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Chapter 4 From Vision To Reality PDF
Chapter 4 From Vision To Reality PDF
FROM VISION
TO REALITY
Steering a project through its detailed stages
to secure planning and technical approvals is
a critical stage of delivery. Each project has
to secure approvals from many agencies,
including the local authority planning and
highways services, utility providers, building
regulations and construction codes.
Patience and determination are required to
secure these approvals in ways that enhance
the original design concepts, taking the
scheme to new levels of performance rather
than compromising and diluting it. The devil
is indeed in the detail: many potentially
excellent schemes falter at this stage and fail
to meet initial expectations.
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.1
DESIGN QUALITY AND PLANNING CONTROL
4.1.1 Urban design in the planning process
4.1.2 Working within a robust, positive planning process
4.1.3 Design evolution and outcomes for planning
4.1.4 Mechanisms to control design quality
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Project appreciation
Project management
Compiling the
evidence base
Option testing
Processing
Implementation &
monitoring
Table 4.1 Key Planning Stages (Source: ATLAS Guide: Planning for Large Scale Development)
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Assisting large scale developments
The ATLAS Guide - www.atlasplanning.com
The ATLAS Guide found at www.atlasplanning.com was established as an independent advisory service to local authorities to assist with determining
complex, large-scale projects. The website provides live up-to-date information and lessons learnt from other projects.
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Working collaboratively through planning
Barking Riverside Ltd
The planning protocol will streamline the application process with Design for London working with Barking Riverside on behalf of the three planning
authorities to ensure that submissions reflect the design parameters.
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Strengths
Provides certainty for all parties on design
requirements
Area Action Plan or other
DPD Code given primacy alongside other DPD
policy in determining applications
Certainty for all parties on design
requirements
Supplementary Planning
Document Provides opportunity for detail required
in codes
Development control
Easy to revise as required
guidelines
Can help overcome adoption issues
Revised highways
Enables inclusion of urban design principles
standards
in standards
Certainty for all parties on design
requirements
Planning condition Provides effective control over design quality
as easy to enforce
Provides flexibility to amend code
Planning obligation
Weaknesses
Table 4.2 Formalising design codes in planning key design benefits of each approach
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Planning obligations
The legal basis of planning obligations is currently set out
in section 106 of the Planning Act 1990 (as amended).
Planning obligations can be used to prescribe the nature of
development, to secure a contribution from the developer
to compensate for any loss or damage caused by a
development, or to mitigate a developments wider impact.
Obligations run with the land, and so may be enforced
against both the original covenanter and against anyone
subsequently acquiring an interest in the land.
The Heads of Terms should be established early on. These
typically include affordable housing, education, community
and institutional facilities, highway improvements, public
transport, landscape and public realm. They could also be
used to secure certain design proposals or require further
design work to be undertaken.
Design codes
One of the most powerful ways of controlling the design
content and quality of proposals through the development
control process is to require the production of design codes,
either by planning condition or obligation. See table 4.2
for options on how to formalise codes in planning. Codes
provide a means of agreeing a range of design aspects of a
scheme prior to it coming forward for detailed or reserved
matters consent. The result can be a smoother, more certain
progress through the later stages of development control.
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REFERENCES
Inclusive Design. 2007. English Partnerships
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4.2
DELIVERING THE TRANSPORT ELEMENT
4.2.1 Testing transport proposals
4.2.2 Influencing choices
4.2.3 Changing perceptions
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Cycling
Public transport
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Delivering public transport upfront
The Village, Caterham-on-the-Hill
Homes and the barracks site. During the first week the service
provided approximately 500 individual trips daily.
Contributions towards the running of the bus were included in
The Villages management fees and to encourage the use of
the facility residents, visitors and businesses were provided with
travel vouchers. These fees applied to all residents regardless of
whether they used the services and contributions were tied to the
covenants of properties and the release of the freehold on the
sale of individual properties. The Linden Homes funding ended
in September 2005. However, due to the strong demand for the
service, the shortfall has been picked up by the County Council.
A bus service linking The Village with the town centre and surrounding neighbourhoods was funded by developers to encourage the reduction in car use on
the completion of 50 homes.
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Cars
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Route coverage
Personal security
Staff attitudes
Directness of routes
Car use
Personal space and comfort
Congestion on roads
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Funding strategic transport infrastructure
Milton Keynes Tariff
Involving transport bodies in the development of the Prospectus for Growth ensured that the transport infrastructure could be coordinated effectively to
support the growth of Milton Keynes. The masterplan above shows projected growth for Central Milton Keynes.
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Changing travel patterns
Nottingham Express Transit
Long-term political support, a skilled team and a coordinated approach to the delivery of Nottingham Express Transit has reduced car dependency and
increased park and ride use by 20%.
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Establishing a city-wide cycle strategy
Vlo V, Lyon, France
Vlo V bicycles are funded by the city on a cost neutral basis in return for exclusive advertising rights on street furniture.
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Raising awareness
Simply providing transport is not necessarily enough to
ensure good levels of use. Lack of information (particularly
about routes, fares, and service and journey times) can
deter people from using alternative means of transport. The
promotion of transport systems can often be an important
part of a delivery agreement. The following are some
approaches that might be used:
Creating an identity
Branding displays, information leaflets and vehicles
associated with public transport, cycle networks and
pedestrian routes can create a consistent graphic
style and a recognisable identity.
Improving services
Where buses operate in congested areas, introduce
bus lanes to ensure that buses are the fastest form of
transport. The lanes can operate at specified times
to enable effective traffic management throughout
the day.
Users are more likely to use services that are
convenient, safe and clean. Ensure that there is
sufficient investment in safety measures (such
as CCTV and railway staff) as well as continuing
maintenance. Providing low-floor buses and
accessible bus stops will allow more people to
use buses.
Travel plans
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4.3
DELIVERING STREET AND
SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE
4.3.1 Adopting grid streets
4.3.2 Quality and safety audit
4.3.3 Adoption process
4.3.4 Why create Home Zones?
4.3.5 Utility infrastructure
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Overcoming barriers to street improvements
Kensington High Street, London
Reduction in street clutter and removal of barriers has resulted in an improved streetscape and a reduction in pedestrian accidents by 40%.
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The public highway generally consists of the road surface (the carriageway and the
footway/pavement).
Preferred ownership
Legal requirements
Section 278: provides for payment to highway authorities for highway works and their
maintenance.
Section 219: advance payments code provisions.
Section 50: requires any person or organisation (other than a statutory body) wishing to place,
retain or thereafter inspect, adjust, repair, alter or renew apparatus, or change its position,
including removing it from the highway, to obtain a street works licence.
Key considerations
and responsibilities
Preferred ownership
Legal requirements
Where a private street (including a cul-de-sac, footway, square or alley) is not adequately paved,
drained or lit, the county council can decide to execute street works and to charge the cost of
them to the owners of properties which front, abut or adjoin the street. The cost of the works is
apportioned to each property owner according to the amount of frontage to the street.
The making up of private streets to an adoption standard (whereby the county council will
assume the future maintenance liability) is covered by legislation contained in Part XI of the
Highways Act 1980. The costs of constructing a street to adoption standards must be met by the
street owners or residents.
HOME ZONES
Home Zones are streets where people and vehicles share the road space safely and on equal
terms. Quality of life takes precedence over ease of traffic movement. Home Zones are designed
to look different from conventional streets and are announced by the official Home Zone sign at
their entrances. Motorists see that they should drive very slowly and give informal priority to other
road users. Residents are encouraged to take interest and pride in their upkeep to foster a sense
of ownership for the street.
Preferred ownership
Legal requirements
Key considerations
and responsibilities
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PUBLIC FOOTPATHS
Public rights of way comprise footpaths, bridleways, restricted byways and byways open to all
traffic. All public rights of way are highways, and are shown on the definitive map held by local
highway authorities.
Footpath means a highway over which the public have a right of way on foot. Footways are the
pedestrian paths alongside a carriageway, and are often referred to as a pavement.
Preferred ownership
Legal requirements
BRIDLEWAYS
Bridleways provide a right of way on horseback, foot and bicycle. Bridleways are shown on the
definitive map held by local highway authorities. The Countryside Act 1968 gave cyclists the right
to use bridleways but they must give way to other users.
Preferred ownership
Legal requirements
CYCLEWAYS
A cycle track is defined as a way constituting or comprised in a highway, which the public have
rights of way on pedal cycles with or without a right of way on foot. Cycle tracks may be created
through conversion of a footway or footpath, or newly constructed.
Preferred ownership
Legal requirements
Having obtained the necessary consents where the footpath crosses agricultural land, and
having undertaken the required consultation process, a footpath conversion order is made by
the local highway authority. If there are unwithdrawn objections, the order has to be confirmed
by the secretary of state, if necessary after a public local inquiry. If there are no objections, or the
objections are withdrawn, the order can be confirmed by the local highway authority. Section 2
of the Cycle Tracks Act 1984 applies. The adjacent or shared-use track should be clearly signed.
The status of footpaths in certain parks and the ability to convert them to cycle use may be
determined by local or private acts of Parliament. Local park by laws may also be applicable.
A number of Londons parks are Royal Parks, where specific statutory procedures apply.
Each situation should be examined individually to establish its legal status.
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Ensuring quality art can be maintained
Bellenden Renewal Area, London
Collaboration between artists and the local authority ensured that bespoke artwork and street furniture on Bellenden Road can be easily maintained.
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Creating a Home Zone
Gun Wharf, Plymouth
The aspiration of residents and the local authority to design a Home Zone which delivers shared community space has led to the transformation of Gun Wharf
into an award-winning scheme.
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2.
3.
REFERENCES
Manual for Streets. 2007. CLG and Department for Transport
www.placecheck.info
Institution of Highways and Transportation Road Safety Audits
HD 19/94 and HA 42/94
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4.4
CONSTRUCTING QUALITY PLACES
4.4.1 Construction quality
4.4.2 Sustainable construction
4.4.3 Living with construction
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Ensuring construction quality
Ancoats Urban Village, Manchester
Continuous involvement and monitoring by the design team and Manchester City Council has ensured a high standard of construction quality across
the development.
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Building demonstration houses
SMARTLife Housing
Homes using the polarwall insulated concrete formwork system are being constructed alongside those using traditional block construction, which enables
accurate comparison of construction process and lifetime performance.
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Committing to high standards
Regents Square, Grappenhall
Commitment to quality, effective supervision and investment in training ensured that the quality standards set out in the development agreement were met at
Regents Square.
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Delivering amenities early
Greenwich Millennium Village, London
The early provision of a primary school in Greenwich Millennium Village has helped to link existing and new communities, and acts as a focus for
community activity.
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2.
3.
REFERENCES
Designed for Manufacture: Lessons Learnt. 2006.
English Partnerships and CLG
Construction site waste The real costs and benefits available
from waste reduction. 2003. Tait. P.D. & Swaffield. L.M.
Making Money from Sustainable Homes: A Developers Guide.
2006 Elliot Carter
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