Barking and Dagenham - BP11: Urban Design

Policy information sourced from Barking and Dagenham Borough Wide Development Policies DPD

POLICY BP11: URBAN DESIGN

Having regard to their layout and function, the design of buildings and layout of new development should comply with the following principles:

Protect or enhance the character and amenity of the area.
Maintain residential amenity.
Avoid segregation and provide integrated public spaces for physical activity and recreation.
To provide attractive, high quality architecture and landscaping.
To provide accessible and inclusive features in the development (including access to the site and access to and through the building) so that all potential users, regardless of disability or age can use them easily.
To provide durable, flexible and adaptable buildings.
To encourage design that improves health.
To provide safe environments that reduce the fear of crime and improve crime prevention (please refer to Borough Wide Development Policy BC7: Crime Prevention for further details).
To incorporate sustainable design and construction features as an intrinsic part of the design of new development (please refer to Core Strategy Policy CR1: Climate Change and Environmental Management for further details).
To sensitively balance sustainable development considerations with the need to preserve and enhance the Borough’s historic environment.
To provide waste facilities (including recycling and composting facilities) in appropriate locations on-site with appropriate access to these locations for site-servicing.
To protect views, vistas and landmarks in relation to buildings.
To configure site and building design and layout to minimise and mitigate any impact on flood risk and water quality (please refer also to Core Strategy Policy CR4: Flood Management and Borough Wide Development Policy BR4: Water Resource Management for further details).
Renewable energy features should wherever possible be an intrinsic part of the overall building design and should be located so as to anticipate any likely or potential future developments on adjacent sites, in order to ensure long term effectiveness.
Wherever possible, new development should avoid having a negative impact on the ability of surrounding properties to capture natural light and airflow for renewable technology purposes. However, this will be balanced with wider social, economic and environmental objectives that the development will contribute to reducing the impacts of climate change.

The design of the public realm should comply with the following principles:

To avoid segregation and provide integrated public spaces for physical activity and recreation within and external to development.
To provide public spaces and public routes that are attractive, uncluttered and work effectively for all in society, regardless of disability or age.
To promote accessibility and local permeability by making places that are easy to move through and connect with one another. A priority of pedestrian-oriented modes over automobile use and an integration of land use and transport is key.
To naturalise and green the urban environment through an interconnected network of parks, open spaces, tree-lined streets, wildlife corridors, woodlands, pedestrian and cycle routes (please refer to Core Strategy Policy CM3: Public Open Spaces for further details).
To provide attractive, useable, durable, flexible and adaptable public spaces (includes facility provision such as seating, public art, lighting, cycle stands and signage).
To provide a ‘sense of place’ in appropriate locations by creating landmarks, gateways and places that are a focus for community civic activity.
To protect views, vistas and landmarks in relation to buildings.
To provide safe environments that improve crime prevention and reduce ‘fear of crime’.
To encourage active frontages at ground level to public spaces.
To respect the local context, historic environment, and urban and landscape character of the area as set out in the Urban Design Framework SPD and the Barking Town Centre Area Action Plan Urban Design Guidance SPD and Conservation Area Appraisals/Management Plans.
To provide, where practical, tranquil spaces where the impact of noise is minimised and mitigated (for example through the use of low-noise road surfaces, and guiding late-night activities to suitable areas).

For more information please see the Borough Wide Development Policies DPD