Policy information sourced from the Bracknell Forest Local Plan 2024-2037 document.

LP 50: Design.

In meeting the objectives of Policy LP 28 ‘Design principles’, applicants will need to consider the detailed design matters set out below. Proposals will be supported where they:

  • include a full site appraisal that informs the proposal, assessing the site’s context and identifying it’s assets of visual, ecological or heritage value;
  • ensure layouts make efficient use of land, having regard to the character of the area/location and other factors affecting good design;
  • demonstrate that proper consideration of the topography of the site and levels on and around the site have informed the design and that views into and out of the site have been considered;
  • include high quality hard and soft landscaping to assist in enhancing and defining the character and legibility of the area; this will include street trees and planting to enhance the visual amenity of streets;
  • relate well to their location and surroundings through their siting, scale (including height and massing), form, roofscape, design and materials, and in relation to adjoining buildings, spaces and views;
  • do not adversely affect the amenity of surrounding properties;
  • retain existing assets on a site that have a visual, ecological or heritage value in the local environment or are of a quality that is worthy of retention. Where reasonable, these features should be enhanced within their setting; this includes trees, hedgerows, important open areas, gaps in frontages, walls, fences, banks and other features of quality and/or visual importance or that inform local character;
  • provide acceptable levels of privacy and standards of daylight and sunlight that do not adversely affect the amenity of the locality or surrounding properties, particularly in relation to shadowing and overlooking;
  • include appropriate, high quality, public open space and an appropriate amount of usable private amenity space for all dwellings, including communal gardens and/or balconies for apartments;
  • can demonstrate that the design, layout and orientation of buildings positively contribute to reducing the impacts of climate change, including planting schemes to provide shade and green roofs and roof gardens, particularly in higher density developments;
  • provide inclusive, safe and well-designed places for all that provide ease of access to, and within, all new development and infrastructure. This should include appropriate facilities for disabled people and those with mobility issues and, where reasonable, improve access and facilities when alterations are being made to publicly used buildings or open spaces;
  • provide appropriate boundary treatments which respond to local features and characteristics and clearly define the public and private realms;
  • incorporate well designed facilities for the storage and efficient collection of waste and recyclable materials;
  • ensure good natural surveillance of public and private routes and spaces, with appropriate lighting, being sensitive to the impacts on biodiversity and the character of the area; particularly in rural and semi-rural parts of the Borough.

For more information, including information on the referenced policies, please visit Bracknell Forest’s Local Plan document here.