does the scheme have good access to public transport to help reduce car dependency?

4 Meeting local housing requirements

Does the development have a mix of housing types and tenures that suit local requirements?

5 Character

Does the scheme create a place with a locally inspired or otherwise distinctive character?

6 Working with the site and its context.

Does the scheme take advantage of existing topography, landscape features (including water courses), wildlife habitats, existing buildings, site orientation and microclimates?

7 Creating well defined streets and spaces.

Are buildings designed and positioned with landscaping to define and enhance streets and spaces and are buildings designed to turn street corners well?

8 Easy to find your way around.

Is the scheme designed to make it easy to find your way around?

11 Public and private spaces

Will public and private spaces be clearly defined and designed to be attractive, well managed and safe?

12 External storage and amenity space

Is there adequate external storage space for bins and recycling as well as vehicles and cycle?

This guidance is useful for phase 2 and influential in the decision about location particularly around the context of the proposed settlement in the landscape. It also places the development in keeping with local and national planning policy guidance. (BfL,2015)

Natural England

Natural England’s role is to provide advice to local planning authorities (LPAs) on the impacts of development on the natural environment and opportunities for environmental gains. Well-planned and designed development proposals can avoid adverse impacts on England’s protected species and irreplaceable ancient woodlands and trees, enhance existing habitats for wildlife or create new ones. In this way, development and infrastructure can make a valuable contribution to nature’s recovery. (Natural England, 2023)

Natural England gives advice and conservation objectives for specific sites across England. Natural England publish the National Character profiles of which there are 159. The wye valley and forest of dean is covered by NCA 105 Forest of Dean and Lower Wye and to the North East of the study area Severn and Avon Vales Area 106. The boundaries of the areas follow natural lines and these profiles are invaluable for making decisions about development and planning for the future. The study area is described in detail and of particular relevance to the development are the Statements of environmental opportunity of which there are 4; From NCA 105.

SEO 1: Protect and manage the extensive internationally important woodland for its biodiversity, landscape, and ability to store and sequester carbon. Provide a sustainable timber resource while recognising the woodland’s recreational value and heritage, and its contribution to a sense of place and tranquillity.

SEO 2 : Protect, manage and enhance the pastoral character of the farmland, with its ancient species-rich hedgerows, drystone walls and traditional orchards. Retain traditional management techniques on the network of small, neutral lowland meadows with its characteristic small-field structure and narrow winding lanes.

SEO 3 – Maintain and enhance the distinctive settlement pattern of small villages using local characteristic materials, ensuring future development recognises and retains the value of the area’s landscape, biodiversity, geodiversity, access and heritage. Encourage the traditional practices intrinsically associated with shaping the physical environment and culture of the area, including commoning, small-scale freemining and Forest Law.

SEO 4 – Protect and enhance assemblages of internationally important species associated with the River Wye Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and River Severn estuarine SAC, employing good land management practice throughout the Forest of Dean and Lower Wye Valley to improve water quality, reduce soil erosion and regulate water flow.

From NCA 106 Severn and Avon Vales much of the content is relevant to the study area particularly in relation to conservation of the landscape and associated biodiversity. Importantly and specifically there is reference to predicted rising sea levels and the impact that will have on the landscape;

• The drive for renewable energy means that the tidal range of the Severn may one day be exploited for renewable energy. Any energy generation scheme that altered the tidal nature of the estuary would impact heavily on the tidal reaches of the both the Severn Estuary SAC and River Wye SAC.

• Rising sea levels will put pressure on existing flood defences, this could lead to higher tidal defences being built, or opening up opportunities for more managed realignment and flood storage schemes, which could include creation of wetland habitats.

Plans for any future development would need to take these issues into account and would be a consideration in the decision about the potential location of a large new settlement.

The NCAs are explored in more detail in the site shortlisting phase and ANGSt with Fields in Trust guidance.