Policy information sourced from Brentwood Local Plan

BE14: Creating Successful Places

Proposals will be required to meet high design standards and deliver safe, inclusive, attractive and accessible places. Proposals should:

  • provide a comprehensive design approach that delivers a high quality, safe, attractive, inclusive, durable and healthy places in which to live and work;
  • make efficient use of land and infrastructure;
  • deliver sustainable buildings, places and spaces that can adapt to changing social technological, economic, environmental and climate conditions;
  • create permeable, accessible and multifunctional streets and places that promotes active lifestyles;
  • respond positively and sympathetically to their context and build upon existing strengths and characteristics, and where appropriate, retain or enhance existing features which make a positive contribution to the character, appearance or significance of the local area (including natural and heritage assets);
  • integrate and enhance the natural environment by the inclusion of features which will endure for the life of the development, such as planting to enhance biodiversity, the provision of green roofs, green walls and nature based sustainable drainage;
  • where applicable, ensure that new streets are tree-lined and opportunities are taken to incorporate trees elsewhere in developments;
  • employ the use of high-quality street furniture, boundary treatments, lighting, signage, high quality materials and finishes to help create a durable development with local distinctiveness;
  • avoid unacceptable overlooking or loss of privacy;
  • safeguard the living conditions of future occupants of the development and adjacent residents;
  • sensitively integrate parking places and functional needs for storage, refuse and recycling collection points;
  • mitigate the impact of air, noise, vibration and light pollution from internal and external sources, especially in intrinsically dark landscapes and residential areas.

Proposals for major development should be supported by an area specific masterplan. Where appropriate, the Council will consider the use of a complementary design guide/code, to help guide the necessary design coherence across the entire development site. Design proposals will be expected to:

  • demonstrate early, proactive, inclusive and effective engagement with the community and other relevant partners;
  • have regard to Supplementary Planning Documents and Guidance published by the Council, Essex County Council and other relevant bodies;
  • address feedback from the Council through its Pre-application Advice Service and where appropriate, feedback from an independent Design Review Panel.

Development proposals should be supported by a statement setting out the sustainable long-term governance and stewardship arrangements for the maintenance of supporting infrastructure including community assets, and open spaces; the statement should be proportionate to the scale of the scheme and quantum of infrastructure being delivered.

For more information please see the Local Plan