Policy information sourced from the Reigate & Banstead Local Plan - Development Management Plan

DES1: Design of new development

All new development will be expected to be of a high quality design that makes a positive contribution to the character and appearance of its surroundings. Planning permission will be granted for new development where it meets the following criteria:

  1. Promotes and reinforces local distinctiveness and respects the character of the surrounding area, including positive physical characteristics of local neighbourhoods and the visual appearance of the immediate street scene.
  2. Uses high quality materials, landscaping and building detailing.
  3. Has due regard to the layout, density, plot sizes, building siting, scale, massing, height, and roofscapes of the surrounding area, the relationship to neighbouring buildings, and important views into and out of the site.
  4. Provides street furniture/trees and public art where it would enhance the public realm and/or reinforce a sense of place.
  5. Provides an appropriate environment for future occupants whilst not adversely impacting upon the amenity of occupants of existing nearby buildings, including by way of overbearing, obtrusiveness, overshadowing, overlooking and loss of privacy.
  6. Creates a safe environment, incorporating measures to reduce opportunities for crime and maximising opportunities for natural surveillance of public places. Developments should incorporate measures and principles recommended by Secured by Design.
  7. Provides for accessible and sensitively designed and located waste and recycling bin storage in accordance with the Council’s guidance document ‘Making Space for Waste’.
  8. Incorporates appropriate landscaping to mitigate the impact, and complement the design, of new development. Schemes should:
    1. protect and enhance natural features by:
      1. incorporating existing landscaping into scheme design where feasible.
      2. integrating new landscaping, both hard and soft, and boundary treatments which use appropriate local materials and/or species.
    2. Provide details about how future maintenance of existing and new landscape works will be managed. Where necessary, conditions will be used to secure the delivery of landscaping schemes, protection of natural features during the course of development and requirements for replacement planting.
  9. Achieves, where applicable, an appropriate transition from the urban to the rural.
  10. Makes adequate provision for access, servicing, circulation and turning space, and parking, taking account of the impact on local character and residential amenity, including the visual impact of parked vehicles (see also TAP1).
  11. Is accessible and inclusive for all users, including for people with disabilities or mobility constraints (See also DES7).
  12. Respects aerodrome safeguarding requirements.

For more information please see the Reigate & Banstead Development Management Plan