Policy information sourced from the Lewisham Local Plan

QD2 Inclusive and safe design

Strategic Objectives:

G Healthy and safe communities.

A It is imperative that people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities are able to move with ease throughout the Borough, and within buildings and spaces, as well as to feel safe in their surroundings wherever they are. An Inclusive Design Statement should be a component of a Design and Access Statement when a Design and Access Statement is required. An Inclusive Design Statement should demonstrate how the design of a scheme will contribute to delivering inclusive, accessible, safe and secure environments in Lewisham.

B Development proposals must respond positively to the diversity and varied needs of Lewisham’s population and promote social cohesion by:

  • Ensuring buildings and spaces are designed to be entered, used and exited safely, easily and with dignity for all;
  • Ensuring buildings and spaces are designed to be inclusive to all with no disabling barriers that inhibit, restrict or prevent convenient access and use, including by occupants of different tenure types;
  • Incorporating measures that allow for easy adaptation of buildings and spaces to help meet the different and changing needs of users over the lifetime of the development;
  • Delivering a high quality public realm, in line with Policy QD3 (Public realm and connecting places); and
  • Applying ‘Secured by Design’ principles.

C Where development proposals incorporate perimeter or external gates, the use of these must be justified for reasons of public health and safety. Where gates are considered by the Council to be acceptable in principle, these must be of a high quality design and sensitively integrated into the development. Planning contributions and/or legal agreements may be used to secure the appropriate management of gates, and to help ensure they do not unnecessarily restrict public access to buildings and spaces, including the public realm.

Accessible and inclusive housing

D To help ensure that housing is designed to meet the varied requirements of Lewisham’s resident population development proposals incorporating new residential units must ensure that:

  • At least 10 per cent of dwellings meet Building Regulation requirement M4(3) ‘wheelchair user dwellings’; and
  • All other dwellings meet Building Regulation requirement M4(2) ‘accessible and adaptable dwellings’.

E Development proposals for housing must be designed to maximise tenure integration and be ‘tenure neutral’, having regard to the National Design Guide or latest equivalent.

F Where development proposals for housing include provision of communal private amenity space or facilities this should be designed and appropriately managed in a way that allows for access by all residents occupying the development, regardless of tenure.

Adapting historic buildings and other heritage assets

G Where adaptations to an historic building or other heritage asset is proposed to make the building or space more inclusive and safe, development proposals will be supported where they preserve or enhance the significance of the asset and its setting.

For more information and policy context please see the Lewisham Local Plan