Development and regeneration

NOT FOR CIRCULATION

Housing Standards Handbook
A good practice guide to design quality for affordable housing providers
Contents
Foreword 2
Acknowledgements 3
Part I Introduction
The purpose of this handbook 5
The role of standards in promoting good design 10
Government policy on housing standards 13
Taking a long-term view 19
Part II The standards
1.0 Placemaking and the public realm 26
1.1 Site appraisal 28
1.2 Landscape and climate 31
1.3 Urban design 34
1.4 Density and scale 37
1.5 Dwelling mix, tenure and typology 40
1.6 Streets and parking 42
1.7 Building form and composition 47
1.8 Open space and play 49
1.9 Ecology and biodiversity 54
1.10 SuDs and surface water run-off 56
2.0 Communal spaces 62
2.1 Approach routes and entrances 63
2.2 Circulation areas, lifts and stairs 66
2.3 Outdoor amenity spaces 69
2.4 Undercroft and underground parking 72
2.5 Bike and bin storage and other ancillary spaces 73
2.6 Utilities, meters and communications technology 75
2.7 Special considerations in mixed-use buildings 77
3.0 The home 79
3.1 Space standards 80
3.2 Internal layout 82
3.3 Accessibility (Category 1, 2 and 3 dwellings) 85
3.4 Security 87
3.5 Thermal comfort 89
3.6 Water efficiency 92
3.7 Soundproofing 94
3.8 Privacy from overlooking 95
3.9 Aspect and orientation 96
3.10 Daylight and sunlight 97
3.11 Ventilation and air quality 99
3.12 Overheating 102
3.13 Private outdoor space and external storage 104
3.14 Accommodating diversity 107
3.15 Aftercare and home user guides 109
Part III Managing the design process
Overview of the client’s role 112
Key parts of the process 115
Dealing with different development scenarios 118
Appendices
Appendix A: Summary of Part II Standards 124
Appendix B: Typical tenure variations 139
Appendix C: Furniture schedule 141
Appendix D: Kitchen design: good practice principles 144
Appendix E: Accessibility: examples of compliant
layouts at Category 2 and 3 145
Appendix F: Energy: further detail on a good
practice approach 151
Appendix G: Window design: what to consider 161
Appendix H: Checklist of client’s job management
responsibilities 166
Appendix I: Checklist of client’s Construction
(Design and Management) (CDM)
responsibilities 170
Appendix J: Housing Standards Review:
further detail 172
Appendix K: Metrics and measurement 180
Glossary 182
References and further reading 197
Foreword
Our publications regarding housing standards have been considered as the go-to guides since they
were first published in 1998. The most recent edition, Standards and quality in development, was
published in 2008. Since this time, the world of planning policy and housing standards has been apace
with change and following the Housing Standards Review earlier this year we thought it was time to
update the guide.
The National Housing Federation is proud to present the new and improved Housing Standards
Handbook, which reflects the latest standards and best practice. It is easy to navigate and each chapter
breaks down the standards to show whether standards are applied nationally or locally, along with
some best practice guidance. There is a checklist in the appendices containing all the standards listed
in the book – this provides a useful tool for use throughout the lifecycle of a project.
Housing associations are committed to building high quality homes and places that residents can be
proud of. In the last edition, I wrote that we have a role to play in continuing to raise benchmarks not
simply amongst the affordable housing sector, but across the whole housebuilding industry. Recent
changes to the planning system, and the urgency to get more homes built mean that this is more
important than ever to ensure that increased delivery does not impact on quality.
Thanks must go to authors Levitt Bernstein, and also to many of our members who have taken the
time to review drafts and input into the new version, in ensuring that it is relevant and reliable. We
hope, like the previous versions, this proves an invaluable resource which continues to help us improve
the quality of the places we create and live.

David Orr
Chief Executive
National Housing Federation

2
Acknowledgements
The authors Special thanks also go to:
Levitt Bernstein is an architectural practice n Sarah Allan, Design Council CABE
with expertise in urban design, landscape
n Brian Quinn, Design Council CABE
architecture, sustainability and research. Housing
accounts for the majority of their projects, with n Julia Wallace, Design Council CABE
social housing particularly close to their hearts,
n Members of the London Technical Group
but they are also active in many other sectors,
including arts and education. n National Housing Federation members,
including:
Acknowledged experts in the field of housing
standards, Levitt Bernstein use their experience – Emma Hickling, Rooftop Housing Group
to test theories, advise government and other
– Susan May, Affinity Sutton
organisations, contribute to national debate and
help shape housing policy. Most importantly, – Dave Norris, Family Mosaic
they make sure that this accumulated knowledge
– Marie Riordan, Stonewater Ltd
shines through in the homes and places they
create. They know that good design enriches – Mike Watts, The Guinness Partnership
lives and adds value beyond its cost, with nothing
n Jane Briginshaw, Homes and
demonstrating this more powerfully than good
Communities Agency
housing. For this reason, we are delighted that
Levitt Bernstein have authored this handbook for n Amy Simmons, Homes and Communities
the National Housing Federation. Agency
The work has been led by Julia Park, Head n Joris Van der Starre, Homes and
of Housing Research. Other members of the Communities Agency
drafting team include Clare Murray, Head
n Nick Powell, Waltham Forest Council
of Sustainability, Glyn Tully, Head of Urban
Design, Andy Jobling, Technical Manager, n Dhruv Sookhoo, Newcastle University
and Kate Digney, Associate, who leads their
Cover illustration produced by Richard Hind for
landscape team.
Southwark Council. Other images supplied by
Levitt Bernstein.

3
4
Part I
Introduction

The purpose of this handbook

n Why now?
n What it covers
n Its status and how it relates to other documents
n How to use it

The role of standards in promoting good design

n Why design matters
n How standards help
n Voluntary consumer-focused initiatives

Government policy on housing standards

n Background
n The National Planning Policy Framework
n The Housing Standards Review (2012-15)

Taking a long-term view

n Designing for low management and maintenance
n Service charges
n Future-proofing

5
The purpose of this handbook
Why now?
The issue of housing standards has never been
straightforward and has often been controversial.
The last five years has brought unprecedented
change, not only to the standards themselves, but
also to the regimes that own, manage and assess
them, and the tenures to which they apply.
Many of these recent changes result directly from
the Housing Standards Review (HSR), conducted
by the coalition Government (2010-15) as part of
its wider, deregulatory agenda to cut red tape. It
concluded in March 2015 and the most significant
outcomes include:
n the abolition of national funding standards in
March 2014 (Homes and Communities Agency
(HCA) Design and Quality Standards assessed
through the Housing Quality Indicators (HQIs))
n the winding down of the Code for
Sustainable Homes
n the consolidation of all ‘technical’ housing
standards into the Building Regulations
n the introduction of an optional, cross tenure
‘Nationally Described Space Standard’
These changes came into force through planning
and Building Regulations on 1 October 2015. The
next section and Appendix J give more detail on
the HSR, including implementation and transition,
and the standards themselves are covered in
Part II.
6
In July 2015, the Government reversed its
decision to require new housing to reach Zero
Carbon (ZC) standards by 2016. The requirements
of Part L 2013 of the Building Regulations
will therefore remain the national targets for
energy efficiency and CO2 reduction for the
foreseeable future.
The full impact of recent policy changes will not
be known for some time and further changes
cannot be ruled out, so this handbook inevitably
represents a snapshot in time. But, in the
wake of significant reductions in grant and
welfare benefits, a redefinition of affordable
rent, and plans to extend Right to Buy to
housing association tenants, this is a pivotal
time for affordable housing. Everyone involved
with housing today knows that the pressure
for numbers is enormous. This is bound to
threaten quality and makes the role of housing
associations and local planning authorities
(LPAs) more important than ever. It is therefore
a good moment to pull together the standards
and regulations that apply to new housing and
consider how to achieve more for less.
What it covers
The handbook considers the role that standards
play in securing the quality of new build housing.
It includes aspects of housing regulation,
particularly in subject areas that have until
recently been included in funding standards or

local planning policy documents, or both. These
areas are primarily internal space, accessibility,
security, energy and water. Although the primary
focus is affordable housing, it is relevant to all
other tenures too.
The standards in Part II are set out in
three sections:
Section 1.0 Placemaking and the public realm
Section 2.0 Communal spaces
Section 3.0 The home
The sequence mirrors the design process. This
generally starts with the site, in the context of the
wider neighbourhood, and establishes the early
landscape and urban design principles before
moving into block layouts, and on to the detail of
individual homes.
The process is never strictly linear and schemes
are often progressed at different levels
simultaneously. The handbook works in a similar
way. It reads logically from start to finish but
each section, and subsection, aims to work as a
self-contained resource, cross-referencing other
related parts.
Not all standards are mandatory, and not all are
equally important. In broad terms, they can be
categorised into four main groups, as follows:
A. Nationally defined and universally applied:
requirements that apply everywhere and
are non-negotiable (essentially baseline
Building Regulations).
B. Nationally defined and locally applied:
requirements that apply at the discretion of an
Part I Introduction
LPA, or the Greater London Authority (GLA),
including the new nationally described space
standard and ‘optional requirements’ for
accessibility and water efficiency.
C. Locally defined and locally applied:
typically referred to as local planning policy
requirements. As these vary across the
country, they cannot be included.
D. Additional good practice standards: extra
requirements that remain at the discretion
of the client and the project team. These
are bespoke (written specifically for this
document) but draw heavily on existing good
practice guidance, including GLA standards
(from the London Housing SPG, 2012)
where relevant.
Because Group C standards vary across the
country, the handbook only covers standards
from groups A, B and D.
Throughout the text, the term ‘standards’
has been used as convenient shorthand for
‘principles’, ‘standards’, ‘regulations’ and
‘requirements’ but the distinction has been made
where necessary. The balance of standards
varies across the three sections. Those for
Section 1.0 (Placemaking and the public realm)
are mostly from Group D and should be regarded
as design principles rather than standards.
Section 2.0 (Communal spaces) and Section
3.0 (The home) include the nationally defined
standards and regulations from Groups A and
B, and the additional good practice standards
(Group D) are more definitive and more
technical here.
7
The emphasis is on design in the pre-planning
stages. The handbook does not attempt to cover
specification, highly technical or ‘health and
safety issues’. Topics such as structure, means
of escape, drainage, resistance to moisture and
electrical safety are therefore outside the scope
of this document, though they are mentioned. The
standards represent a ‘good practice,’ rather than
a ‘best practice’ approach, recognising that the
most successful standards are not necessarily
always the highest.
Part III provides an overview of the design
process from the client’s perspective with an
emphasis on the role of standards. It touches
on some aspects of procurement and considers
different types of ‘development scenarios’,
including Section 106 partnerships.
A series of appendices provide checklists and
further detail on key topics.
Its status and how it relates to
other documents
The handbook sets a comprehensive but realistic
benchmark for good design by pulling together
important information from other sources as
well as providing new insights. Definitive in
scope, it is also partly a directory, building on the
best of what already exists and signposting to
other resources.
Many of the Group D additional good practice
standards come directly, or indirectly, from
other documents such as Building for Life 12,
London Housing SPG 2012, Secured by Design and
8
the discontinued Code for Sustainable Homes. In
that sense, there is little here that is completely
new, but existing standards have been critically
examined and considered alongside new and
emerging research and evidence in areas such
as overheating, daylight and air quality, where
knowledge continues to develop.
It has no official status in terms of securing
funding, or planning, or Building Regulations
approval, though it deals with many of the issues
that must be satisfied under the various stages of
the development control process.
How to use it
The handbook is particularly aimed at housing
associations, local authorities and other
affordable housing providers with some
experience in the housing sector. However, it will
also be useful to designers and other members
of the project team, suitable for students and
others with little or no experience, and valuable
to anyone with an interest in housing.
It can be adopted as a briefing tool, used to
support design reviews and compliance checking,
employed as training resource or aide memoire,
or referenced for advice on specific topics.
Taken together, the standards provide a
consistent starting point for a project brief. Group
A standards are non-negotiable, Groups B and C
address local planning requirements, (Group C
standards need to be added on a project-by-
project basis) and Group D are discretionary
standards which clients can adopt to address
 Part I Introduction
gaps in the required standards and enhance the
quality of their schemes.
This will save time, allow the team to focus on the
opportunities and challenges that are specific to
the project and help to achieve consistent results
and approaches. It will also ensure that all issues
are given due consideration from the start. Many
schemes demonstrate exemplary practice in one
or more respects but relatively few do everything
well and, all too often, some issues are either left
too late or overlooked. To a degree, trade-offs
are inevitable but not in basic areas of amenity.
Good daylight, for example, does not compensate
for poor soundproofing. Having said that, it
is important that the handbook is not simply
referenced in briefs or Employer’s Requirements
(ERs) as something to be ‘complied with’ because
this could be committing the client to more
than the budget can afford, or run the risk of
not paying enough attention to the particular
circumstances.
Ultimately of course, the handbook is for
residents: the people who benefit most from
good quality housing. Affordable housing is
expected to be fully occupied, often by people
with higher needs but less housing choice. It is
imperative that it remains functional, manageable
and desirable over time and meets the needs of
successive households. Adopting these standards
as the minimum benchmark for all new housing
would be a hugely positive step.

9
The role of standards in promoting good design
Why design matters
Design is often perceived as being only about how
something looks, but it goes far beyond that. Over
2000 years ago, the Roman architect, Vitruvius,
defined three essential principles of architectural
design: Firmness, Commodity and Delight. The
message still resonates – buildings need to last,
to work and to make us feel well and happy.
When it comes to housing, good design can,
quite literally, transform the lives of individuals,
families and communities.
Good Design – it all adds up, a report produced by
RIBA in 2011, sums up the value of well-designed
housing as follows:
Nowhere do we feel the benefit of good design more
than in our own homes and the spaces around them.
We eat, sleep, work, rest and play here. In an increasingly
complex and rapidly changing world, our homes represent
stability and security. As more of us now work from home,
the division between work and home becomes more blurred.
For thousands of years, people have designed and built their
own habitats, to fit their own needs. Today, when our homes
and neighbourhoods are created independently of us, they
can often fail to provide the flexibility, functionality, comfort,
privacy or freedom that we need, and our quality of life can
suffer. And if a home fails to withstand the test of time – or
the market changes – that negative impact on our lives can
be prolonged.
We know what makes a good home. It should offer enough
room to accommodate its occupants and their lifestyles
in comfort, in a peaceful, secure, private space, and use
energy efficiently. Its surroundings or neighbourhood should
provide a balance between private, semi-private and public
space, and offer all residents easy, unfettered access.1
The report cites the growing body of evidence
that backs up what most of us instinctively feel
– that well designed spaces are good for our
health and general wellbeing. Research has
shown that access to green space is beneficial
to people’s health, regardless of their economic
circumstances, and that how well green space is
used is directly related to its quality.2 Evidence
from deprived areas with higher levels of physical
inactivity among residents has shown that:
investing in the quality of parks and green spaces is
an important way to tackle inequalities in health and
wellbeing’.3
Poor housing is also costly. In 2010, the Building
Research Establishment (BRE) reported that
almost a quarter (4.8 million) of homes in
England contain defects that can give rise to
Category 1 hazards as measured by the Housing
Health and Safety Rating System. These are
hazards that can lead to serious health risks such
as cardio-respiratory disease, stroke, asthma
and even death caused by falls, excess cold and

1 RIBA, Good design – it all adds up

2 Mitchell R and Popham F (2008), Effect of exposure to natural environment on health inequalities: an observational population study,
(The Lancet, vol 372)
3 CABE, Urban green nation: building the evidence base

10

other events. Estimates put the cost to the NHS
of these hazards at £600m per year, and the cost
to individuals and society from loss of earnings
alone, at £1.5bn per year.4
While residents often pay the highest price, poor
design also impacts on the wider community,
and the environment. Carbon emissions have
no respect for development boundaries, and, as
CABE points out:
No building exists only for the people who paid for it
or live in it. Streets and parks affect us all’.5
How standards help
The vast majority of new housing is designed for
people who will not have had a direct say in the
process or been able to influence the outcome.
Inevitably therefore, clients and designers have
to rely on generic, good practice principles rather
than produce individually tailored solutions.
As a result, some design issues receive less
consideration than they deserve and corners
are cut. This is a particular risk when (as now)
demand exceeds supply, margins are tight, or
profit the end goal. It is under conditions like
these that standards are most needed, yet also
most likely to be cut.
Housing standards fall into two main categories.
Mandatory baseline standards (including most
regulations) are primarily intended to act as
4 Ormandy D and Ambrose P (2010), The Real Cost of Poor Housing, (BRE Trust Report FB23, BRE Press)
5 CABE, Good Design: the fundamentals
Part I Introduction
a safeguard against unacceptable outcomes.
Voluntary, good practice standards are for those
who wish to go further but they often form the
basis of future regulation too. The Lifetime
Homes standard (LTH) is a good example.
Conceived by a group of housing experts
in the early 1990s as a set of good practice
recommendations, it has since been gradually
adopted as local planning policy, become a
funding standard in London and, most recently,
taken into regulation.
On the whole, and as one might expect, standards
and regulations improve (become more
demanding) as time goes on. Today’s new homes
are undoubtedly more energy-efficient than
ever before. They are also considerably more
accessible, safer and more secure – but are they
actually better? It is a salutary fact that some of
our oldest and coldest housing is also the most
sought after. Proof perhaps, that standards are
part of the answer but by no means all of it.
Those with means can choose what to prioritise
and where to compromise – trade space for
location or energy efficiency for character. But
not everyone has a choice and most would agree
that new housing should achieve a relatively
high level of design quality and all-round
performance. This is more straightforward for
houses than for high density flat blocks where
the issues are considerably more complex and
the consequences of sub-standard design more
11
far-reaching – potentially affecting tens or even
hundreds of people. Flats are therefore subject to
more standards and regulations than houses.
A good set of standards will be comprehensive
but not overly demanding or prescriptive. It will
prioritise value over cost and take a long-term
view – a theme we return to later.
These are at various stages of development
but all involve a system of rating against a
range of criteria, such as energy performance,
space standards and elements of running cost.
As voluntary, client-invoked initiatives, they are
unaffected by the HSR and can operate in parallel
with standards and regulations.

Voluntary consumer-focused
initiatives
As an alternative, or an adjunct to formal
standards, various organisations continue to put
forward voluntary ‘kitemarks’ and consumer-
focused ‘labelling initiatives’. Building for
Life was originally conceived in this way but
became a quasi-standard when taken up by
planning authorities. Until 2014, the Homes
and Communities Agency (HCA) also required
a minimum score to be achieved as a condition
of funding.
More recent initiatives include:
n Home Quality Mark:
www.homequalitymark.com/building-a-
home-quality-mark-home
published by the BRE
n PassivHaus Certification:
www.passivhaus.org.uk/standard.jsp?id=122
certified by the BRE
n Home Performance Labelling:
www.homeperformancelabelling.co.uk
published by the Housing Forum

12
 Part I Introduction
Government policy in relation to housing standards
Background This unwieldy situation is represented in the
diagram on the next page.
Recent governments have confined their interest
in housing standards to the Code for Sustainable In 2010, with the housing market still in the
Homes (and its predecessor Eco-homes), and grip of the 2007-8 recession, the coalition
Design and Quality Standards (the national Government decided that the planning process,
funding standards managed by the HCA and including the housing standards applied
applied to the National Affordable Housing through local planning policy, had been acting
Programme (NAHP)). as a ‘brake on development’ and needed to be
radically simplified.
Responsibility for housing in London was
devolved to the Mayor in 2000 and ten years later Other significant changes have taken place in
the Greater London Authority (GLA) produced parallel. These include major reductions in grant
the London Housing Design Guide, setting out funding and welfare payments, the redefinition of
the standards required for new housing in ‘affordable rent’ (now defined as housing let at, or
London. The Mayor was also granted the power below, 80% of market rents), extensions to Right
to administer funding for affordable housing in to Buy and Permitted Development, and a general
the capital. emphasis on increasing housing supply, home
ownership in particular. Housing is once again at
Elsewhere, LPAs have been allowed virtually free the forefront of government thinking.
rein to set housing standards through planning
policy (often by adopting good practice guidance)
while government has retained responsibility for
funding outside London.
As a result of this laissez-faire approach,
housing-related planning policy standards
have proliferated. Although well meaning, and
generally helpful in terms of improving housing
quality, this has also created overlaps, led to
infinite local variations, and added cost and
complexity to development.

13
The need to rationalise housing standards
Diagram showing the confusing and overlapping standards applied through the planning system prior to the
Housing Standards Review

Building regulations

CSH

SBD
Planning HQI
LTH
LHDG
Funding

WHDG S&Q

HD AC

BFL MFS

Best practice guidance

Source: DCLG

14

The National Planning Policy
Framework (NPPF)
Published in March 2012, as part of these
reforming measures, the National Planning Policy
Framework (NPPF) represents a new direction
in planning policy. Its overarching message, the
‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’,
signalled an important shift in development
control – less ‘can’t do’, and more ‘can do’.
Nonetheless, the NPPF places considerable
emphasis on the importance of good design and
the quality of the built environment. Housing
is given significant weight, and the following
paragraphs from various sections of the
document are particularly relevant to quality
and standards:
6. Delivering a wide choice of high quality homes
50. To deliver a wide choice of high quality homes,
widen opportunities for home ownership and create
sustainable, inclusive and mixed communities, local
planning authorities should:
• plan for a mix of housing based on current and
future demographic trends, market trends and the
needs of different groups in the community (such
as, but not limited to, families with children, older
people, people with disabilities, service families
and people wishing to build their own homes);
• identify the size, type, tenure and range of housing
that is required in particular locations, reflecting
local demand; and
• where they have identified that affordable housing
is needed, set policies for meeting this need
on site, unless off-site provision or a financial
contribution of broadly equivalent value can be
robustly justified (for example to improve or
Part I Introduction
make more effective use of the existing housing
stock) and the agreed approach contributes to
the objective of creating mixed and balanced
communities. Such policies should be sufficiently
flexible to take account of changing market
conditions over time….’
7. Requiring good design
56. The Government attaches great importance to the
design of the built environment. Good design is a
key aspect of sustainable development, is indivisible
from good planning, and should contribute positively
to making places better for people.
57. It is important to plan positively for the
achievement of high quality and inclusive design
for all development, including individual buildings,
public and private spaces and wider area
development schemes.
58. Local and neighbourhood plans should develop
robust and comprehensive policies that set out
the quality of development that will be expected
for the area. Such policies should be based on
stated objectives for the future of the area and
an understanding and evaluation of its defining
characteristics. Planning policies and decisions
should aim to ensure that developments will:
• function well and add to the overall quality of
the area, not just for the short term but over the
lifetime of the development;
• establish a strong sense of place, using
streetscapes and buildings to create attractive and
comfortable places to live, work and visit;
• optimise the potential of the site to accommodate
development, create and sustain an appropriate
mix of uses (including incorporation of green and
other public space as part of developments) and
support local facilities and transport networks;
• respond to local character and history, and reflect
the identity of local surroundings and materials,
while not preventing or discouraging appropriate
innovation;
15
 • create safe and accessible environments where
crime and disorder, and the fear of crime, do not
undermine quality of life or community cohesion;
and
• be visually attractive as a result of good
architecture and appropriate landscaping….’
8. Promoting healthy communities
69. The planning system can play an important role in
facilitating social interaction and creating healthy,
inclusive communities. Local planning authorities
should create a shared vision with communities of
the residential environment and facilities they wish
to see. To support this, local planning authorities
should aim to involve all sections of the community
in the development of Local Plans and in planning
decisions, and should facilitate neighbourhood
planning. Planning policies and decisions, in turn,
should aim to achieve places which promote:
• opportunities for meetings between members of
the community who might not otherwise come into
contact with each other, including through mixed-
use developments, strong neighbourhood centres
and active street frontages which bring together
those who work, live and play in the vicinity;
• safe and accessible environments where crime
and disorder, and the fear of crime, do not
undermine quality of life or community cohesion;
and
• safe and accessible developments, containing
clear and legible pedestrian routes, and high
quality public space, which encourage the active
and continual use of public areas.’
16
Housing Standards Review (2012-15)
The Housing Standards Review (HSR) began
formally in 2012, building on the cross-sector
report of the Local Housing Delivery Group,
chaired by the National House Building Council
(NHBC) and overseen by Sir John Harman.
Its aim was to encourage more housing building
by restricting the ability of LPAs to set planning
policy requirements for new housing in areas
considered to be ‘technical’. The cross tenure
remit was limited to five main topic areas with
some minor amendments to waste storage. The
outcome was published in March 2015, following
two public consultations, and can be summarised
as follows:
n accessibility: requirements taken into Building
Regulations and defined at three distinct
levels (current Part M and two higher levels;
broadly equivalent to Lifetime Homes and the
Wheelchair Housing Design Guide, referred to
as ‘optional requirements’).
n space: a new optional ‘Nationally Described
Space Standard’ operating through planning.
n security: a new, single-tier Building
Regulation (Part Q) for new housing only.
n water: current Part G of the Building
Regulations retained as the baseline
requirement for water efficiency and a higher
‘optional requirement’ introduced for water-
stressed areas.
 Part I Introduction
n energy: to remain in Part L of the Building of having to take a temporary step back in
Regulations only (with the planned trajectory these areas, the Government has introduced a
to Zero Carbon by 2016 subsequently put on mechanism allowing pre-existing planning policy
indefinite hold). requirements to be automatically ‘passported’
to the nearest equivalent new standard or
n waste: minor changes to Part H to reduce
regulation.
bin blight.
Significantly, the HSR also prohibits LPAs from
With the exception of space, these topics are
setting any other additional technical standards,
now dealt with solely through regulation.
either in these topic areas or others. There is
However, the new optional requirements (two
however considerable uncertainty about the
levels for accessibility and one for water) have
definition of ‘technical’.
to be formally adopted in a Local Plan by LPAs
before they can apply. These and the optional Further detail on the HSR, including
space standard must also be subject to need and implementation and transitional arrangements
viability testing prior to adoption. and the future of existing standards is provided in
Appendix J.
Paragraph 50 of the NPPF (reproduced in the
previous subsection) requires LPAs to assess
the housing needs of local communities and
ensure that these needs are met. It is therefore
the trigger for adopting the space standard and/
or the optional requirements where these can
be justified.
The package of new measures arising from the
HSR is summarised in the diagram overleaf.
The new standards and Building Regulations
took effect on 1 October 2015 and effectively
replace the government-owned national funding
standards and the Code for Sustainable Homes.
It may be many months before some LPAs
update their Local Plans, and many years before
the full impact of the HSR can be assessed.
To ensure that LPAs are not put in a position

17
Diagram summarising the main changes arising from the
Housing Standards Review

Changes to current Building Regulations

Part M Accessibility
Requirements are now defined at 3 distinct levels (or Categories). Category 1

1 2 3 (equivalent to current ADM) remains the mandatory baseline, and Category 2

(a version of LTH) and Category 3 (a version of wheelchair standards) are higher,
‘optional requirements’. LPAs decide the % of Category 2 and 3 dwellings required
based on need, and subject to viability.

Part G Water
Requirements now defined at two levels. The current limit of 125 litres/person/day

1 2 remains the mandatory baseline, and a more stringent limit of 110 litres/person/day
(equivalent to Code 3/4) is the new ‘optional requirement’. LPAs in water-stressed
areas are expected to adopt the more efficient optional requirement.

Part H Waste
Additional wording introduced to ensure that bin storage is well-designed and
well-integrated to reduce ‘bin blight’.

New regulation
Part Q Security
New single, baseline regulation for the physical security of new dwellings.
Requirements apply to easily accessible doors and windows and are equivalent to
PAS 24 (in line with Secured by Design, Part 2).

New planning standard

Space
New Nationally Described Space Standard introduced as an optional planning
standard, outside of regulation. Defined at a single level; suitable for Categories 1 and
2 of accessibility (but not Category 3 which has spatial parameters within the optional
requirement of ADM). LPAs can ‘opt in’ subject to viability.

18

Taking a long-term view
Designing for low management
and maintenance
Affordable housing providers are in it for the
long haul so reducing ongoing costs is crucial.
Designing for low management and maintenance
should be an integral part of the design process
but it is often overlooked or outweighed by
other short-term pressures. It can be a difficult
principle to uphold, particularly when bidding for
land against private developers for whom these
issues tend to be less important. The rise of
Design and Build has also meant that designers
are more removed from the build process, and
have less first-hand experience of the sort of
practical problems that can arise. Section 106
situations are also difficult because housing
association partners have less control over
the design.
The two key facets of this are:
n reducing the need for intensive management
and maintenance through good design
n ensuring that key elements of the buildings and
spaces can be more easily inspected, repaired
and/or replaced when the time comes.
There is no single answer but many helpful
strategies. Part of the solution lies in keeping
things simple – easier said than done in a high
rise, high density, highly serviced building but
a sound principle nonetheless. Services should
be routed efficiently, and controls, valves and
stopcocks accessible from communal areas.
Part I Introduction
Plant and equipment should be easy to reach
and maintain, and combined heat and power
(CHP) engines only used where they can be
properly managed.
The quality and durability of the external fabric
is also crucial. Good bricks last for centuries and
retain their integrity and appearance with little
or no maintenance. In contrast, render, timber
and other lightweight cladding materials have a
shorter life and require more frequent attention.
They have their place but should be used with
care, and generally in moderation.
Many otherwise good-looking buildings are ruined
by money-saving shortcuts (often referred to as
‘value engineering’). Typical examples include
cheap UPVC doors, windows, fascias and rainwater
goods and poor quality bricks or paving. Sometimes
the overriding priority is to bring a building in on
budget, but a higher price is often paid in the end.
High grade stainless steel ironmongery lasts
indefinitely whereas chrome-plated brass lasts for
a maximum of ten years, for example.
There are exceptions – timber veneered doors are
smarter and more expensive than painted doors
but when they do get damaged, they are harder
to repair. On the other hand, painted railings will,
like the Forth Bridge, be a problem forever.
Lifecycle costing is a complex topic and outside
the scope of this handbook but it is based on the
principle that long-term value is more important
than initial cost. This concept resonates strongly
with those who have a long-term interest in
19
the homes they construct, particularly when
these are for people on lower incomes. Ideally,
responsible sourcing, and reducing embodied
energy in particular, would also be part of taking
a long-term view but despite the efforts of the
BRE and its Green Guide, it remains very difficult
to trace provenance reliably.
We do know that residents often share the
eventual burden of poor specification through the
higher maintenance costs that invariably make
up a large proportion of service charges – the
subject of the next subsection. It is therefore
sensible to encourage residents to manage
their own living environment as far as possible.
Simple measures such as ensuring that windows
can be safely cleaned from inside the home,
and restricting the number of households that
share a core to encourage pride and ownership
of the shared spaces can make a considerable
difference. Spending more on areas that are a
common source of complaint also makes sense.
Soundproofing is a good example. For a relatively
small extra cost, soundproofing between flats
can be increased by up to 5dB and this has
been shown to reduce complaints and improve
relationships between neighbours.
Many of the standards in Part II encourage
low maintenance solutions as part of taking a
long-term view and looking after the interests
of residents. Part III adds to this by stressing
the importance of involving the client’s asset
management team in the briefing process to
ensure that their knowledge and experience of
issues in use informs the design.
6 London Assembly Report, Highly charged – residential leasehold service charges in London (March 2014)
7 Barratt Homes 24/11/2014
20
Service charges
This section draws heavily on Superdensity:
the Sequel (www.superdensity.co.uk), a recent
report by a group of four leading architectural
practices, concerned by the physical and social
consequences of London’s spiralling density.
It notes that service charges have historically not
been given the attention they deserve, despite the
extent to which they impact on the cost of living.
The 2014 London Assembly Report notes that the
cost of service charges ranked highest among the
list of leaseholder complaints6. Annual charges at
Nine Elms Point averaged £2,250 for a studio and
£4,600 for a three bedroom flat in 2014.7
Even for relatively well-off leaseholders or
private renters, who might expect to pay more
for high quality facilities and services, this is a
large amount of money to find on top of mortgage
repayments. For tenants of affordable housing, it
would be out of the question. While this is one of
the primary reasons for providing mono-tenure
cores in multi-tenure developments, a balance
needs to be struck – a very stark contrast in
quality works against the principle of tenure-
blind design and restricts the potential for tenure
to change over time. The problem is by no means
confined to London, though it is primarily an
urban issue and costs tend to rise with density, as
discussed in subsection 1.4 of Part II.
 Part I Introduction
Superdensity suggests a number of ways in which service charges could be mitigated by different
approaches to management, and includes a checklist of the design issues that have the highest impact
on service charges. These are summarised below:

Mitigating though management Key design issues affecting service charges

1. Assess service charge levels during the design
process: to help the project team to understand
the implications of various design approaches and
consider alternatives as necessary.
2. Include lifecycle and maintenance costs in the
scheme’s business model rather than being seen as
a self-financing model, paid for by revenue charges:
to encourage cost-saving design through a life-cycle
approach.
3. Produce easy guides to ensure that building
users are better informed: to improve residents’
understanding of how the building and its systems
function and how their behaviour can affect
performance.
4. Extend the use of BIM (Building Information
Modelling) to the post-occupancy stage: to
ensure that building managers have all the data
and schedules for the components that have
been specified.
5. Produce a cost management plan: to minimise
charges to residents through a range of capital
sources, including extending the defects liability
period from 12 to 24 or 36 months to ensure that
more of the early ‘teething troubles’ are rectified by
contractors under the terms of their contract.
6. Ring-fence income from ground rents: to establish a
sinking fund for major repairs to protect tenants and
leaseholders from particularly heavy bills.
7. Ring-fence commuted sums from the land value or
developer’s profit: to provide a funding stream for
the management of communal facilities. (Particularly
in Section 106 schemes with a small number of
affordable dwellings and high service charges).
1. Building configuration: building heights, lifts per core,
units per core, cluster and core for tenure separation.
2. Servicing infrastructure: access for refuse
collection, car parking, emergency services, utilities
and energy infrastructure requirements.
3. Bins, bikes and cars: management of communal
refuse collection and recycling facilities, cycle
storage and parking.
4. Public realm: management of communal spaces and
play areas: lighting, landscaping, garden services
to shared gardens and open spaces; estate cleaning
maintenance of roads and paths.
5. Building maintenance: heat and light to communal
areas, window cleaning and replacement, cladding
maintenance, cleanable surfaces for graffiti removal,
cleaning points for communal areas.
6. Communal facilities: space for deliveries, meeting
spaces, cleaners’ rooms with water at regular
locations in tall buildings, gardening equipment
storage in large developments.
7. M&E: lift servicing arrangements and replacement
(computerisation of systems), scheme-wide IT and
TV services; entry-systems and locks, fobbed entry,
CCTV; maintenance of new technologies for heating
and renewable energy (photovoltaics/solar panels/
heat pumps), for mechanical ventilation with heat
recovery (MVHR), communal/district heating systems
(CHP), biomass boilers, metering, grey water,
Sustainable urban Drainage (SuDs) etc.
8. Caretakers: security patrols, an active concierge
responsible for a wider range of services including
front door security, handling internet shopping
deliveries (storage space required), handyman service.

21
Future-proofing
Focusing on the present is difficult enough but
thinking ahead has never been more important.
Every home built today should be designed for an
80-100 year life and it is instructive to consider
why some houses, or types of housing, have
already lasted very much longer than that while
others have been demolished after less than
40 years.
The reasons are undoubtedly complex – social,
physical and/or economic – but in principle it
makes sense to ensure that buildings are resilient
and sustainable. The structure and fabric should
be built to last, and the homes themselves fit for
purpose, and adaptable to suit people of ages and
levels of need, and respond to climate change.
The flexibility for homes to function well under
any tenure is an important consideration.
New tenures are emerging all the time and
it is increasingly likely that homes will be
occupied under different tenures. Communal
arrangements and/or internal layouts that
are specifically geared to a specific tenure
may therefore be less future-proof than more
generic approaches.
Longevity also relies on enduring appeal – the
buildings and the spaces around them must
remain desirable. This hinges on the quality and
integrity of the initial design, the way in which
the materials have weathered and performed
over time and whether the building and its
surroundings have been well maintained.
22
Regulations and standards cannot guarantee
longevity or safeguard against obsolescence
but they play an important role in ensuring that
buildings are safe, reasonably fit for purpose,
and to some extent, adaptable. Energy and
accessibility standards are obvious examples of
sensible future-proofing measures and arguably,
space standards are too. Very small homes, or
homes with very small rooms, are inherently less
flexible than larger spaces.
Expectations generally increase as time goes
on. Outside WCs used to be the norm and shared
bathrooms were relatively common until the
middle of the last century. Many pre-war blocks
of flats have been ‘kept going’ by the addition of
lifts and internal re-modelling to achieve ‘decent
homes’ status, but others have proved to be too
difficult or costly to upgrade.
Later parts of this handbook promote specific
measures that improve resilience, durability,
inclusivity and flexibility, and discourage
approaches that cut corners for expediency
or limit the potential for buildings and spaces
to evolve over time. This encourages good
custodianship, helping residents to play an active
role in shaping and caring for their environment
and reducing the burden on landlords.
Part II
The standards

1.0 Placemaking and the 3.0 The home

public realm 3.1 Space standards
3.2 Internal layout
1.1 Site appraisal
3.3 Accessibility (Category 1, 2 and 3
1.2 Landscape and climate
dwellings)
1.3 Urban design
3.4 Security
1.4 Density and scale
3.5 Thermal comfort
1.5 Dwelling mix, tenure and typology
3.6 Water efficiency
1.6 Streets and parking
3.7 Soundproofing
1.7 Building form and composition
3.8 Privacy from overlooking
1.8 Open space and play
3.9 Aspect and orientation
1.9 Ecology and biodiversity
3.10 Daylight and sunlight
1.10 SuDs and surface water run-off
3.11 Ventilation and air quality
3.12 Overheating
2.0 Communal spaces 3.13 Private outdoor space and
2.1 Approach routes and entrances external storage
2.2 Circulation areas, lifts and stairs 3.14 Accommodating diversity
2.3 Outdoor amenity spaces 3.15 Aftercare and home user guides
2.4 Undercroft and underground parking
2.5 Bike and bin storage and other
ancillary spaces
2.6 Utilities, meters and
communications technology
2.7 Special considerations in
mixed-use buildings

23
How to use this part of the handbook
tables are described below:
Part II of the handbook summarises the issues
that should be considered as part of the
design process and includes, or references,
the standards and regulations that define
performance and promote good design. In
doing so, it seeks to simplify what is still a very
complex area.
Each of the three main sections is divided into
topic-based subsections. These begin with a
summary of design considerations, followed
by a short set of standards. The standards are
in tabular format to distinguish them from the
supporting text. Each has a unique, three-part
reference number. Each group of standards
aims to be as complete as possible, and includes
the relevant standards from three of the four
groups identified in the introduction. These are
colour coded throughout Part II to ensure that
the status/origin of every standard is immediately
obvious. As explained in the previous section, the
missing group is local planning policy standards
that can only be added on a project-by-project
basis.
24
The three groups of standards that feature in the
Nationally defined and universally applied:
fixed requirements that apply to all new-build
housing and are essentially non-negotiable.
They comprise baseline requirements of
selected sections of the Building Regulations,
and will be formally assessed under building
control by building control officers (BCOs) or
Approved Inspectors (AIs).
Nationally defined and locally applied:
fixed requirements that apply at the discretion
of the local authority, or the Greater London
Authority (GLA). They include the ‘optional
requirements’ for accessibility and water,
which will be assessed under building control,
and the nationally described space standard,
which will be assessed under planning.
Additional good practice standards:
extra requirements that are important to a
good outcome but remain at the discretion
of the client and the project team. They are
unique to this handbook but draw heavily on
existing good practice guidance. They are not
subject to any outside assessment.
The nationally defined ‘standards’ are mainly
regulations and too lengthy to include in full in the
tables. Key points have been summarised outside
of the table to avoid confusion. Designers and
other members of the project team will need to
refer to the regulations and Approved Documents
to understand the detail. The new nationally
described space standard (referred to as the
‘space standard’) is outside of regulation and
succinct enough to be reproduced in full.
The additional good practice standards are

Part II The standards

bespoke to this document but where they draw
on external, published documents, these are
referenced. Where reference is made to ‘GLA
standards’, these are from the London Housing
SPG (Supplementary Housing Guidance) 2012.
Some standards are more important than others
and this is reflected in the wording used. Clients
will need to decide which ones to adopt and what
status to afford them. They will also need to add
any additional, project specific requirements
and, where appropriate, tenure variations, taking
Appendix B as a starting point.
Not all of the standards are relevant to every
type of development, and not all of those that
are, will be achieved in every project; Section
2.0 Communal Areas will not normally apply to
a development of houses, for example. However,
the vast majority warrant action and early
consideration is crucial.

25
1.0 Placemaking and
the public realm
The scope of this section
1.1 Site appraisal
1.2 Landscape and climate
1.3 Urban design
1.4 Density and scale
1.5 Dwelling mix, tenure and typology
1.6 Streets and parking
1.7 Building form and composition
1.8 Open space and play
1.9 Ecology and biodiversity
1.10 SuDs and surface water run-off
This section looks at all aspects of the external
environment and the public realm. It deals with
the issues that need to be considered in order
to create a successful ‘place’ – somewhere that
is attractive, distinctive and vital, has integrity,
character and gravitas, and provides the core
ingredients for a successful, mixed community
to develop.
It refers to other published good practice
guidance such as Building for Life 12, and the
Urban Design Compendium and represents
a summary overview of a well-researched
and well-documented topic. It should be read
alongside these, and other documents.
26
How we feel about where we live extends well
beyond our own front door. The quality of our
external environment is integral to our sense of
wellbeing and belonging. Places that are well
designed become well loved and well used.
They provide a framework for building stable
and sustainable communities and a platform
for individual fulfilment and mutual support.
Feeling valued and proud of where we live leads
to responsibility and good stewardship. The best
places improve over time and are shaped by those
who live there.
Every project starts with an understanding of
the site – its strengths and weaknesses, what
lies immediately next to it, how it relates to the
wider neighbourhood, its history, landscape
and climate, how it is currently used and how it
might be better used. The term ‘urban design’
may sound as though it only applies to cities
but the general principles of scale, movement,
connectivity and character, etc. are relevant to
suburban and rural development too.
We share a responsibility to make the most of
every site but the goal is not simply to build as
many homes as possible. The scale and density of
a development should reflect the local character,
the availability of public transport and facilities,
appropriate housing typologies, the need for open
space and many other factors. Density should be
optimised, rather than maximised, and buildings
and spaces designed to work together and endure
over time.
The standards in this section are principles for
good practice. They provide an overview of the
core issues and a starting point for successful
placemaking.
A reminder of the three groups of standards and
regulations:

Nationally defined and universally applied

Nationally defined and locally applied

Additional good practice standards

Part II The standards: 1.0

Local planning policy standards and bespoke
client requirements, including tenure
variations (see Appendix B) should be added for
each project.

27
1.1 Site appraisal
Design considerations
Good placemaking begins with a thorough
understanding of the site in its broader
landscape context. It is useful to begin with a
desktop study, but a site visit is also essential
– preferably numerous visits to get a sense
of the landscape character, the exposure, the
impact of light and shade and typical movement
patterns. The appraisal should be wide-ranging
and far-reaching, extending well beyond the
site boundaries.
It is useful to visit at different times of the day and
on different days of the week, walk or take a bus
to the local shops, park and school, and get a feel
for the surrounding area. It can be particularly
helpful when the client, architect, landscape
architect and other key team members are able
to ‘walk the site’ together.
The appraisal needs to be undertaken in the very
earliest stage of a project. Its findings should
be comprehensively recorded through maps,
diagrams, text and photographs, and the results
shared across the development team and with
other stakeholders. It needs to be reviewed by the
team to ensure that it fully captures the strengths
and weaknesses of the site and the opportunities
it presents.
28
The appraisal will generate the site-specific
data that forms the basis of the concept diagram
and continues to inform the design response.
Key decisions made in the initial stages
influence future residents’ enjoyment of their
homes because access, views and orientation
are all critical to the ‘enjoyment of place’.
A comprehensive understanding of the site will
also reduce risk for the developer.
Even in Section 106 situations, where others
have already advanced the design, it is worth
carrying out a fresh site appraisal to ensure
that constraints have not been overlooked or
opportunities missed.
Standards
1.1.1 Research, study and visit the site and its
surroundings (using the checklist overleaf),
take photographs and make notes.
1.1.2 Gather information from local residents, local
interest groups and other stakeholders.
1.1.3 Obtain a topographical survey (and, where
appropriate, plans of existing buildings and a
tree condition survey) as soon as possible.
1.1.4 Communicate the results of the site appraisal
through annotated diagrams and text and
consider the impact that the new development
may have on the site, its surroundings and
its ecology.
Evaluating the opportunities and constraints of a site

Part II The standards: 1.0

3
4
7
5

1. Good views across park and southerly aspect = high amenity and high value
2. Area for possible new urban square
3. New green route would link the park to the new square
4. Potential to open up views to attractive listed building on neighbouring site
5. Potential to extend/connect existing routes
6. Noisy road with high levels of pollution
7. Rear of shops – untidy and insecure
8. Need to anticipate future connections for next phase of masterplan

29
 Checklist for site appraisal:
Typical features to observe/investigate through
site visits
• the general physical and socio-economic character of
the local area
• the underlying landscape – whether the site is
on a hillside or in a valley, prone to flooding, its
topography, soil type etc.
• the ‘local climate’ – the direction of the prevailing
wind, whether the site is exposed or sheltered, damp
or dry etc.
• the orientation of the site, the potential for views in
and out, and for passive solar design
• the availability of public transport and, for sites
in London, the public transport accessibility level
(PTAL rating)
• its proximity to other local assets – open space, parks
and play areas, shops, schools, community, health
and leisure facilities etc.
• its proximity to any undesirable features such as
busy roads, flight paths, overhead cables, etc. and
any potential nuisance from nearby commercial,
industrial or other ‘anti-social’ facilities
• road, cycle and pedestrian routes within and around
the site, the connections to the wider area and local
patterns of movement
• existing buildings, other structures and services on
the site, noting those which are worthy of retention
• existing trees and other landscape features, noting
those which are worthy of retention
30
• evidence of existing habitats and/or eco-systems
• the nature and condition of boundary walls fences
and/or hedgerows
• manholes, overhead cables and any other evidence of
existing services
• the potential for the site (or its value) to be improved
or enhanced, for example by land exchange or
further acquisition.
Typical issues to research through a
desktop study
• local planning policy requirements including density,
mix, affordable housing provision, parking, etc.
• the history of the site including its planning history
• the legal situation in respect of restrictive covenants,
wayleaves, rights of way, boundary issues, etc.
• archaeology
• flood risk
• buildings and trees which must be retained through
listing or Tree Protection Orders (TPOs)
• protected species and important wildlife habitats
• soil conditions including load bearing capacity,
potential for contamination, etc.
• the location and capacity of any above and below
ground services; identifying which have potential to
connect into, which must remain in-situ and which
could be diverted cost effectively if necessary.
1.2 Landscape and climate
Design considerations
The site appraisal is only useful if it genuinely
informs the design response – at all levels and
at all stages. Traditional building has always
been based on an instinctive understanding of
landscape and climate. In the race for numbers,
we would do well to reflect on this and ensure
that we too take an intuitive and environmentally
responsible approach to new development.
Good design takes account of the bigger picture.
It may take some time to achieve, but the best
developments are those that look and feel rooted
in their surroundings – not only in terms of style
and materials but also in terms of layout, form
and orientation. Achieving the right end result
starts by asking the right questions. What has
the site appraisal revealed about the underlying
nature of the site and its history? How does the
current physical landscape inform the pattern,
form and alignment of the new buildings and
spaces we need to create? How should the
site layout respond to the local climate? How
can a fantastic open view to the north east be
reconciled with a love of sheltered, sunny spaces,
or flood risk managed in a positive way?
Topography is perhaps the easiest way to
demonstrate the importance, and the value, of a
landscape-driven response. Steeply sloping sites
are usually more expensive and more difficult to
develop than flat sites, but traditional hill towns
are some of the most enchanting places. New
routes still need to be designed to follow desire
lines and connect with the surroundings but
streets and buildings that run perpendicular to
the contours need to be designed very differently
from those that are parallel to them.
As a general rule, buildings should step to follow
the topography and smaller, more frequent steps
are better than fewer, bigger level changes.
This has fundamental implications for dwelling
typology and the location of entrances and
parking. A sensitive, incremental approach is
Part II The standards: 1.0
easier to achieve with houses but where flats are
called for, smaller clusters with shorter corridors
and frequent entrances minimise the need
for internal ramps and produce a much more
interesting and contextual streetscape than large
blocks with long corridors.
The use of shelterbelt planting is well understood
in a rural landscape but may also be worth
considering in very exposed urban locations
and on sites that border a busy road or railway.
Through form and orientation, buildings and
landscape can also moderate the climate.
Wrapping buildings into courtyard forms is
an effective way to create sheltered outdoor
spaces, and deciduous trees make very good
natural sunscreens.
Orientating dwellings to take advantage of
passive solar gain is a sound response to climate
but developments in which all homes face the
same direction are rarely successful in urban
design terms. It is therefore more useful to
develop flexible house types in which the main
living spaces can comfortably be at the front or
the back, and provide larger, more private front
31
gardens (or add a balcony or roof terrace) to
homes with a north facing garden.
A good open view – whether to an open landscape
or across a city – is a prize asset. A layout which
allows as many dwellings as possible to take
advantage of a good view is usually a sound
strategy in terms of maximising value, as well
as spreading the amenity benefit. Rather than
allowing relatively few dwellings to occupy a
prime edge and enjoy direct views out, it can
be better to design fingers of development that
run perpendicular to it and give many more
households an oblique view. Where the view is
to an open space, ‘greening the gaps’ between
the fingers not only improves the quality of these
spaces but also draws the natural landscape into
the development. As density rises, and we face
climate change, the value of green, open spaces
increases too.
The edge or boundary treatment of a development
has a big impact on its ability to mesh with its
surroundings. Abutting open land, hard, straight
edges make a development appear stark and
alien, particularly when the boundaries are
nothing more than flimsy close-boarded fences.
More organic lines, softened further by hedges or
planting that bleed out into the wider landscape,
are much more successful.
A strategic response to landscape can also turn
problems into attributes. For example, in areas
prone to flooding, swales and balancing ponds
can give developments a strong identity, provide
amenity and create new wildlife habitats.
32
A respect for landscape and climate should
permeate all aspects of the design and
specification. Where it is impractical to locate
building entrances on the more sheltered
facades, recessed entrances or porches
should be considered. Where taller buildings
are proposed, winter gardens may be more
appropriate than balconies (more on this in
subsection 3.13) and high performance windows
may be needed. From the external cladding to the
planting, components and detailing should take
account of context.
Notwithstanding the value and importance
of these and other approaches, they will only
be successful if they can be managed and
maintained over time. This is much easier when
the design creates an environment that is as self-
sustaining as possible.
Standards
1.2.1 Ensure that early design proposals
demonstrate a considered and sustainable
response to landscape, and climate.
1.2.2 Ensure that landscape design is not a reserved
matter at the planning stage as this allows
developers to cut out, or water down, the
proposals.
1.2.3 On larger sites, devise a landscape strategy
that includes plans for implementation,
management and maintenance. Use Section
106 obligations to deliver these objectives.
1.2.4 Use the strategy to guide design development
and specification. Consider how it can be
reinforced and carried through into all aspects
of public realm design.
Working with the underlying topography

a series of small buildings step down to follow

the contours, creating an interesting, sensitive
streetscape, and achieving level access to all
private and communal entrances

Part II The standards: 1.0

Demonstrating a sensitive approach to development in a rural setting
(Sketch based on a scheme designed by Richard Partington architects)

traditional building
forms reinterpreted in
new trees interspersed a contemporary and informal grouping
among the buildings help sustainable way appropriate to the
to soften the hard lines natural setting

large pond attenuates water, supports soft boundaries created by

wildlife, provides substantial amenity layered, informal planting that
benefit and adds value drifts into the open landscape

33
1.3 Urban design
Design considerations
Urban design is what gives a place its shape,
structure and purpose, and connects it to its
surroundings. It can be viewed as the ‘hardening
up’ of the response to landscape and climate,
and evolves from it. The integrated approach that
results provides a firm footing for the detailed
design and is arguably the most important part of
any project.
The principles of urban design are not a rigid
set of rules, but rational, generic guidelines that
should be tailored to suit the site conditions. They
include the following:
n character: how a place looks and feels, how
it could be described and why it would be
remembered
n connectivity: how a place is stitched into
its surroundings, how new routes link into
existing roads and paths, and how spaces
inter-relate
n enclosure: how buildings and larger landscape
features shape and define spaces
n quality of the public realm: how buildings
and spaces contribute to a sense of place
and permanence through their design and
presence, their materials and detailing
n ease of movement: how routes facilitate
movement into, out of, and within the site, for
pedestrians, cyclists and cars
8 Adapted from By Design
34
n legibility: how easy it is to find the
development and the streets and homes
within it
n permeability: how many ways there are in
and out of a development and how easy it is to
move through it
n adaptability: how well the place is able to cope
with, or respond to, physical changes in the
immediate environment, demographic shifts
and/or climate change
n diversity: how rich and varied the place is,
whether it is visually stimulating, whether
it offers a wide range of dwelling types to
suit different needs and aspirations, and
its potential to become a mixed, but stable
community – home to a wide range of people
while able to provide good habitats for plants
and animals8.
Many of the built projects that appear
disappointing do so either because they lacked an
urban design strategy, or because the principles
were flawed or compromised. When places prove
to be unpopular and fall into decline, this can
often be traced back to an ill-conceived concept;
decisions that lacked foresight and proved to be
unmanageable or unsustainable over time.
Most schemes sit within a wider built context,
and the design should respond to existing
development patterns. New development can
support the surrounding townscape by being of
a similar scale, form and proportion, continue
established building lines and find a fit with local
character. Occasionally the context has little or
nothing to offer and it is then appropriate to make
a ‘clean break’, establish a new set of rules and
develop a distinctive new character. Done well,
this often acts as a catalyst for wider change.
Character, continuity and enclosure are important
to the creation of safe, successful streets and
open spaces, especially in urban areas. Places
also need to be easy to navigate with routes that
reinforce existing desire lines or lead to new
destinations. Street corners warrant special
treatment, and places benefit from markers or
local landmarks that help with wayfinding and
reinforce identity.
Key facets of urban design and landscape are
developed in more detail in the subsections
that follow.
9 Based on GLA standard
Standards
1.3.1 Meet the core aspirations of Building for Life 12
by ensuring that:
• the development is connected to, and
integrated with its surroundings
• the layout is legible, permeable and uses
visual clues or markers to allow people
to navigate through the site and orientate
themselves within it
• streets are connected, well-used and well-
overlooked and dead-ends and blank walls
avoided
• landscape and buildings are designed to work
Part II The standards: 1.0
together and materials are of high quality and
carefully detailed
• public and private space are clearly defined
and it is clear who owns what
• entrances to dwellings are prominent,
and plant rooms, bin and bike stores are
accessible but away from key pedestrian
interfaces.
1.3.2 Ensure that development proposals
demonstrate:
• how the design responds to its physical
context, including the character and legibility
of the area and the local pattern of building,
public space, landscape and topography
• how the scheme relates to the identified
character of the place and to the local vision
and strategy or how bolder change is justified
in relation to a coherent set of ideas for
the place expressed in the local vision and
strategy or agreed locally.9
1.3.3 Aim to meet the requirements of Secured
By Design: New Homes 2014, Section 1 The
Development – Layout & Design (Planning Issues).
35
Using urban design principles to enhance the setting of a local landmark
and add value
the classical but contemporary
language of the new buildings
responds to the formal symmetry
of the church without attempting to
mimic or compete with it
36
new axial pedestrian route
draws people towards the
church and terminates in a new
public space in front of it
new blocks designed to step
in plan and section to reduce
their bulk and frame the spire
1.4 Density and scale
Design considerations
Density is typically measured as dwellings per
hectare (dw/ha), or habitable rooms per hectare
(hr/ha). Bedspaces per hectare (equivalent to
people per hectare) is arguably a more useful
measure of housing capacity, particularly in the
affordable sector where homes are expected to
be fully occupied. Until relatively recently, grant
funding was directly related to the number of
new affordable bedspaces provided. This meant
that density was related to mix, and larger family
homes with double/twin bedrooms achieved
the highest density in terms of bedspaces and
received more grant.
Density and scale are closely inter-related but
not necessarily co-dependent. Very high densities
have been achieved by efficiently planned mid-
rise buildings and surprisingly low densities by
the high rise towers of the 60s which tended to be
surrounded by vast amounts of open space.
The range in the density and scale of new build
housing has never been greater. While new
suburban development remains fairly static at
around 30-40dw/ha, many new developments in
London are now exceeding 350dw/ha – a trend
that the authors of Superdensity: the Sequel,
consider extremely worrying.10
10 Superdensity: the Sequel, HTA LLP, Levitt Bernstein, Pollard Thomas and Edwards, PRP Architects
Housing typology, the subject of the next
subsection, is closely related to density. With 1:1
parking (one parking space per dwelling) even
narrow frontage terrace housing rarely exceeds
45-50 dwellings per hectare (dw/ha). Compact
forms of back-to-back courtyard houses can
reach 60 dw/ha but to get above this figure, flats
or maisonettes inevitably need to become part
of the mix. At around 100-130 dw/ha (depending
Part II The standards: 1.0
on parking) flats are likely to outnumber houses.
Management implications, capital cost and
service charges also tend to increase as density
rises, as illustrated in the diagram overleaf.
What matters is that the density, scale, massing
and typologies are appropriate to the site in its
wider setting. Given that demand is high and land
expensive, it will usually be right to be ambitious
about scale and density, but not insensitive. As
discussed at the start of this section, the aim
should be to optimise, not maximise – and place
quality above quantity.
The availability of public transport and
local services will also be a major factor in
determining the density that is appropriate. The
GLA density matrix relates bands of density to the
availability of public transport. Every part of the
city has a published PTAL rating (Public Transport
Accessibility Level) which forms part of the
planning considerations. Many other authorities
have density policies and planning briefs, which
will usually include guidelines.
37
Diagram illustrating typical characteristics at a range of densities
density range up to 50dph 50-100dph 100-150 dph 150-250dph 250+ dph
typology houses

houses + maisonettes + flats

maisonettes + dual aspect flats

dual + single aspect flats

storey height 2 to 3

3 to 5

4 to 7

6 to 9

7 and over

access arrangements own street entrance

stair only access

stair and one lift per core

stair and two lifts per core

parking on street or on plot

arrangements
on street + parking courts

on street + undercroft

undercroft or underground

outdoor space private rear gardens

gardens + balconies + communal gardens

balconies + communal gardens + roof terraces

balconies + roof terraces

management none
implications
light

moderate

heavy

increasing complexity, construction cost and service charges

38
Even when the same metric is used, the
methodology for calculating density often varies.
There are different rules about where to draw
the ‘red line’ (back of pavement or centre of road)
whether to include public open space and, in
some cases, how to factor in non-residential uses
and integral parking. The methodology required
by the GLA for calculating density takes account
of these factors. It is reproduced in Appendix K.
The definition of ‘habitable room’ also varies.
Some LPAs include all kitchen/dining rooms

Part II The standards: 1.0

while others discount those under 12m2. These
variations can have a considerable impact on
the density when expressed in hr/ha so it is
important to clarify how an LPA wishes density
to be measured, as well as what their targets or
limits are.

Standards
1.4.1 Check local planning policy requirements for
density (and the method of calculation to be
used). Be guided by these targets or limits
but challenge them where there is a strong
justification for deviating from them and
consider appointing a planning consultant
where proposals are likely to be contentious.
1.4.2 Aim to optimise, rather than maximise, density
and consider it alongside a range of other
issues including scale, massing, typology, mix,
tenure, block layout, service charges, public
transport and local facilities, parking and open
space requirements.

39
1.5 Dwelling mix, tenure and typology
Design considerations
The principle of mixed tenure development as a
means by which to achieve sustainable, mixed
communities is widely accepted. Through Section
106 policies, local authorities typically require
30-50% of new homes to be affordable, but
getting the tenure balance right has become a
financial imperative as well as a social one.
With drastically reduced grant funding, cross
subsidy from private sale and/or income from
private rent is playing an increasingly important
role. Developers often seek to negotiate lower
provision on viability grounds and the amount of
affordable housing ultimately achieved is often
considerably less than the original target.
There is also general acceptance that
development should be ‘tenure blind’ – that there
should not be an obvious differentiation between
the quality of homes or blocks of different
tenures, though this principle tends to be more
firmly held by LPAs and housing associations
than by private developers. The same applies to
the location of different tenures and the extent
to which they are integrated. Complete ‘pepper-
potting’ (whereby tenure varies house by house
or flat by flat) is less common than ‘tenure
grouping’. Across all sectors, most clients require
separate cores for private sale and affordable
rent but accept that intermediate housing can be
successfully mixed with other tenures.
40
But expectations vary, and while some
purchasers or private renters are happy to pay
high service charges for high quality shared
facilities, the priority for affordable rent is
generally to restrict non-essential facilities in
order to keep service charges low. The increasing
reliance on cross-subsidy means that all clients
are under pressure to maximise sales revenue,
and where homes are located and how they are
grouped can also have a significant effect on
value. This needs to be carefully weighed up to
avoid compromising the principle of tenure-blind
design and the desirability of providing long-term
flexibility to respond to changes in tenure and
demographics over time.
Most developments also contain a mix of dwelling
sizes and types, designed to offer choice and
address diverse needs. Again the balance is
important and depends on a number of factors.
LPAs often set targets for mix too. In urban areas,
this typically means setting a cap on the number
of smaller units and a minimum target for three
beds and above. Given the choice, few families
would choose to live in a flat, but may find they
have little choice. Subsection 2.2 gives advice
about the optimum number of flats and people
per core and this is a reasonably effective way of
managing child density.
Where larger families are housed in flat blocks,
the lowest floors often work best because homes
can have ‘own door access’ and a garden of
sorts. Where private roof terraces are possible,
the top floor can work well too. Maisonettes and
duplexes are a good option because, like a house,
they offer greater separation between living and
sleeping areas.
Most local authorities require some wheelchair
housing, and housing for older people
(specialised and mainstream options) should also
be considered in all larger developments. Three
storey homes are impractical for these user
groups because they need a special type of home-
lift and means of escape is compromised.
Decisions about tenure, mix and typology should
also take account of local circumstances. It will
sometimes be appropriate to redress an existing
imbalance, and certain sites are more suitable
for some tenures or typologies than others.
Subsection 2.7 considers the pros and cons of
mixed-use buildings, particularly for families,
3.3 deals with housing for wheelchair users and
3.14 says more about accommodating diversity.
Standards
1.5.1 Development should be tenure blind and homes
of different tenures integrated.
1.5.2 Aim to provide a good tenure mix and range
of dwelling sizes and types, in line with local
planning policy requirements, and taking
account of the site and its context.
1.5.3 Aim to provide houses with gardens for
larger families even in urban locations, and
consider alternatives such as double-stacked
maisonettes where density targets make
houses impossible.
Part II The standards: 1.0
1.5.4 Take account of Local Plan policy re ‘optional
requirements’ for accessible housing but be
prepared to exceed these targets where there is
evidence of higher need.
1.5.5 Consider the need for specialised and/or
designated housing for older people and work
with specialist providers where appropriate.
1.5.6 Consider the long-term implications of
decisions about tenure, mix and typology and
avoid solutions that are inherently inflexible.
41
1.6 Streets and parking
Design considerations
Traditional street life provides an unbeatable
model for successful urban living. Streets are
the spaces that take us home and connect us to
others, where we interact with neighbours, park
our cars and deal with everyday practicalities
such as waste disposal and recycling.
In a residential environment, streets must be
safe, inclusive and practical for pedestrians,
cyclists and cars – in that order. In new
housing developments, they often make up the
majority of the public realm and establishing
a street hierarch is a vital part of any urban
design strategy.
As a general rule, wider streets should signify
important routes and call for taller buildings
with a more civic presence. Entrances should be
more prominent, trees larger, lighting columns
taller and street furniture more substantial. The
distinction between the public and private realms
should be clear and the boundary treatments
should reflect the stature of the street – walls
and railings rather than hedges or timber fencing.
On very busy routes it may be appropriate to
recess entrances to increase privacy, deepen
front gardens, and incorporate a planting buffer
strip to mitigate traffic noise and improve
air quality.
In contrast, secondary streets should feel more
intimate, designed to reduce speed and generally
associated with lower buildings. Tertiary roads
42
often lend themselves to Home Zone design
principles whereby the street, though shared by
cars and cyclists, is designed with the pedestrian
uppermost in mind. Home Zones are usually
paved, without kerbs (other than to protect
planting), designed to slow traffic to speeds of
less than 20mph and to discourage through
traffic. They aim to be spaces that are suitable
for play and sitting out as well as movement and
the concept is very different from a traditional
‘highways-led’ approach. Privacy tends to
be under less threat and while some form of
defensible space is still useful, formal front
gardens may not be appropriate. Tactile paving,
tonal contrast and other protective devices will
help to ensure the safety of people with sight loss.
Where dedicated cycle lanes are called for, they
usually work best between the road and the
footpath. Separate cycle paths are usually only
appropriate when they connect into an existing
or planned cycle network. For pedestrians,
pavements are safe and convenient but should be
widened outside busy venues such as stations,
bus stops and shops – particularly where there
are cafés, or other uses that spill out onto the
street. Dedicated pedestrian routes can also
work well, particularly in urban settings with high
footfall and plenty of overlooking.
All streets need active frontages (plentiful
entrances and windows each side) and all benefit
from planting. Trees have the biggest impact
and lend character, ambience and shade. They
soften the effect of parking, provide habitats for
birds and insects, absorb CO2 and improve air
quality. To be sustainable over time (stay healthy
and require little maintenance) trees must be
carefully specified, located, and planted within
tree pits that are designed to suit their purpose
and location, taking account of their eventual size
and kept clear of underground services. Where
new streets are proposed, good coordination
between the landscape architect and the services
consultant should ensure that combined services
trenches are positioned to allow for continuous
tree pit trenching in line with best practice.
Mitigating the visual impacts of parking
Most residential streets need to provide for car
parking. The NPPF invites local authorities to
set parking requirements for new development,
and in setting these targets, the following factors
should be considered:
n the proximity of the site to local services and
the availability of public transport and cycle
networks
n the tenure, mix and type of development
n levels of local car ownership
Part II The standards: 1.0
n the need to reduce car dependency, reduce
emissions and encourage more sustainable
forms of transport.
43
Creating successful residential streetscapes – getting the basic
elements right

repeat dwelling types create

satisfying terraces that set up a
rhythm and unify the streetscape
changes in direction add
interest and slow traffic in
secondary streets
active and animated frontages
with plenty of windows
overlooking the street and
frequent entrances increasing
footfall and therefore safety

defensible front gardens with

parking bays confined to small
low walls and planting create a
wide pavements allow for groups of cars, broken up by trees
consistent boundary between the
wheelchairs and make and planting
public and private realm
passing comfortable

44
New development should avoid exacerbating
pressure on existing streets, as this can be
a major source of tension within the existing
community. In lower density settings, all the
parking is usually at grade, either on-street, in
curtilage or in parking courts. These options all
work well but where parking exceeds one space
per home it can be a challenge to incorporate
enough spaces without cars dominating the
street scene. Allocated parking is popular
with residents (particularly homeowners) but
unallocated parking is more flexible because
it allows the spaces to be used by visitors and
residents who may be about at different times.
A mix of solutions and allocated/non-allocated
spaces is usually the best approach. In-curtilage
parking is generally less intrusive when located
between dwellings than when located in front.
Secondary roads are often more suitable for
parking than primary routes because they are
less trafficked. They are often the only streets
that can accept perpendicular parking but
this creates an obvious tension with the street
hierarchy. Perpendicular parking on both sides
generates an overall street width of 16m and
a distance of at least 25m between building
facades. In-curtilage parking requires a similar
overall width and also creates large breaks in
front garden walls and untidy dropped kerbs.
With narrow frontage, terraced housing, it often
means no boundary walls at all.
Both solutions threaten to undermine the urban
design strategy and are undesirable. Parking
should be broken up into short stretches,
interspersed with planting and built-out
pavements to narrow the road and create safer
crossing points. Perpendicular parking should
usually be confined to one side of the street
except in a short stretch where the space can be
treated almost as a public square.
Providing access for refuse vehicles is equally
challenging. Cul-de-sacs are best avoided for
many reasons, not least to avoid the large turning
heads that often destroy the scale and intimacy of
quiet residential enclaves – just for a short-lived
weekly ritual. Well-designed hard landscape can
Part II The standards: 1.0
‘deconstruct’ traditional road design and achieve
more people-focused spaces while remaining
practical.
In higher density situations, on-street parking
rarely provides enough spaces. As illustrated
in subsection 1.4, undercroft and underground
parking tend to be necessary as houses give
way to flats. Though more expensive, these are
much less intrusive than large surface car parks
and may ‘pay for themselves’ by freeing up more
of the site for development. These communal
parking solutions need managing and are dealt
with in subsection 2.4. All parking solutions
should include larger bays for disabled people.
Adoption is often a thorny issue. Most local
authorities require streets to be designed to
‘adoptable standards’ and most clients wish
to have new streets adopted to relieve them of
maintenance responsibilities. This often has
implications for widths, radii, materials and may
affect where parking is located if that is also to
be adopted. Early dialogue is therefore essential.
Manual for Streets and Car-parking – what works
where? are among the many useful references.
45
Standards
1.6.1 In all but the smallest developments, develop 1.6.9 Prioritise the needs and safety of pedestrians
a street hierarchy as part of the urban design and cyclists. Consider the need for dedicated
strategy. Represent this through a series of pedestrian routes and/or cycle lanes especially
typical street sections which show building where there is potential to connect into existing
heights, and identify zones for pedestrian cycle or planned local networks. Provide cycle
and car movement, car parking trees/planting parking for visitors in addition to, and separate
and services and front gardens/defensible from, provision for residents.
space.
1.6.10 Consider car-clubs and, on larger sites,
1.6.2 Comply with the principles of Manual for Streets. investigate the potential for bus routes to be
extended or new bus stops added to serve the
1.6.3 Carry out vehicle tracking as necessary to new development.
ensure that road widths and junction radii are
adequate for turning and manoeuvring, but 1.6.11 Where parking is in-curtilage, incorporate this
ensure that these do not dominate the design. at the side of dwellings rather than in front,
and where on street, use parallel, rather than
1.6.4 Ensure that streets are designed to adoptable perpendicular arrangements.
standards, and engage with the highways
department at an early stage. 1.6.12 Mitigate the visual impact of parking on the
streetscape through comprehensive landscape
1.6.5 Subject to local authority requirements, aim proposals. Include tree planting in all new
to confine tarmac to main feeder roads and streets; select appropriate species and space
use paving elsewhere. Select dark colours trees accordingly, ensure that pavements are
to disguise oil spills particularly in parking wide enough, tree pits large enough, and that
areas. Ensure that parking bays are delineated services are installed in dedicated zones, clear
from the carriageway by contrasting paving or of tree and planting areas.
edging, not by painted lines, and use permeable
paving.
1.6.6 Check local planning parking requirements
and reconcile this with local market research.
Ensure that appropriate provision is made
within the site boundary to avoid increasing the
pressure on surrounding streets. Include an
allowance for visitor parking and provide 10% of
this as disabled spaces (in addition to allocated
provision for wheelchair-using residents).
1.6.7 Create live frontages with frequent entrances,
windows, and habitable rooms at street level
while ensuring enough privacy.
1.6.8 Aim to meet the requirements of Secured
By Design: New Homes 2014 and achieve
certification for Section 3: Ancillary Security
Requirements, where appropriate.

46
1.7 Building form and composition
Design considerations
In common with many other aspects of the public
realm, there are no quick fixes that guarantee
successful buildings, but a number of general
principles that help produce good outcomes.
Integrity and intent are useful constructs.
Buildings should look complete, convincing and
considered. They should feel comfortable in their
own right and in their setting, and respectful of
their neighbours. This is achieved largely through
form and composition – including materiality.
Here too, the starting point is the site in its local
context and the interpretation of this through the
urban design strategy. This means understanding
the role of each building in ‘townscape’ terms
and how it should respond to its surroundings.
Some areas have a distinct ‘local vernacular’ – a
distinct pattern of buildings, particular features or
materials that are intrinsic to the local character.
This can provide a starting point for the design
of new buildings. Continuing building lines,
matching eaves and window heights, mirroring
proportions, picking up on string courses and
selecting similar, or compatible, materials
are all sound approaches when developing
next to fine buildings. Conservative planners
sometimes insist on pastiche mimicry, but more
subtle approaches that demonstrate awareness
of the local vernacular and interpret it in a
contemporary way are often more successful.
Residential buildings offer relatively few elements
to play with. This makes it all the more important
that entrances, windows, and balconies are
well proportioned and well composed within
the facade. Every detail really matters – what
the window frames are made of, how they are
subdivided into opening and fixed lights, the depth
of the reveals and the type of cills and lintels are
significant to the overall resolution of the facade.
Part II The standards: 1.0
Entrances should be celebrated (discussed
further in subsection 2.1) and balconies, whether
inset or projecting, designed as an integral part of
building, not a bolt-on afterthought.
Some sites call for landmark, iconic solutions,
but on the whole, residential buildings only need
to form a calm and dignified backdrop to the
street – not devoid of colour or interest, but not
demanding to be the centre of attention either.
A relatively consistent street frontage line and
simple elevation treatment are generally useful
but flat facades are rarely satisfying unless the
proportions of the openings are beautifully judged
and the materials and detailing of exceptional
quality. Most buildings benefit from some
articulation but too much can look confused
and unassured – adding more to the cost of
construction than to the quality of placemaking.
Where flats are concerned, expressing circulation
cores as strong vertical elements can be a useful
way to break up a long elevation, contribute to
active frontages and animate the facade at all
47
times of day. Every street corner is a landmark
opportunity, however modest – often a chance to
step up in height – and always in terms of design.
Roof form is equally important. The ‘wrong’
material or pitch looks uncomfortable, and cheap
fascias, barge-boards and rainwater goods
can let down an otherwise elegant building.
Boiler flues, vents and satellite dishes can be
equally unsightly so the location of kitchens and
bathrooms needs early consideration – ideally
vertical duct space should be built into floor
plans to allow flues and vents to be grouped and
run vertically.
Green roofs have a place, and technology
continues to improve, but they should only be
contemplated where landlords are prepared to
commit to a long-term maintenance plan. Planted
walls should normally be avoided because of the
maintenance implications.
48
Standards
1.7.1 Ensure that the design of every building
demonstrates awareness of its context and
place within the urban design strategy and
resolve the form and composition before
undertaking pre-application consultation.
1.7.2 Pay attention to every element of the building
facade as the design develops and plan ahead to
avoid unsightly flues, vents and satellite dishes
particularly on street-facing facades.
1.7.3 Aim to provide buildings that are ‘of their time’
but that also exhibit a timeless quality.
See sub-section 1.10 SuDs and surface water
run-off for green roofs and Appendix G for
considerations associated with window design.
1.8 Open space and play
Design considerations
A well-designed public open space is often the
heart of a new development and, if successful,
will also become the heart of the community.
By definition, public open space is for everyone.
It needs to be enticing, safe, accessible and
multi-functional – welcoming to people of all ages
and abilities and designed to support relaxation,
contemplation, play, exercise and general
wellbeing. Public spaces are often informal
meeting grounds too – neutral territory where
friends arrange to share lunch and families
congregate so children can play together.
Where a new public space is justified, it should
seek to complement rather than duplicate what
already exists (or is planned) and conform to the
local authority open space strategy. Decisions
about the use and function of open space should
be based on an understanding of the local area,
the scale of the planned development and where
possible, involve the intended community. As a
rule of thumb, developments of thirty or more
dwellings generally warrant some form of new
public open space unless they are immediately
adjacent to a park. Green space is particularly
valuable in urban environments where flats
predominate and private open space is in
short supply.
Public open space should always feel safe and
have an element of overlooking through natural
(passive) surveillance. Siting it close to dwellings
animates the edges and helps the space to feel
part of the street scene. Well-placed, obvious
entrance points aligned with pathways increase
footfall, create strong sightlines, and provide
subtle subdivision, allowing the space to be used
in different ways at the same time. For some,
it will be a peaceful refuge, and for others, a
chance to run or work out after a sedentary day in
the office.
Part II The standards: 1.0
A number of excellent publications are available
to inform the design of open spaces within
residential developments. Guidance includes
It’s Our Space (2007), Community Led Spaces
(2010) and Start with The Park (2005) all by Design
Council CABE, as well as Decent Homes Need
Decent Space produced by Design Council CABE
with the National Housing Federation (2010).
Play areas are an obvious destination within a
public open space. For larger developments, a
play strategy should be developed to show how
the space will meet the needs of the children
for whom it is intended. Play spaces should be
designed to promote physical health through
active play, allow for learning through acceptable
risk and be inclusive. Incidental play and ‘playable
landscapes’ offer informal and incidental
opportunities to stimulate a child’s imagination
and often feature natural elements such as logs,
boulders and lawn mounds which are more easily
integrated into multi-purpose spaces.
The landscape design of open space should
provide year-round interest across a range of age
49
groups and cultures. Separate dog exercising Standards
areas can resolve conflict in use, and in urban
areas, public open space generally works best 1.8.1 Ensure that an open space strategy, including
with planted boundaries that can be locked at a play strategy, forms part of the overall
masterplan for all but the smallest sites,
night. Design should always consider future and is informed by existing and planned local
management and maintenance to ensure long- provision, and the views of local people.
term prosperity. 1.8.2 Use public open space to give a scheme its
identity; ensure that it is designed for everyone
The provision of public open spaces is a key factor and is multi-functional.
in promoting active living and providing important 1.8.3 Ensure that space is overlooked and designed
physical, psychological and social health benefits for year-round use, a large proportion of the
space is green, and, where appropriate, it is
for individuals and the community. The Active by
enclosed.
Design agenda outlined in the Design Council’s
Designing places for healthy lives is designed to 1.8.4 Ensure that a long-term management plan is in
place.
increase activity within buildings and the external
1.8.5 Provide for an appropriate range of play spaces,
environment.11 based on the guidelines in the tables on pages
52 and 53.
National Housing Federation guidance on
managing green space is available within their
publication Greener Neighbourhoods: A Good
Practice Guide to Managing Green Space (2011);
further advice is also available within the Design
Council CABE publication Managing Green
Space (2010).
The GLA SPG Shaping neighbourhoods: play and
informal recreation (2012), provides excellent
guidance about designing for play which has
general relevance beyond London. The tables on
page 52 are adapted from this publication.
Further guidance is available from Play England;
Design for Play: A guide to Creating Successful
Play Spaces and Managing Risk in Play Provision:
Implementation Guide.

11 Design Council, Active by Design: Designing places for healthy lives www.designcouncil.org.uk/projects/active-design

50
 Putting public open space at the heart of the community

mix of traditional and informal

play equipment stimulates
different types of play
open space and play
areas overlooked by
surrounding dwellings
to provide natural
surveillance Space that is
welcoming

Part II The standards: 1.0

to people of
all ages and
abilities

well-designed
buildings animate
the edges of the
space and make
it feel part of the
street scene

landscape
integrated
with play
opportunities for
shared surface streets act open space responds to Active
informal meetings
as an extension to the public by Design agenda
with friends and
space
neighbours

51
Table summarising a range of playable space typologies
Doorstep playable Local playable space Neighbourhood Youth space
space playable space
Description • landscaped space • flexible, landscaped • varied, natural • social space for young
with features that space with space, with open people to meet, hang out,
engage young equipment that and secluded areas, take part in informal sport
children and allow allows children up landscape and or physical, recreational
parents/carers to 11 to be physically equipment that activities
to sit and talk active, and parents/ allows children up • no formal supervision
while providing carers to sit and to 11 to be physically
supervision talk while providing active, and parents/
casual supervision carers to sit and talk
Min size 100m2 300m2 500m2 200m2
Age group 0–5 0–11 all ages 12+
Location • residential area • residential areas • larger residential • larger residential areas
including housing including housing areas including including housing estates
estates estates housing estates • adjacent to community
• pocket parks • local parks • local parks facilities
• public squares • district parks • local parks
• school playgrounds • district parks
• town centres
Examples • landscape • natural landscape • as local playable • facilities for informal
of suitable • climbable objects with mounding and space and with: sport/recreation
facilities • fixed equipment equipment that • bike, skate and (e.g. table tennis)
• seating allows children to skateboard facilities • multi-use sports area
• sand/water etc. swing, slide and • shelter (MUSA)
where possible climb • climbing walls or • multi-use games area
• kick about area boulders where (MUGA)
• walled/fenced ball possible • climbing walls or boulders
games area with • BMX track, traversing wall,
basket ball nets fitness trails etc.
• seating (away from • kickabout area
equipment) • outdoor stage
• youth shelter

Adapted from Table 4.6 of Shaping neighbourhoods: play and informal recreation.

52
Table summarising a range of play provision in new developments
No. of children 10–29 30–49 50–79 80+
Size of space 100–300m 2
300–500 m 2
500–800m 2
800m2+
required
Facilities for on-site doorstep on-site local playable on-site local playable on-site local or
under-5s playable space space space neighbourhood playable
space
Facilities for on-site playable on-site local playable on-site local playable on-site local or
5–11s space unless already space space neighbourhood playable
available within 400m space
For 12+ off-site facilities off-site facilities off-site facilities off-site facilities within 800m
within 800m within 800m within 800m (or on- (or on-site where no existing

Part II The standards: 1.0

site where no existing provision within 800m)
provision within 800m)

Adapted from Table 4.7 of Shaping neighbourhoods: play and informal recreation.

53
1.9 Ecology and biodiversity
Design considerations
New development inevitably impacts on existing
natural habitats. The potential damage is
obviously greatest on virgin sites but brownfield
sites often sustain birds, bats and hedgehogs as
well a large amount of insect life, particularly
when they have been derelict for some time.
Habitat modification (often through tree loss) is
one of the principal threats to biodiversity so it
is incumbent on us all to minimise damage to
existing habitats (especially those that harbour
endangered or declining species) and create
new habitats.
As part of a coherent landscape strategy, a good
Green Infrastructure (GI) strategy will result in a
network of linked green features. Connectivity is
an important feature of a thriving natural habitat
because it provides safe cover for the movement
of species. The ideal scenario is a rich patchwork
of different types of habitat in close proximity,
exploiting ground level and rooftop spaces
designated as ‘green’ or ‘brown/biodiverse’.
Water, in both permanent and ephemeral forms,
is a great asset as it attracts and supports
different types of flora and fauna.
Very few residential developments can offer
anything on the scale of the ecological park at
Greenwich Millennium Village but the majority
can make a worthwhile contribution. Even simple,
inexpensive features such as log piles, sandy
mounds, small gaps in fences and boxes for bats,
54
birds and bees help invertebrates, birds and
small mammals to forage, hide and nest, while
providing the community with a valuable amenity
and educational opportunity. Thoughtful planting,
including carefully selected trees, wildflower
meadow verges and hedges that are rich in native
species contribute further. Low maintenance
planting is ideal – less work for the ‘gardener’ and
less disturbance for the wildlife within.
Good practice guidance on design and
management of green space for wildlife benefit
can be found within the Design Council CABE
publication Making Contracts Work For Wildlife
(2006) and A Natural Estate By Natural England
and Neighbourhoods Green (2007).
Standards
1.9.1 Ensure that the site appraisal includes a habitat
survey that extends beyond the site boundaries
and leads to mitigation and enhancement
measures as part of the landscape strategy.
1.9.2 Include as much greenery as possible;
particularly low maintenance, natural planting
that is indigenous to the area, but avoid planting
too densely as this increases maintenance
costs.
1.9.3 Engage the community in installing nesting
boxes and other features that support wildlife
and are appropriate to the context.
Taking every opportunity to contributing to ecological value and biodiversity on a
small infill site
(Sketch based on a scheme designed by Peter Barber architects)

a mix of green and

brown roofs support
birds, insects and small
mammals

bird/bat boxes fitted to

the tops of buildings

Part II The standards: 1.0

trees provide shade,
informal planting, including ambience and character
unmown grass and wild while offering nesting
flowers, around the edges opportunities and autumn
of the site attracts bees food (berries and fruit) to
and butterflies, provides birds
undisturbed habitats and
reduces maintenance

well-placed green space

compensates for small,
courtyard gardens
and becomes a shared small pond or boggy
resource for residents and area contributes further
wildlife ecological value

55
1.10 SuDs and surface water run-off
Design considerations
As more land is developed, and local flooding –
due to sudden, heavy rainfall – occurs more
frequently, surface-water management
becomes increasingly important. An integrated
approach to water management systems will
not only help with flood mitigation, but also yield
significant environmental benefits through water
conservation, waste minimisation and pollution
control. This provides opportunities to enhance
amenity and biodiversity within new developments
as part of the overall landscape design strategy.
Sustainable urban Drainage solutions (SuDs)
mimic nature by managing rainwater close to
where it falls. These are more effective than a
conventional pipe network that typically removes
a large quantity of water before discharging it
into a local water course or network – sometimes
overloading the system and losing potential
environmental benefits en route. SuDs are
more sensitive to local conditions and can be
implemented in many different ways.
Through considered landscape design of hard
surfaces, SuDs interventions can slow the passage
of water, channelling rainfall through planted
‘rain-gardens’ within streets, through decorative
channels as part of a way-finding strategy,
and can even form incidental play features.
The introduction of water, whether ornamental
or practical, often contributes to distinctive
placemaking too.
Recent legislation, introduced in April 2015 under
a Town and Country Planning (Development
Management Procedure) Order, requires LPAs
56
to ensure that sustainable drainage systems, for
the management of surface water run-off, are
put in place for proposed developments of ten
or more dwellings, unless demonstrated to be
inappropriate. LPAs are expected to consult with
the relevant lead local flood authority (usually the
Environment Agency) to ensure that the measures
are suitable and will be maintained over time. The
measures will then usually be conditioned as part
of a planning approval, or subject to a specific
planning obligation.
A comprehensive maintenance strategy is crucial
to long-term success, and will, in any event, be
required by the local authority before planning
approval is granted.
The table on page 58 provides a summary of
typical SuDs interventions and suggests where
these are most appropriate. The SuDs Manual and
accompanying Site Handbook for the construction
of SuDs, produced by the Construction Industry
Research and Information Association (CIRIA),
provide best practice guidance on the approach to,
and implementation of, SuDs techniques.
Standards
1.10.1 Where required by the local authority,
incorporate a SuDs strategy into the overall
landscape strategy and ensure that it is
appropriate to the context and addresses the
entire surface water cycle.
1.10.2 With reference to the CIRIA guidance and the
table on pages 58 and 59, appoint an engineer
to determine flood risk and implement an
appropriate range of drainage techniques to
manage surface water run-off sustainably.
 Incorporating sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDs) into
new development

green roof – reduces

run-off from roof and adds
ecological value
blue roof – stores a layer
of water beneath planting
to slow the discharge of
water after rainfall
water butt – harvests
run-off from roof and
stores water for watering
swale – linear ground plants on dry days,
depression (shallow

Part II The standards: 1.0

washing cars etc
ditch) holds and channels
run-off from roads and
pavements, adding to
biodiversity rain garden – ground
depression with planting
that is able to tolerate
occasional flooding

permeable paving – allows surface water

to filter through slowly to the drainage
system, potentially recharging aquifers
en-route
pond – attenuates and
treats surface water
run-off

57
Table of typical SuDs interventions
(Ref CIRIA C697 – The SuDs manual, 2007)
About
There are two main types of
green roof systems:
Extensive:
Sedum grasses (up to 80mm
soil depth)
Intensive:
Mix of species with deeper
soil than extensive roofs to
support adequate growth.
Intensive roofs can range
from biodiverse/brown
roofs and meadow planting
Green roof
through to full scale tree
planting.
Green roofs are laid over
a drainage layer allowing
the absorption of water for
plant growth and adequate
drainage.
Roof designed to store
a layer of water to limit
and slow the discharge of
rainwater into the sewers.
Blue roof
58
Pros
• Encourages a range of
biodiversity, intensive
roofs provide better
habitats than extensive
roofs
• Plants convert CO2 to
oxygen and collect air
borne pollutants
• Provides local air
cooling, reducing the
urban heat island effect
in the summer through
transpiration and shading
• Protects building
waterproofing systems,
extending its lifespan
• High water attenuation
potential
• Has the ability to slow the
transfer of water from
the roof into the drainage
system
• Helps integrate dwellings
into the surrounding
ecological context
• Brown roofs can be
specified in conjunction
with photovoltaics to form
micro habitats.
• Uses the structural
strength designed for
snow loads to temporarily
retain water at roof level
• Can reduce surface water
drainage costs
• Reduces risks of flooding
• Ideal where minimal land
area available for other
SuDs techniques
• Complements a green roof
• Roof not required to be
laid to falls.
Cons Suitability
• Additional structural load • Any project with
to the roof to take the suitable roof space,
weight of soil and water where structure
retention and accessibility
• Additional roof build-up issues allow
thickness for these to be
• Potential for one installed.
maintenance visit per year
• Higher initial installation
costs
• Low compatibility with
rainwater harvesting for
internal use as rainwater
can be discoloured
after filtering through
green roofs.
• Extensive roofs provide
little ecology or
biodiversity benefit
• Less suited to pitched
roofs unless adequate soil
support is provided.
• Ensure roof geometry • Any project
does not obstruct flow of containing a flat
water to outlets roof capable of
• Higher perceived risk of integrating storage.
roof leaks
• Increased waterproofing
upstand to contain the
water
• Not suitable for
pitched roofs.
 About
Rainwater tanks collecting
rainwater from roofs for
re-use in toilets, external
irrigation and washing
machines. Downpipes fed
directly into tanks.
Pros Cons
• Diverts water from the • Overflowing issues
sewer network reducing can arise if capacity is
flooding and resultant reached without enough
water quality problems consumption
• Reduces the demand • Where roofs are small and
on mains water for the developments large e.g.
fittings the rainwater blocks of flats, the supply
supplies i.e. toilets. will not meet demand
• Systems can be complex
and costly to install
Suitability
• Where there is
sufficient roof area
to collect enough
water for use and
where there is
space for a tank.

Part II The standards: 1.0

especially where large
Rainwater harvesting

underground tanks or long

Areas more intensively
planted with species tolerant
of ephemeral conditions,
designed to accept
rainwater runoff from hard
Rain gardens
pipe runs are proposed
• Additional energy loads
are associated with pumps
feeding the rainwater from
the tank to the building
• Where the rainwater tank
becomes empty it will
need to top up with mains
water to protect the pump
• Not suitable for combining
with green roofs as they
can discolour the water
supplied to toilets making
it undesirable
• The tanks and associated
systems require
maintenance.
• Suited to attenuate • Potentially space hungry • Where space
road/pavement surface to create an adequate allows, these create
water run-off with high area for required water an interesting
collection potential collection addition to a varied
• Adds to the environmental • Does not retain large street scene and

landscaping typically along and ecological benefits of amounts of water in deal with more
roads or pathways. a scheme with planting extreme events frequent rainfall
that is naturally watered • Not suited to steeply events.
• Easily integrated into sloping sites.
landscaping with aesthetic
benefits
• Relatively low
maintenance
• Effective at removing
urban pollutants.

59
 About
Broad, extensive, vegetated
drainage channels, designed
to store or infiltrate surface • Easy to maintain as part of
water.
Often sown with grass,
Swales
meadow or planting which
will tolerate ephemeral
conditions
Swales are typically wet
after rainfall under water
drains away.
Areas of hardstanding
designed for pedestrians
or traffic which allows rain
Permeable paving
to infiltrate into the ground
beneath.
Soakaways are excavations
in the ground typically filled
with loose material (›30%
void space) such as rubble
which provide stormwater
Soakaways
attenuation with slow
release into the ground.
Geocellular units can be
integrated to create a below
ground storage structure.
60
Pros
• Suited to reduce run-off
rates and volumes
normal landscaped areas
• Low cost to install
• Effective at removing
urban pollutants
• Creates landscaping
feature which adds to the
ecological and aesthetic
benefits
• Planting is naturally
watered.
• Significantly reduces
surface water run-off by
allowing infiltration
• Effective at removing
urban pollutants
• No additional land areas
required as it is an
integrated solution
• Low maintenance with no
pooling of water on roads
and paths
• Available in a variety of
surface finishes.
• Able to attenuate road/
pavement surface water
run-off
• Valuable in restricted
sites to allow shallower
landscaped SuDs to be
used
• Easy to construct with
minimal land area
required
• Able to attenuate large
volumes of water whilst
recharging the ground.
Cons Suitability
• Potentially space hungry • Where space
to create an adequate allows, these create
area for required water an interesting
collection and potentially
• Is not suited to tree ecologically
planting biodiverse feature.
• Not suitable in steeply
sloping areas.
• Can only be used where • Suitable for any
soil conditions permit road or path where
• Not suited to contaminated soil conditions
sites as water is allowed to permit.
drain through
• Cannot be used to cater
for run-off containing high
amounts of sediment due
to clogging potential
• Sometimes difficult to get
roads or paths adopted by
local authorities.
• Not suitable for poor • Can be used on tight
draining soils urban sites where
• Cannot be used to drain soil conditions
polluted runoff permit.
• Underground features
tend be ignored in
terms of maintenance,
meaning problems can
arise in later years when
these elements aren’t
maintained properly
• Structural foundations
should be considered.
 About
Gravel filled trenches
with perforated pipe or
Trenches
geocellular units in the
bottom. Sometimes known
as French drains.
Ponds designed to attenuate
and treat rainwater run-off
and stormwater.
Ponds
Pros
• Collects water for
infiltration or filtration of
surface water run-off
• Significantly reduces run-
off rates.
• Permanent pond serving
to store significant
amounts of water
• Plants in ponds treat the
pollutants
• Provides a habitat for
wildlife and contributes to
ecology and biodiversity
• Enjoyable local feature for
residents.
Cons Suitability
• Cannot be used to cater • Where there is
for run-off containing high sufficient linear
amounts of sediment due space alongside
to clogging potential hardstanding.
• High maintenance to
prevent clogging and to
replace and clean stones.
• Large area of land • Suitable where land
required area is available.
• Water can become
Part II The standards: 1.0
stagnant without regular
input
• Potential for regular
maintenance
• Perceived health and
safety risks of open water
• Some maintenance
required.
61
2.0 Communal spaces
The scope of this section
2.1 Approach routes and entrances
2.2 Circulation areas, lifts and stairs
2.3 Outdoor amenity spaces
2.4 Undercroft and underground parking
2.5 Bike and bin storage and other
ancillary spaces
2.6 Utilities, meters and communications
technology
2.7 Special considerations in mixed-
use buildings
This section applies to flats or other dwelling
types that are served by communal areas.
As density rises, these areas become more
complicated – often intensively used and heavily
serviced. They can easily feel institutional,
particularly ‘double-loaded’ corridors (those that
serve flats on both sides). Undoubtedly efficient,
they are often long and dark – at best boring, and
at worst, intimidating. They also give rise to a
high proportion of single aspect flats with limited
outlook and character, poor ventilation and more
prone to overheating.
Flats now account for over 90% of new homes in
London and the GLA standards have done a great
deal to stem the flow of double-loaded corridors
by encouraging dual aspect homes. They also limit
the number of dwellings per floor, and per core,
while being mindful of the need to keep service
charges manageable, especially for lower income
families. Smaller clusters and deck access are
now more common, and other, more ambitious
circulation solutions, such as atria, that encourage
62
social interaction and create conditions for allow
dual aspect, are also on the increase.
The Housing Standards Review has affected
some aspects of the design and specification
of communal areas, particularly accessibility
and security. All housing-related accessibility
requirements are now in regulation, and Approved
Document M (AD M) defines three categories of
dwelling. Each follows a similar structure and is
divided into two main sections. Section A of each
category deals with the approach to the dwelling
(all areas leading up to the private entrance) and
Section B, with the dwelling itself, (beginning at
the private entrance). Section A is the part that is
relevant to communal areas.
Access to plant and services for maintenance,
repair and renewal tends not to be covered by
any standard but can have a huge impact on the
smooth day-to-day functioning of a development
and its long-term sustainability, so some basic
principles are included here.
A reminder of the three groups of standards and
regulations:
Nationally defined and universally applied
Nationally defined and locally applied
Additional good practice standards
Local planning policy standards and bespoke
client requirements, including tenure variations
(see Appendix B) should be added for each project.
2.1 Approach routes and entrances
Design considerations
Throughout history, and across the world,
designers have celebrated the approach and
entrance to a building. More recently, these key
elements have been underplayed, particularly in
housing developments. From the 1960s onwards,
the entrances to many blocks of flats have not
only lacked physical presence, but have also been
hard to find, poorly lit and a target for anti-social
behaviour – not the uplifting ‘welcome home’ that
residents have a right to expect.
Traditionally, entrances gained stature by
being elevated – steps signalled grandeur.
Universal design principles have rightly led to a
presumption of step-free access so entrances
must now achieve prominence in other ways. A
larger opening, deeper inset and/or a generous,
well-designed canopy, the use of colour, glass,
imaginative lighting and carefully integrated
signage should all be considered and a double
height entrance may be appropriate in certain
circumstances.
The GLA requires every entrance, communal or
private, to be visible from the public realm. This
simple but effective standard ensures that the
‘front door’ is easy to find, offers its presence to
the street, concentrates activity and improves
safety. A robust, digital door entry system is still
an essential safeguard but CCTV should normally
be seen as a last resort. External signage should
indicate which dwellings are accessible from the
entrance and once inside, it should be clear how
to find the lift and stairs and navigate to each
dwelling. Mail delivery can be a controversial
subject so early discussion is important.
Under the new accessibility requirements,
where a block (or core) of flats only contains
Category 1 dwellings, the whole of the approach
route (including the communal entrance and all
communal circulation leading to every private
entrance or ‘front door’) need only meet the
requirements of Section 1A.
Part II The standards: 2.0
Where a block (or core) contains flats of
different accessibility categories, every part of
the approach route that serves more than one
category of dwelling must be appropriate to the
highest category of dwelling served. This means
that where there is one or more Category 2
dwelling in a core, the approach route (including
the entrance and all communal circulation
leading to the front door of the last (i.e. the
highest or furthest) Category 2 dwelling accessed
via that entrance, must meet the requirements
of M4(2) Section 2A. Beyond that point, i.e. where
only Category 1 dwellings remain, the route
can revert to the requirements of Section M4(1)
Section 1A. The same principle applies where
wheelchair dwellings are involved. The approach
route must conform to M4(3) until the last
Category 3 private entrance has been reached.
The standards in this section begin with the
accessibility and security requirements (Part
Q) but in summary form only as they are too
detailed to reproduce in full. They are followed by
good practice guidance, which draws on the GLA
standards. Secured by Design is also referenced
because Part Q is limited in scope.
63
Standards
2.1.1 The communal approach to every Category 1 2.1.8 Aim to meet the requirements of Secured
home must meet the accessibility requirements By Design: New Homes 2014 and achieve
of AD M Section 1A Approach to the dwelling certification for Section 2: Security of Dwellings
(Part M, regulation M4(1) Visitable dwellings. where considered appropriate.
2.1.2 The communal approach to every Category 2 2.1.9 Provide dirt control matting, suitable for use
home must meet the accessibility requirements by a wheelchair user, immediately inside the
of AD M Section 2A Approach to the dwelling entrance, and ensure that all internal finishes
(Part M, regulation M4(2) Adaptable and and components are high quality, durable and
accessible dwellings. easy to clean. Hard flooring, such as tiling, is
recommended for the entrance lobby.
2.1.3 The communal approach to every Category 3
home must meet the accessibility requirements 2.1.10 Provide an individual, A4+ size, tamper-proof
of AD M Section 3A Approach to the dwelling letterbox for every dwelling, at a height suitable
(Part M, regulation M4(3) Wheelchair user for a wheelchair user. Letterboxes should
dwellings. usually be grouped and located either on the
external wall next to the entrance (to allow for
2.1.4 Communal entrance doors, associated
mail to be delivered from outside and collected
glazing and windows must meet the security
from inside) or located within the entrance
requirements of Part Q, regulation Q1
lobby (preferably with secondary doors to limit
Unauthorised Access.
tradesmen access to the lobby itself). Other
2.1.5 All communal entrances should be visible from arrangements, such as letterboxes on every
the public realm, clearly identified, well lit front door, should also be considered.
and at least partially glazed to allow views in
and out12.
2.1.6 An access core serving four or more dwellings
should have an access control system with
audio-visual verification, and every dwelling
should have an entry phone with electronic
door release linked to a main front door.
2.1.7 Aim to make Category 2 the minimum standard
for the approach route and entrance. As a
minimum, and irrespective of lift provision,
ensure that the approach route is step-free and
adopts the shallowest possible gradient, and
that the main entrance has:
• a level external landing at least 1500mm
square and partially covered
• an accessible threshold (a maximum total
upstand of 15mm with a chamfered profile)
• a clear door opening width of at least 850mm
• a 300mm nib to the leading edge of the door
• automatically activated lighting

12 Based on GLA standard

64
 Approach routes and entrances

double height space makes

glazing ensures a good
the entrance feel more
connection with the
spacious and impressive
street and allows views
out to the courtyard

Part II The standards: 2.0

stairs given more
prominence than lift
to encourage active
lifestyle choices

interesting and inviting

entrance with clear
signage and strong
street presence

robust internal
digital door entry system finishes cope with
with visual and audio heavy traffic and need
recognition little maintenance
level approach route
and accessible
threshold

65
2.2 Circulation areas, lifts and stairs
Design considerations
Decisions about block layout are taken at a very
early stage in the design, often with insufficient
thought about the consequences. How flats are
grouped around cores, when to provide lifts,
and whether to employ corridors or decks has a
far-reaching and long-term effect on the sort of
dwellings that result, how the development will
need to be managed and maintained, and the
service charges.
Technology continues to improve the reliability
of lifts but they still account for a considerable
proportion of the charges passed on to residents.
Where a lift is provided in an affordable rented
core, there is a general consensus that the
optimum number of flats per core is around
20–25. But this is quite finely balanced. With
fewer than 15 households, service charges
become unaffordable, and with more than
30, management becomes more difficult. The
number of dwellings needed to support two lifts
is higher – up to half as many again. More homes
means more residents, more residents means
more visitors, and a higher numbers of overall
users makes it less likely that residents will get to
know their neighbours or take pride in the spaces
they share.
66
Homes of other tenures are less likely to be fully
occupied and tend to have lower child densities.
Numbers per core can therefore be higher but
this may limit the flexibility to change tenure
over time. It is therefore important to consider
whether, for example, blocks designed for private
rent could be changed to affordable rent in
the future.
The new accessibility regulations introduced
under the HSR require step-free access to
all Category 2 and 3 dwellings. It is therefore
vital to establish the local authority’s planning
requirements in respect of this to inform
decisions about lift provision and which dwellings
go where. From an inclusive design perspective, it
is highly desirable to provide step-free access to
all dwellings but a lift is not always viable, either
from a capital cost or service charge perspective
– particularly on smaller sites with less than
15 flats.
Subsection 3.3 offers similar guidance on which
of the Category 2 features should be included
within Category 1 dwellings.
 Making more of communal circulation areas

bay windows to
kitchens allow flats
to become dual
aspect and protect
privacy

Part II The standards: 2.0

‘loose-fitting’, transparent ETFE
(Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene) roof
brings natural light and ventilation
down through the building

‘double-loaded’
corridor rejected
in favour of linear
atrium with bridges
and light wells

results in a more
interesting and
convivial space

67
Standards
2.2.1 The communal circulation areas to every
Category 1 home must meet the accessibility
requirements of AD M Section 1A Approach to
the dwelling, of Part M, regulation M4(1) Visitable
dwellings.
2.2.2 The communal circulation areas to every
Category 2 home must meet the accessibility
requirements of AD M Section 2A Approach
to the dwelling, of Part M, regulation M4(2)
Adaptable and accessible dwellings.
2.2.3 The communal circulation areas to every
Category 3 home must meet the accessibility
requirements of AD M Section 3A Approach
to the dwelling, of Part M, regulation M4(3)
Wheelchair user dwellings.
2.2.4 Communal doors and windows must meet the
security requirements of Part Q, regulation Q1
Unauthorised Access.
2.2.5 The lift and stairs should be within sight of the
entrance area, or clearly signed. Stairs should
be attractive and prominent to encourage
active, healthy lifestyle choices.
2.2.6 Avoid long doubled loaded corridors and ensure
that communal circulation areas receive
daylight where possible.
13 Based on GLA standard
14 Based on GLA standard
15 Based on GLA standard
68
2.2.7 As a general rule, each lift-served core should
serve a maximum of 25 dwellings or 100
bedspaces, with a maximum of eight dwellings
per floor. Secondary security measures, such
as fobbed doors to each at landing level that
restrict access to groups of eight flats, can
allow overall numbers to be increased. This is
particularly useful where two lifts are provided
as it spreads service charges.13
2.2.8 Aim to make Category 2 the minimum standard
for all circulation areas. As a minimum,
and irrespective of lift provision, ensure the
following:
• all corridors and decks are at least 1200mm
wide (preferably 1500mm to allow for
wheelchair turning)
• all doors at entrance level have a clear
door opening width of at least 850mm and a
300mm nib to the leading edge.
2.2.9 Provide at least one lift to every home on the
fourth floor or above, and two lifts to all homes
on the seventh floor or above. Provide two lifts
to all Category 3 dwellings where possible.14
2.2.10 Where possible, provide two lifts to every
Category 3 dwelling to give cover in the event of
breakdown.15
See also section 2.6 for services in
communal areas.
2.3 Outdoor amenity spaces
Design considerations
Communal outdoor spaces are valuable for
relaxation and socialising with friends and
neighbours, but can be difficult areas to get right.
They are typically courtyards, surrounded by
dwellings and with controlled access via cores.
These spaces are inevitably multi-purpose –
usually providing private terraces with shared
amenity space beyond. The design of the
boundary interface between the private terraces
and communal spaces needs careful thought
because the benefits of a visual and physical
connection between them have to be weighed
against the need for privacy and security.
Timber fencing tends to look cheap and flimsy –
railings with a low level wall and planting often
work better.
These courtyard spaces need to provide a
pleasant outlook for the surrounding flats and
sometimes form part of the circulation system
too. They are often shared by different tenures,
and need to be flexible and cater for all ages.
Cores need to be carefully positioned to give
good access, and the scale of the space must
be appropriate to the scale of the buildings that
enclose it. Sunlight is important, and greenery,
achieved through trees and planting, highly
desirable. Grass needs frequent maintenance and
can be difficult to sustain, particularly in shady
corners. Access for maintenance also needs to
be considered.
Considered design can prevent boisterous activity
and ball games while providing opportunities
for incidental play for younger children. Where
future residents are known, they should be
actively involved in the design of the space, and
opportunities for supervising play, sharing in the
upkeep of planting, food growing etc., explored.
Provision for allotment-style growing beds can
be a successful means of engaging residents in
Part II The standards: 2.0
communal green spaces. Useful guidance on the
principles and benefits can be found within the
National Housing Federation publication Edible
Estates: A Good Practice Guide to Food Growing for
Social Landlords (2014).
Other forms of communal open space include
podia (usually employed to cover parking)
and rooftops. Podia are effectively raised
courtyards, and similar principles apply, though
soft landscape is inevitably more difficult to
sustain. Rooftop amenity can be successful but
tends to be less well-used, less suited to play
and planting, and more difficult to manage.
In all ‘above ground situations’, drainage and
structure become more complicated. It is
important to employ a landscape architect and
devise a robust maintenance regime which
assumes intensive input in the early years while
planting establishes.
69
 Incorporating communal amenity space in higher density developments

green and/or brown large private roof

roofs for biodiversity terraces to top floor flats
trees break up
the visual impact large balconies for
of tall blocks and private amenity
help absorb CO2
gaps between buildings
allow light and views into
courtyard

raised communal courtyard

with trees and planting
overlooked by, and
accessible to, residents

void in podium slab allows

natural light and ventilation to
the undercroft parking area
below

low-key doorstop play area

integrated into courtyard

carefully designed boundary interface

between private terraces and
communal space
own front doors and defensible front
gardens with planting create active
frontages and bring a human scale to
the street

70
Standards
2.3.1 Aim to ensure that every flat has access to
communal space that:
• is overlooked by surrounding development
• is accessible to all residents of the block
• is designed to take advantage of direct
sunlight
• has suitable management in place16.
2.3.2 Provide fobbed access to the space from all
cores. Aim to provide additional, secure access
directly from the street for mowers and other
large maintenance equipment. Where this is not
possible, ensure that one core has extra wide
doors and suitable finishes.
2.3.3 Make the space as green as possible but use
grass and informal, low maintenance planting
rather than formal elements such as hedges
and topiary that rely on intensive maintenance.
Where extensive soft landscaping is planned,
provide secure access from the street for
mowers and other large equipment (not just
via cores).
2.3.4 Achieve year-round interest through the choice
of planting and ensure that the space will also
look attractive when viewed from homes above.
16 Based on GLA standard
2.3.5 Design for incidental play using natural
elements, and discourage boisterous play
and ball games by breaking up the space with
planting, seating, mounding and changes of
material etc.
2.3.6 Consider the interface between any private
gardens, or terraces, and the communal space
carefully. Aim for privacy screening rather than
a solid barrier, and use railings and planting
rather than timber fencing. Avoid cheap timber
sheds and use neat storage ‘pods’ or integrate
the external storage where possible. Consider
Part II The standards: 2.0
whether access from private gardens to the
communal space is practical and desirable.
2.3.7 Use high quality, durable materials that
weather well and need little maintenance,
and low energy light fittings (with timers or
sensors) to provide ambience and safe access
without undue glare.
2.3.8 Include watering points and consider the use
of water butts (see subsection 1.10) but avoid
irrigation systems.
2.3.9 Draw up a plan for the long-term management
and maintenance of communal outdoor spaces
with intensive input over the first two years.
See also section 2.7 for special considerations in
mixed-use buildings.
71
2.4 Undercroft and underground parking
Design considerations
This subsection deals with communal parking
associated with flats and should be read in
conjunction with subsection 1.6 which covers
various forms of street parking.
As density rises above about 80 dph, it becomes
very difficult to provide on-street or in-curtilage
parking for every dwelling without creating either
a ‘wall’ of cars on both sides of the street or a
series of parking courts. Undercroft (or ‘under-
deck’) and underground solutions need to be
considered instead, but both carry higher cost
and management implications.
Most clients consider underground parking to be
a last resort except for ‘high end’ private sale or
rent where residents are prepared to pay for an
allocated space. To justify the cost and space of
a ramp, an underground car park usually needs
to provide at least 50 spaces and probably needs
CCTV, ideally monitored by a concierge.
Undercroft parking is more viable and practical
for affordable rent and intermediate tenures but
still has far-reaching implications and should
not be undertaken lightly. The most common and
cost-effective solution is to provide parking in a
covered, ground level courtyard, surrounded by
dwellings or other active uses.
Not unreasonably, planners will usually require
the cars to be shielded from view – usually
‘wrapped’ at street level by dwellings or other
uses that create an active frontage and an
attractive streetscape. Dwellings will inevitably
72
be single aspect at this level. Maisonettes
therefore work better than flats because they can
take advantage of the potential for dual aspect at
first floor (podium) level and private open space
around the edges of the podium. This can however
cause stacking problems when flats are provided
on the levels above.
Access and security also need careful
consideration. Should the undercroft be gated?
Should spaces be allocated? Should the cores be
accessible from the parking area, or can residents
be expected to walk back out to the pavement to
enter the building? The answers to these questions
depend on the individual circumstances but the
standards below offer a good practice approach.
Standards
2.4.1 Where communal parking is proposed,
ensure that it is appropriate to the user group,
manageable and has the potential to be
secured.
2.4.2 Avoid underground parking for residents on
lower incomes.
2.4.3 Where undercroft parking is provided,
ensure that it is surrounded by dwellings or
other active uses that create a live frontage,
and is only used by residents of that block.
Consider which dwelling typologies are most
appropriate, and consider the structural and
services implications where different dwelling
types are stacked.
2.4.4 Install charging points for electric cars, or
make future provision.
2.4.5 Aim to meet the requirements of Secured
By Design: New Homes 2014 and achieve
certification for Section 3: Ancillary Security
Requirements, where considered appropriate.
2.5 Bike and bin storage and other ancillary spaces
Design considerations
It is dangerous to assume that communal
storage for bikes and bins ‘can be sorted out
later’, and much wiser to allow space at the
start – and in the ‘right place’. The right place
depends on a number of factors but is generally
close to cores or within communal courtyards.
Mitigating nuisance and allowing for access are
the key issues to be resolved at an early stage –
it is sometimes all too apparent that the layout
of a scheme has been dictated by the turning
requirements of a refuse collection vehicle.
The LPA will usually determine the amount of
cycle storage required and this will range from
none, to the demanding standards of London
and Cambridge. Under the HSR it is unclear
whether LPAs can demand that cycle storage is
secure and covered (as required by the former
Code) but these are sensible measures where
communal storage is provided. Ground level
communal stores, within the footprint of the
building and located close to each core, are the
most typical solution, but stand-alone stores can
also work well. For bikes, and to some extent for
bins too, a series of smaller stores, for identified
groups of residents, works better than a few
very large spaces which are more prone to anti-
social behaviour.
It is often felt that cycle storage should be
designed to be ‘multi-purpose’ – useful for
storing other things. Clients will need to decide
how feasible this is but it implies considerable
extra space. Bikes are long and narrow – a
very different size and shape from prams, or
most sports or gardening equipment. Achieving
versatility implies individual walk-in stores at
least 1.2m wide x 1.8m long. As ground floor
space is always at a premium, a purpose-built
basement or a space within an undercroft car
park may be the only practical solution.
Bin stores need to provide segregated storage
Part II The standards: 2.0
for waste and recycling. Suitable provision
will depend largely on the local authority’s
arrangements for collection and recycling.
Prevalent across much of Europe, underground
waste storage is not widely available here
though it is increasing. As with bike storage,
typical solutions include stores at the base of the
building or stand-alone stores which can either
be screened but uncovered, or fully enclosed.
The nuisance factor of bin storage (smells and/
or noise) is a major issue and careful design is
needed to ensure that the amenity of nearby
dwellings is not unduly compromised. A minor
addition to Part H of the Building Regulations,
introduced through the HSR, aims to reduce ‘bin
blight’ by good design and makes reference to
Avoiding Rubbish Design: providing for bin storage
on new housing developments, produced by the
NHBC.
Other ancillary areas are likely to be mainly
plant rooms. These need careful siting and good
vehicular access for maintenance staff and
vehicles, but not residents.
73
Standards
2.5.1 Meet the bin storage/screening requirements 2.5.6 Ensure that stores are covered and well lit, and
of Part H (H6 of AD H) to reduce bin blight. provide individual, allocated stands or hangers
but avoid double stacking where possible. In
2.5.2 Ensure that bin stores meet the storage and
high risk areas, consider the need for individual
collection requirements of the local authority.
lockers within each store.
2.5.3 Locate bin stores close to cores or within
2.5.7 Where feasible, provide cycle storage in a form
courtyards where these are large enough.
that is suitable for storing other ‘outdoor’ items
Where integral with the building footprint,
including prams/buggies, sports/camping
ensure that bin stores are not sited directly
equipment etc.
next to, or below, a private front door, bedroom,
main living space or balcony. 2.5.8 Ensure that plant rooms are not located next to
entrances, or sound sensitive spaces such as
2.5.4 Design for waste and recycling to be deposited
bedrooms and main living spaces and that extra
and collected from outside, and avoid refuse
soundproofing is incorporated as required in
chutes. Ensure that stores are:
subsection 3.7.
• accessible to wheelchair users
• well lit and ventilated 2.5.9 Meet the requirements of Secured By Design:
New Homes 2014 and achieve certification for
• fitted with robust, scratch resistant, lockable,
Section 3: Ancillary Security Requirements,
metal doors
where considered appropriate.
• fitted with a tap and floor gulley (within a
concrete floor laid to falls) and suitable for
hosing down. See also subsection 3.7 for soundproofing.

2.5.5 Provide small, secure cycle stores (ideally

serving 10-15 flats) either close to cores, within
secure courtyards or within undercroft parking
areas. Aim to achieve access from a secure
outer area (the core, courtyard or undercroft).

74
2.6 Utilities, meters and communications technology

Design considerations Utility surveys, applications for connection and

space planning will vary from project to project
Provision and consideration for building with no two sites the same – making these issues
services is often put to one side as something all the more important to address early on. Costs
to be dealt with later but early engagement of are often considerable.
building service engineers can save time and
avoid redesign, particularly in large or complex
projects. Early involvement with the client’s
technical and systems experts, including housing

Part II The standards: 2.0

management staff, is also useful. How something
will be managed should inform how it is designed
and specified, and unless the scheme is very
simple, this warrants a dedicated meeting.
Many of the problems encountered later simply
revolve around not having allowed either
enough space, or enough access, or both. Plant
rooms invariably need to be larger than initially
anticipated and heat exchangers all too often
occupy much of the storage space within a home.
Associated pipework is often a nasty ‘aftershock’,
so it is important to understand the full extent of
all the services that need to be accommodated.
Larger projects often need a new electricity sub-
station, and the capacity of existing services, to
support the new housing, will need to be tested.
Many sites contain existing services which are
too costly to move, or divert, and it may not be
possible to build above, or even to close them.
There are often logistical issues associated with
maintaining existing supplies to nearby homes
or other buildings throughout the development
process too.

75
Standards
2.6.1 Locate all sub-stations, building services 2.6.8 Set aside space for service risers and main
running across or under the site, and locate service runs at an early stage, allowing for
the nearest data, power, water/sewerage, gas insulation where necessary. Consider how
connection points and heat networks. these can be discreetly integrated and tamper-
proof while allowing easy access for testing,
2.6.2 Contact UK Power Networks (UKPN) to
repair and renewal. Allow adequate ceiling
determine whether there is adequate capacity
void depth for recessed light fittings and
in the nearest electrical sub-station for the
service runs.
new development. Where capacity exists, apply
for connection early to ensure the capacity is 2.6.9 Plan for soil and vent pipes (SVPs) and
reserved. incoming services to be accessible from
communal areas, rather than within flats,
2.6.3 Make contact with all utilities companies in
wherever possible. As a minimum, provide
good time – they can be notoriously slow to
isolation valves in communal areas to mitigate
respond, provide information and/or carry out
damage in the event of a problem and avoid
works.
disturbing residents.
2.6.4 Check whether mobile telephone masts exist on
2.6.10 Ensure that risers containing gas can be
site and whether they can be moved/removed
adequately ventilated to prevent pressure
or reinstated. Where th ey are to be reinstated/
build-up in the event of a leak.
installed on roofs, consider the potential effect
on the sale value of adjacent dwellings. 2.6.11 Plan for either an adequate mains connection
or large water tanks where sprinkler systems
2.6.5 Determine the energy strategy at an early stage
are to be included.
to ensure space can be included in homes and
communal spaces for plant, service cupboards 2.6.12 Co-ordinate SVPs terminations at roof level (to
and horizontal and vertical ductwork runs. avoid clashes with other installations such as
solar panels) and boiler flues and other outlets
2.6.6 Where hot water is distributed through
on building facades.
communal spaces, especially corridors, ensure
pipework is adequately insulated, the network 2.6.13 Provide multiple data connections and TV
is planned efficiently and corridors are suitably signals from satellites to dwellings to allow for
ventilated. connection to all broadband and TV services
(such as Sky +). Use communal dishes where
2.6.7 Where gas connections exist on site, provide
possible and consider locations carefully.
space externally for meters allowing for
designed enclosures to reduce their visual
impact.

Building services and utilities have also been addressed in the following subsections:
2.2 Circulation areas, lifts and stairs
2.5 Bike and bin storage and other ancillary spaces
2.7 Special considerations in mixed-use buildings
3.5 Energy, together with Appendix F (which also covers district and communal heating).

76
2.7 Special considerations in mixed-use buildings
Design considerations
Mixed-use buildings are inevitably more
complicated than wholly residential blocks in
terms of design, construction and management.
The scale and nature of the challenges depend on
what the other uses are, and how many landlords
are involved. In the UK, we have a long tradition of
building flats above shops and offices but mixed-
use buildings now routinely integrate community
facilities, health centres, schools, police stations
and even swimming pools, particularly in London.
All of the issues covered in this section become
more challenging when the lower floor (or
floors) is given over to another use. Residential
entrances can get squeezed and cores pushed
to the back of the plan, particularly where retail
or other uses demand street frontage. Other
solutions have to be found for parking, and bin
and bike storage, and a podium is often the only
way to provide communal amenity space and
shield parking, delivery or service areas.
Noise can be a problem too – whether
generated by the facility itself, the building
users or the visiting public. This makes it more
difficult to achieve a peaceful and comfortable
living environment. The tenure and type of
accommodation also needs careful consideration.
It may be wise to limit the number of family homes
and consider private rent or intermediate housing
(tenures with lower value than outright sale
or higher turnover than affordable rent). Non-
residential facilities are often re-let or refurbished
fairly frequently and short-term lets are easier
to manage during periods of major disruption,
particularly if the building needs to be vacated.
The main construction challenges are associated
with structure and servicing. Transfer slabs and
horizontal service and drainage zones cannot
always be avoided, but are expensive. The general
rule is to keep all aspects as simple and ‘clear-
cut’ as necessary – avoiding joint responsibility
and liability as far as possible. Recommendations
for Living at Superdensity and Superdensity: the
Sequel provide useful further guidance.
Part II The standards: 2.0
Standards
2.7.1 Ensure that the tenure, type and mix of
accommodation are appropriate to the
particular circumstances, taking account of
likely service charges.
2.7.2 Develop an integrated strategy for structure
and services in the early design stage. Keep it
simple, and where possible, avoid a transfer
structure by devising a structural grid that
works for both the residential and non-
residential elements.
2.7.3 Where multiple landlords are involved, allow
for separate supplies, risers, meters and boiler
plant. Where district or communal heating
is proposed, ensure individual metering of
resident and plant.
2.7.4 Ensure that residential entrances remain
prominent, and that dedicated, residential
parking, and bike and bin stores are provided.
2.7.5 Provide increased soundproofing between
different uses and take particular care in the
planning of the dwellings immediately above
the non-residential accommodation. Consider
duplexes to restrict the number of bedrooms
and balconies at this level.
2.7.6 Enter into dialogue with other landlords, draw
up a joint management plan to cover any areas
of shared responsibility and obtain agreement
before completion.
77
 Making mixed-use work in busy urban areas

dynamic approach to
massing and elevations
allows a mixed-use
building (housing above
a community facility)
large winter gardens to become the focal
provide better privacy, point in a new, urban
soundproofing, and shelter development
for year-round enjoyment,
than balconies carefully chosen
dwelling mix – smaller
homes for younger
or older singles
and couples more
appropriate than family
homes, and private
rent more appropriate
than affordable rent

wider pavements in front

of pubic facilities relieve
congestion and create
meeting place

78
3.0 The home
The scope of this section
3.1 Space standards
3.2 Internal layout
3.3 Accessibility (Category 1, 2 and 3
dwellings)
3.4 Security
3.5 Thermal comfort
3.6 Water efficiency
3.7 Soundproofing
3.8 Privacy from overlooking
3.9 Aspect and orientation
3.10 Daylight and sunlight
3.11 Ventilation and air quality
3.12 Overheating
3.13 Private outdoor space and
external storage
3.14 Accommodating diversity
3.15 Aftercare and home user guides
This section covers all aspects of the home,
including private outdoor space and the
environmental issues that affect wellbeing.
It is the area most affected by the Housing
Standards Review (HSR) and standards here can
be more definitive, and performance assessed
more objectively.
Space, internal layout and accessibility are
familiar territory – covered by national funding
standards until 2014. Although the HSR has
resulted in higher standards for space and
accessibility, the key differences are that they
are not mandatory and are only assessed by
planners. Where LPAs do not adopt the new
menu of optional standards and regulations, it
now falls to clients to require the higher level
standards, fill gaps left by the withdrawal of
the Code and funding standards, and deal with
issues such as overheating and air quality which
are becoming increasingly problematic and have
not been satisfactorily addressed by standards
to date.
Part II The standards: 3.0
Our homes are fundamental to our quality of life
and to the relationships we form with those we
live with. Young children and older people spend a
great deal of time at home. For older people, the
percentage of ‘waking time’ spent indoors roughly
equates to age – at 60 it will be around 60% and at
80, around 80%. Coupled with the fact that the life
expectancy of a home should now match our own
(approaching 100) years, it is worth investing in
the quality of every home we build.
A reminder of the three groups of standards
and regulations:
Nationally defined and universally applied
Nationally defined and locally applied
Additional good practice standards
Local planning policy standards and additional
bespoke client requirements, including tenure
variations (see Appendix B), should be added for
each project.
79
3.1 Space standards
Design considerations
The introduction of the first nationally described,
cross tenure space standard is one of the main
outcomes of the HSR. The standard is not
mandatory but applies at the discretion of LPAs
and the GLA, subject to evidence of need and
viability. Under the terms of the HSR, planning
authorities cannot change, reduce, or add to,
the space standard. It is very similar to the
former GLA standards (which it now replaces)
but is significantly above the minimum funding
requirements of the Housing Quality Indicators
(HQIs), particularly for dwellings on more than
one floor.
It is suitable for dwellings designed to
accessibility Categories 1 and 2, but not Category
3 (wheelchair user dwellings). The aim is to
ensure that every home can accommodate typical
items of furniture and the associated activity, and
circulation space needed for daily living, when
fully occupied.
The standard provides minimum Gross Internal
(Floor) Areas (GIAs) for a range of typical dwelling
types, described by the number of bedrooms and
bedspaces (or people) the dwelling provides. A
home with two double (or twin) bedrooms and
one single bedroom is therefore referred to as a
3 bedroom 5 person (3b5p). It also sets minimum
standards for ceiling height, bedroom areas and
widths, and general, built-in storage.
80
The GIAs allow for one bathroom in all homes,
and for a second WC and basin in all homes
with more than one storey, and in single storey
homes for five or more people. There is nothing
to prevent additional bathrooms, shower rooms
and/or studies from being included within the
minimum GIAs, provided that the minimum
bedroom and storage areas are met first.
The floor areas are based on the provision
of winding stairs as this is the most compact
configuration and is permitted under Category 2.
Straight flights are often considered preferable
to winding or dogleg stairs because falls occur
less frequently, and stairlifts are cheaper where
there is no change of direction. Where straight
flights and/or extra bathrooms are desired, it
will usually be necessary to add additional floor
area in order to avoid ‘robbing space’ from the
living/kitchen/dining areas (L/K/D), which are not
protected under the space standard. The same
principle applies where the dwelling footprint
needs to be an unusual shape to suit the site, or
the location of the entrance door is constrained by
other factors.
Standards
3.1.1 Where applied through local planning policy, Table 1
meet the nationally described space standard
Number of Number of 1 storey 2 storey 3 storey Built-in
which requires that: bedrooms bedspaces dwellings dwellings dwellings storage (m)
a. the dwelling provides at least the Gross 1p 39 (37)3 1.0
Internal (floor) Area1 (GIA) and built-in 1b 2p 50 58 1.5
storage area set out in Table 1 on the right.
2b 3p 61 70 2.0
b. a dwelling with two or more bedspaces has at
least one double (or twin) bedroom. 4p 70 79
c. in order to provide one bedspace, a single 3b 4p 74 84 90 2.5
bedroom has a floor area of at least 7.5m2 and 5p 86 93 99
is at least 2.15m wide. 6p 95 102 108
d. in order to provide two bedspaces, a double
4b 5p 90 97 103 3.0
(or twin bedroom) has a floor area of at least

Part II The standards: 3.0

11.5m2. 6p 99 106 112
e. one double (or twin bedroom) is at least 7p 108 115 121
2.75m wide and every other double (or twin) 8p 117 124 130
bedroom is at least 2.55m wide. 5b 6p 103 110 116 3.5
f. any area with a headroom of less than 1.5m is
7p 112 119 125
not counted within the GIA unless used solely
for storage (if the area under the stairs is to 8p 121 128 134
be used for storage, assume a general floor 6b 7p 116 123 129 4.0
area of 1m2 within the GIA). 8p 125 132 138
g. any other area that is used solely for storage
Notes:
and has a headroom of 900-1500mm (such
1. The GIA of a dwelling is defined as the total floorspace
as under eaves) is counted at 50% of its floor
measured between the internal faces of perimeter walls2
area, and any area lower than 900mm is not
that enclose the dwelling. This includes partitions,
counted at all.
structural elements, cupboards, ducts, flights of stairs
h. a built-in wardrobe counts towards the GIA
and voids above stairs. The Gross Internal Area should be
and bedroom floor area requirements, but
measured and denoted in square meters (m2).
should not reduce the effective width of the
room below the minimum widths set out 2. The internal face of a perimeter wall is the finished surface
above. The built-in area in excess of 0.72m2 of the wall. For a detached house, the perimeter walls are
the external walls that enclose the dwelling, and for other
in a double bedroom and 0.36m2 in a single
houses or apartments they are the external walls and
bedroom counts towards the built-in storage
party walls.
requirement.
i. the minimum floor to ceiling height is 2.3m 3. Where a one person flat has a shower room rather than
for at least 75% of the GIA. a bathroom, the floor area may be reduced from 39m2 to
37m2.
3.1.2 Aim to adopt the nationally described space
3.1.3 Provide at least the combined floor area of
standard for all new homes (except wheelchair
living, dining and kitchen space set out below
dwellings which will need higher space
and aim to ensure that the living space equates
standards).
to approximately 55% of the total L/K/D (living,
3.1.4 The main living space should be at least 2.8m kitchen, dining (space)) floor area:
wide in homes for up to four people and at least
3.2m wide in larger family homes. 2p 3p 4p 5p 6p
22m 2
24m 2
26m 2
28m 2
30m2

81
3.2 Internal layout
Design considerations
The layout of a home, the relationship between
rooms, and the distribution of space are arguably
even more important than its overall size.
Family dwellings need to provide a good balance
of ‘social space’ where everyone can eat, sit
and play together, and ‘private space’ where
individuals can be alone.
In affordable rented housing, there is often
particular pressure on sharing siblings,
especially teenagers. Often the area subject to
most compromise, the second double bedroom
can be one of the most important spaces in a fully
occupied home.
Different internal layouts appeal to different
tastes and needs. Traditionally regarded only as
‘starter homes’ for young couples, 2 bedroom
flats or houses may also be occupied by ‘sharers’,
particularly in cities. The needs and preferences
of older people should also be given greater
consideration to encourage ‘right-sizing’.
Layouts are often affected by tenure too – no bad
thing unless the design is such that they can only
ever be suitable for occupation under a particular
tenure. The range of tenures continues to expand
and it is sensible to ensure that the layout of every
home is flexible enough to accommodate young or
old – renters or buyers – and those in the middle.
The installation of a sprinkler system provides
more flexibility in terms of internal layout as well
82
as improving safety in the event of fire. This is a
particularly important consideration in homes
specifically designed for older or disabled people.
Standards
3.2.1 Fully furnished plans of each dwelling type
should be provided at a scale of at least 1:100
(preferably 1:50) prior to planning. Each plan
should show the furniture in Appendix C and
include the information listed in the box below
to demonstrate the spatial and accessibility
requirements that it is designed to meet.
Kitchens should be designed in accordance with
Appendix D.
3.2.2 The private entrance to a family home should
open into a circulation space, not into a
habitable room.
3.2.3 A living room and separate kitchen/dining room
is the preferred arrangement for all family
homes for affordable rent. It is particularly
important in larger family homes for 5 or more
people. Aim to ensure that all homes with 3 or
more bedrooms have the potential to provide
two living spaces and that some 2 bedroom
homes achieve this.
3.2.4 In fully open plan living areas the kitchen
should occupy a discreet part of the room –
preferably an alcove with natural light. Aim to
locate the washing machine located outside this
living space, preferably in a dedicated utility
room.
3.2.5 A second WC and basin are required in homes
for 5 or more people.
3.2.6 A shower should be installed over the bath and
a second bathroom or shower room provided in
Information to include on each dwelling plan:
a home for 7 or more people. This may be the
entrance level WC in a house, provided that the • dwelling type i.e. the number of bedrooms and
shower is installed from the start. Where the bedspaces
shower is a floor gulley the floor should be laid
• accessibility category that the plan is designed to
to falls and the room designed as a wetroom
meet (Category 1, 2 or 3)
from the outset.
• function of each space (with the principal bedroom
3.2.7 Bathrooms should have natural light and
identified)
ventilation where possible but windows should
not be placed above the bath unless this is the • overall internal floor area (GIA)

Part II The standards: 3.0

only practical option.
3.2.8 Provide straight stairs where possible.
3.2.9 Provide at least two separate storage
cupboards in every home, preferably accessible
from a circulation area. Aim to provide some
built-in storage on every floor but ensure
that not more that 50% of the total storage is
within bedrooms. A linen cupboard with slatted
shelves is desirable in all homes and essential
in larger family homes. Bathroom storage is
also useful.
3.2.10 Provide low energy light fittings (preferably
LED) and at least three double power sockets
in every habitable room and at least four in the
working area of the kitchen.
• total floor area of built-in storage
• floor area of every habitable room
• dimensions of all rooms including the width of
bedrooms and living spaces
• relevant furniture from Appendix C including a
detailed kitchen layout with appliances and wall
cupboards indicated
• overall length of kitchen worktop and the kitchen
layout
• relevant accessibility requirements from Regulation
M4(1) M4(2) or M4(3)
• location of any boiler, cylinder and/or heat exchanger,
radiators, ducting and SVPs

3.2.11 Aim to ensure that all windows can be • written and drawn scale
safely cleaned from inside, in line with the • north point.
requirements of Part K for non-residential
buildings.

See also Appendix G for more detail on

window design.
See also Appendix D for good practice principles
for kitchen design.

83
Building in flexibility to adapt the home over time

flexible
sleeping/
study/ 2
bathing
1
spaces

3
6

4
4
5
7 8

flexible flexible living/eating/

storage/ 9 cooking/study spaces
utility spaces

1. Twin room sub-divided into 2 singles

2. Twin room reduced to usual size with separate home study space
3. Internal partitions removed to create open plan living/eating/cooking/study space
4. Double room works equally well as twin room, cupboard incorporated into bathroom
for washing machine and linen storage/airing clothes
5. Large hall with space for buggy or wheelchair and turning circle
6. Extra large twin with plenty of play space
7. Different storage areas
8. Separate kitchen/dining room connected to living room
9. Internal storage and ‘wet and dirty’ storage combined into utility room with space for
washing machine, dryer, recycling

84
3.3 Accessibility (Category 1, 2 and 3 dwellings)
Design considerations
With an ageing population, accessibility is
an increasingly important consideration –
as the shift to regulation through the HSR
acknowledges. Prior to this, accessibility
standards were derived from best practice guides
(most commonly Lifetime Homes (LTH) and the
Wheelchair Housing Design Guide (WHDG)). Both
are owned and managed by Habinteg Housing
Association and have been routinely applied as
planning policy by many LPAs, though with little
consistency.
Since 2006, the GLA has required all new homes
to meet LTH and 10% to go further and meet the
WHDG or, in the case of private dwellings, its own
Best Practice Guidance for wheelchair accessible
and adaptable dwellings. This policy has effectively
now been ‘pass-ported’ to the new regulations.
LTH has never been a national funding standard
but did gain credits under the former Code for
Sustainable Homes. Prior to the HSR, many other
versions of wheelchair standards existed, most
exceeding the WHDG.
For planning purposes, LTH has been replaced
by the optional requirement M4(2) Accessible
and adaptable dwellings (Category 2), and all
wheelchair standards replaced by the optional
requirement M4(3) wheelchair user dwellings
(Category 3). Both are now included in Approved
Document M (AD M) as alternatives to M4(1)
Visitable dwellings (Category 1), which remains the
baseline regulation; applying by default where no
higher standard has been required.
The three categories adopt a similar structure
and each is divided into two sections. Section
A deals with the approach to the dwelling, and
Section B with the dwelling itself, starting with
the private entrance. In blocks of flats, the
approach route will often serve dwellings from
more than one Category and must be appropriate
to the highest Category of dwelling served.
More detail on this is provided in Section 2.0
Part II The standards: 3.0
(particularly subsections 2.1 and 2.2).
Category 2 requirements are very similar to LTH
but with one significant difference. Step-free
access is now required to the private entrance
(the front door). Where this is not possible (for
example, in a low-rise flat block where lift access
is not viable) the dwelling defaults to Category 1.
The Category 3 standard is generally above the
WHDG although some requirements, such as
a covered in-curtilage parking space and the
provision of two lifts (to provide cover in the event
of breakdown), are considered to be outside the
scope of the optional requirement and are now a
client decision.
LPAs need to decide which dwellings will be
subject to an allocations policy and should
therefore be ‘wheelchair accessible’ (ready for a
wheelchair user to occupy from the outset) and
which can be ‘wheelchair adaptable’ (capable
of being readily adapted to become ‘wheelchair
accessible’).
85
The new regulations are too extensive to
reproduce here and must be studied in full. As
elsewhere, additional good practice standards are
also included. Examples of compliant Category 2
and Category 3 plans are included in Appendix E.

Standards
Category 3 dwellings (where required under local
Category 1 dwellings: planning policy):
3.3.1 Meet the requirements of AD M Section 1B 3.3.8 Where required by the LPA, meet the
Private entrances and spaces within the dwelling, requirements of AD M Section 3B Private
(Part M, regulation M4(1) Visitable dwellings). entrances and spaces within, and connected to the
dwelling (Part M, optional requirement M4(3)
3.3.2 Aim to increase the WC/cloakroom to at least
Wheelchair user dwellings).
1100mm wide and 1800mm long.
3.3.3 Ensure that stairs are at least 850mm wide and 3.3.9 Provide straight stair flights where possible
(M4(3) requires a power socket)
provide a power socket at the foot or head of the
stairs to facilitate the fitting of a stairlift. 3.3.10 In homes for 5 people and above, provide
the required bath and shower in separate
3.3.4 Include as many other Category 2 requirements
bathrooms where possible.
as possible particularly where the space
standard applies. Wider doors, nibs and the 3.3.11 Provide an accessible parking space close to
accessible bathroom are all easily incorporated all wheelchair homes and, where practical,
and benefit everyone. (The level access shower a covered carport linked to the entrance of
is more difficult to justify in homes without ‘wheelchair accessible’ dwellings.
step-free access).
3.3.12 Install sprinkler protection where possible,
particularly to ‘wheelchair accessible’
Category 2 dwellings (where required under local dwellings.
planning policy):
3.3.5 Where required by the LPA, meet the
requirements of AD M Section 2B Private
entrances and spaces within the dwelling, (Part
M, optional requirement M4(2) Accessible and
adaptable dwellings).
3.3.6 Provide straight stair flights where possible
and install a power socket at the foot or head of
the stairs to facilitate the fitting of a stairlift.
3.3.7 Form a soft pocket in the first floor to
accommodate a future through-floor lift in
homes designed for older people.

86
3.4 Security

Design considerations Although LPAs are no longer allowed to require

Security considerations encompass both design
and technical issues and there are aspects that
fall within each section of Part II. Design issues
include the general street layout, the design and
location of open spaces, and the configuration of
buildings – particularly the location of entrances
and windows and the extent to which these
compliance with Section 2 of SBD, clients may
choose to do so and many will value the extra
protection that SBD offers through third party
accreditation.
Standards
3.4.1 Meet the security requirements of Part Q,

Part II The standards: 3.0

encourage ‘natural policing’ through passive regulation Q1 Unauthorised Access.
surveillance. These considerations are an integral 3.4.2 Consult with the local Designing Out Crime
part of good urban design and have therefore Officer (DOCO) who will usually carry out a
crime risk analysis.
been covered in Section 1.0 Placemaking and the
public realm. 3.4.3 Meet the requirements of Secured By Design:
New Homes 2014 and achieve certification for
The technical issues are related to the physical Section 2: Security of Dwellings and Section
3: Ancillary Security Requirements, where
security of buildings. This is the area that has considered appropriate.
been taken into the Building Regulations (a new
Part Q) as a result of the HSR. The new Approved
Document Q adopts a risk-based approach by
focusing on the ‘weak spots’ in a typical home.
The majority of domestic break-ins involve the
forced entry of doors and windows on the lowest
floors of a house or block of flats.
This subsection deals with the security of an
individual home and, where flats are involved,
should be read in conjunction with Section 2.0
Communal areas (particularly subsections 2.1
and 2.2).
For planning purposes, the new regulation
replaces Section 2 of Secured by Design: New
Homes 2014 (SBD), produced and assessed by
the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

87
 Summary of key points of AD Q1

Secure doorsets Secure windows

• All easily accessible doorsets (including • All ground floor, basement and other easily
those that connect a garage to a dwelling) accessible windows and rooflights should
should be ‘secure doorsets’ be ‘secure windows’
• ‘Secure doorsets’ should meet or exceed • ‘Secure windows’ should meet or exceed
the security requirements of BS publication the security requirements of BS publication
PAS 24:2012 or (where they are bespoke PAS 24:2012
timber doorsets) meet the requirements of
• Frames should be mechanically fixed to the
Appendix Q1 of AD Q
structure of the building in accordance with
• The aperture of letter plates should manufacturer’s installation instructions
not exceed 260mm x 40mm and their
location and design should hinder a
person attempting to reach in (to remove
keys or operate the lock), for example by
incorporating a flap
• Frames should be mechanically fixed to the
structure of the building in accordance with
manufacturer’s installation instructions
• Lightweight framed walls should
incorporate a resilient layer (such as timber
sheathing at least 9mm thick or expended
metal) each side of the doorset, at least
600mm wide and the full height of the door

88
3.5 Thermal comfort
Design considerations
Thermal comfort and energy consumption
are controlled and determined by a number
of environmental factors, all of which are
interlinked. When considered together they
can have a positive impact on each other,
making the difference between homes that are
environmentally comfortable, with low energy/
maintenance bills, and homes that are gloomy,
prone to overheating or complicated to control.
The diagram on the next page illustrates these
complex environmental and energy cross
connections.
Having a well-insulated building fabric should
always be the first step in creating a cost-
effective, thermally comfortable home, while
reducing residents’ energy bills. Fabric energy
efficiency can be improved though a combination
of enhanced insulation within building elements
(improved u-values), reduced heat loss at
element junctions (thermal bridging), and an
overall improvement in air leakage (airtightness)
beyond that of Approved Document L1A
compliance values.
Heating systems that are efficient to run, easy to
control and with low maintenance requirements
generally provide the best outcome for residents.
Fuel poverty, whereby residents are unable to
afford to heat their homes, is an issue that can
now be largely addressed through reduced
heating demand and efficient system selection.
Individual heating systems, communal heating
or district heat networks are each capable
of achieving these objectives, if designed and
specified well.
Incorporating good levels of thermal insulation
reduces, and sometimes even eliminates, the
need for space heating, but it doesn’t reduce
the need for hot water. Individual gas boilers
tend to be the most commonly specified heating
Part II The standards: 3.0
system for houses, and for many flats, but like
most systems, boilers require regular access
for maintenance and servicing which can be
difficult to arrange. Over the next few years, the
domestic heating industry is likely to reach a
tipping point whereby electricity-based heating
systems become the most practical and cost-
effective choice.
Space should always be set aside for services,
whether an individual boiler with a flue run, a hot
water cylinder, mechanical ventilation with heat
recovery (MVHR) or heat interface units (HIU)
which exchange heat from a heat network. The
means of heat distribution for space heating,
together with the types and number of controls
(thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs), room
thermostats, timers etc.) must also be factored
in. This means considering the positions of
radiators and controls, and taking account of
furniture layouts, window types and locations,
and accessibility requirements. Although
underfloor heating has the advantage of not
requiring radiators, it may require a thicker floor
89
Environmental cross connections

Orientation

Daylight/ Overheating Landscape and

Sunlight planting

Building fabric

Acoustics Ventilation and

and privacy air quality

Heating, lighting
Low and zero and controls
carbon technologies

Aftercare/soft landings

Water
consumption
Energy performance
£ post-construction

90
and can be slow to respond which means that
it only works where residents understand the
implications and it suits their lifestyle.
District heat networks (DHNs), which supply heat
to a group of buildings, and communal heating,
which serves a single building, are often specified
in high density developments as efficient means
of providing communal hot water and heating.
While they have the potential to reduce carbon
emissions significantly, there are a number
of issues to consider. A DHN should therefore
only be specified where it suits the site, the
development and the user group.
Low or zero carbon technologies (LZCs),
often referred to as renewables, make a
useful contribution to the energy supplied to
homes. Depending on the technology selected,
renewables can contribute towards heating, hot
water and/or electrical loads either in the home
or as part of landlord supply to communal areas.
Where electricity is generated from renewable
sources, domestic scale batteries are likely to
hold the key to storage in the future.
As a means of regulating energy efficiency,
Approved Document L1A sets out the targets
that new homes must meet. The calculation
methodologies within AD L1A take account of
the building’s fabric, systems and renewable
technologies mentioned above to provide an
indication of predicted performance.
Standards
3.5.1 Meet the energy efficiency requirements of
Part L1A 2013.
3.5.2 Take a fabric first approach on new
developments.
3.5.3 When selecting heating systems consider
future proofing them in terms of fuel choice
and system selection, while bearing in mind
maintenance, ease of use for residents and the
cost of energy bills.
3.5.4 Ensure adequate space for heating and
domestic hot water systems together with their
Part II The standards: 3.0
associated service runs and distribution.
3.5.5 With reference to Appendix F, consider the
type and size of the development, its heat
loads, and the management, maintenance and
service charge implications before committing
to providing an on-site heat network. Where
heat networks are considered use the CIBSE/
ADE Heat Networks: Code of Practice for the UK
to ERs.
3.5.6 With reference to Appendix F, determine the
most suitable low or zero carbon technology for
the development, taking account of its location,
size, housing typology and resident profile, and
considering management, maintenance and
service charge implications.
3.5.7 Aim to exceed the parameters shown in AD L1A
Table 4. Refer to AD L1A 2013 for the full set
of requirements, and Appendix F for further
information.
Appendix F provides further detail on other
topics related to thermal comfort, and more
detailed guidance on DHNs, communal heating,
renewables and AD L1A compliance. Other
softer sustainability issues are covered in other
subsections of Section 3.0.
91
3.6 Water efficiency
Design considerations
Water efficiency is controlled by Part G of the
Building Regulations. As a result of the HSR,
Approved Document G now includes a more
onerous ‘optional requirement’ of 110 litres/
person/day (l/p/d) in addition to the retained
baseline requirement of 125 l/p/d. Both figures
include an allowance of 5/l/p/d for outside use
such as watering plants. The internal potable
water consumption is therefore 105 and 120 l/p/d
respectively.
The higher target (110 l/p/d was previously a
mandatory element of the Code for Sustainable
Homes at Levels 3 and 4) is not unduly onerous or
costly. It has been required by the GLA since 2011
and was also a national funding requirement until
March 2014, through the overarching requirement
to achieve at least Level 3 of the Code.
Under the terms of the HSR, the higher ‘optional
requirement’ can be applied in water-stressed
areas, at the discretion of an LPA and subject to
their ability to demonstrate need and viability.
In order to take effect, it must be included in the
Local Plan and imposed as a condition attached
to a planning approval notice. LPAs cannot
request an alternative standard or target or
ask for other water saving measures such as
greywater recycling.
AD G now offers two routes for demonstrating
compliance through building control – either a
fittings-based approach, or the water efficiency
calculator for new dwellings in Appendix A of
the AD.
92
Using the calculator, the following inputs can be
entered to determine the water consumption of
each new home:
n WCs – dual and single flush
n taps in kitchens and bathrooms
n baths
n showers
n washing machines
n dishwashers
n waste disposal units
n water softeners
n greywater harvesting
n rainwater harvesting
It is worth noting that while reducing water
consumption through efficient fixtures and
fittings is a sensible and reliable way to save
water, it can be counterproductive if the flow
rates are set too low, causing residents to tamper
with installations or use more water to carry out
the same task, i.e. flushing a toilet twice.
Rainwater and greywater harvesting technologies
can be very effective water-saving systems
where specified and installed correctly. However,
the pumps and equipment consume energy
(particularly if specified inappropriately) and this
has to weigh against the water-saving benefits.
The specification of these systems should
therefore be based on an understanding of their
potential to collect water, and how they should be
used and maintained.
 A good practice example of achieving 110 l/p/d for internal
water consumption
Unit of Measure Capacity/Flow rate
WC (dual flush) Full flush volume (litres) 6
Part flush volume (litres) 3
Taps (excluding kitchen/utility room taps) Flow rate (litres/min) 4
Bath (where shower also present) Capacity to overflow (litres) 180
Shower (where bath also present) Flow rate (litres /minute) 8
Kitchen/utility room sink taps Flow rate (litres/minute) 6

Part II The standards: 3.0

Washing machine (litres/kg dry load) 8.17
Dishwasher (litres/place setting) 1.25
Total internal water consumption 104.61
Internal water consumption (inc. 5l/p/d for external use) 109.61

• Baths: lower water capacity baths can be found on the market between 130-150 litres
• Shower flow rates: 5 l/m is considered low flow, ›10 l/m is generally considered water intensive. As a general rule
of thumb 7-9 l/m is considered within the comfortable range of low flow, unless measures are taken to ensure good
water pressure under 7 l/m.
• Washing machine and dishwasher values: these have been set at the default level where their consumption is
unknown. Where the models are known, check their capacity with the manufacturer and enter these values into the
Water Efficiency Calculator for New Dwellings.

Standard
3.6.1 Meet the baseline requirement of Part G 3.6.4 Ensure that the specification of any rainwater
(125l/p/d) as a minimum. and greywater harvesting system takes account
of the needs of the end user and maintenance
3.6.2 Where required by the LPA, meet the optional
implications.
requirement of Part G (110 l/p/d) with reference
to the good practice example above. 3.6.5 Avoid combining green roofs with rainwater
harvesting as this can result in discoloured
3.6.3 Aim to meet the higher standard of 110 l/p/d in
water that is off-putting to residents.
all developments.

93
3.7 Soundproofing
Design considerations
Designing for good acoustic separation between
neighbours and other sources of undue noise
can have a very positive impact on the health
and wellbeing of residents. People like to feel
they have sufficient privacy to carry out their
daily activities without being overheard, and find
unwanted noise difficult to accept.
Building Regulations Part E deals with Resistance
to the Passage of Sound and sets performance
standards for airborne and impact sound
between dwellings. However Part E was last
updated over ten years ago and its provisions
are now considered barely adequate. Before
its withdrawal, the Code offered credits for
improved sound insulation in new dwellings.
This reduced complaints and proved to be a
cost-effective measure for clients and a benefit
to residents. The Code offered options of a 3, 5
or 8dB improvement beyond Part E, with many
clients specifying up to a 5dB improvement as
standard practice.
The rules are typically applied to party walls and
floors between dwellings, but it is good practice
to extend them to separating walls between
flats and communal spaces (including corridors,
stairs, lifts, bin stores and bike stores) which also
generate noise. There is likely to be a dual benefit
where Part L also requires thermal insulation
between heated flats and unheated corridors.
94
Where external noise (including heavy traffic) is
considered to be an issue it is tempting to seal
homes by providing mechanical ventilation and
installing fixed (un-openable) windows. However,
residents value ‘fresh air’ and a breeze in
summer and, within reason, will ‘forgive’ external
noise to achieve other environmental benefits
and reduce overheating, so this should be a
last resort.
Standards
3.7.1 Meet the requirements for airborne and impact
sound insulation values of AD E as a minimum.
3.7.2 Aim to achieve airborne sound insulation values
that are at least 5dB better than (above) AD E,
and impact sound insulation values that are at
least 5dB better (lower).
3.7.3 Ensure that separating walls between flats
and corridors/stairwells/lifts/bin stores/bike
stores receive additional sound insulation in
line with 3.7.2.
3.7.4 Avoid installing fixed windows except in
exceptional circumstances.
3.7.5 Where installed, ensure that mechanical
ventilation is carefully specified and located to
minimise noise nuisance and lessen the risk of
occupants turning it off.
The subject of acoustics is closely linked to
ventilation in terms of both mechanical and
natural ventilation. This is covered in more detail
in subsection 3.11.
3.8 Privacy from overlooking
Design considerations
Minimum privacy distances are often the subject
of local planning policies which typically require
18-22m between facing windows. This is a useful
rule of thumb in lower density locations but
it can create streets and spaces that are out
of character with surrounding development.
As a general rule, tighter distances are not
unreasonable in higher density developments,
particularly between front-facing facades, and
some London authorities accept distances of
12-15m.
However, individual perceptions vary widely and
the degree to which we feel our privacy is being
compromised depends not just on the distance
between the facing windows but on a number of
other factors too. These include:
n where we live – expectations tend to be higher
in lower density rural and suburban locations
than in higher density towns and cities
n the part of the home affected – we tend to
be more sensitive about bedrooms and living
spaces (assuming that bathrooms are, or can
be, made private)
n whether the spaces that are overlooked are
at the front or the rear – the rear is more
sensitive
n whether we are overlooked by neighbours or
passers-by, or both
n how many people (or households) overlook us
n how frequently the overlooking occurs
n whether the sightline is direct or oblique –
angled windows help to improve privacy
n the scale of the overlooking – we feel much
more overlooked when large windows are
involved.
Part II The standards: 3.0
Standards
3.8.1 Avoid placing bedrooms and bathrooms at
ground level on street-facing facades, or where
they face directly onto a busy courtyard or
podium.
3.8.2 Avoid large, full height windows to bedrooms
and living spaces where there is a risk of
overlooking unless protected by deep gardens
or fitted with privacy screens or shutters.
Consider the use of obscure glazing for lower
window panes and balcony balustrades (where
glass is specified).
3.8.3 Where distances are tight, reduce direct
overlooking by offsetting facing windows
and balconies and consider the use of bay, or
angled, windows.
3.8.4 Provide curtains or blinds to habitable rooms or
ensure that they could be easily hung or fitted
by residents.
See also subsections 1.3 and 2.7 for other
privacy-related standards and Appendix G for
window design.
95
3.9 Aspect and orientation
Design considerations
The aspect and orientation of a dwelling have a
significant bearing on how a home feels and on
the wellbeing of its occupants. These include the:
n view and outlook from within the home and
the garden
n amount of daylight and sunlight the home and
garden receive
n warmth from solar gain and vulnerability
to overheating
n exposure to wind and rain
n security of external spaces achieved
by overlooking
n privacy of the occupants and their neighbours
n exposure of the home to external sources of
noise or pollution
n opportunities for renewable energy.
These important factors have to be reconciled
with the orientation and aspect of streets and
buildings that arise from the urban design and
landscape strategies, and the placemaking
objectives, and it would be unrealistic to think
that all could be optimised in every home.
Priorities will need to be established, noting that
it is sometimes better to focus on a few issues
and implement them well, rather than attempt to
solve everything and achieve little.
Orientation can have a significant impact on the
internal temperature of the home, depending on
the size and location of windows and where rooms
17 Based on GLA standard
96
are located. Ideally, all homes would be dual
aspect with a main facade facing within 30 degrees
either side of south. This would allow controllable
sunlight to enter, bedrooms to be positioned on the
cooler sides (north to east) and living spaces to be
on the warmer sides (south to west).
Having window openings on more than one facade
improves natural ventilation – one of the most
effective ways to control the risk of overheating.
Large areas of glazing on the south and west
facades should therefore be avoided, particularly
in single aspect flats, unless adequate external
shading and cross ventilation are provided.
Gardens, balconies and external communal spaces
should be orientated to receive some sunlight in the
‘shoulder seasons’ (spring and autumn) to make
them more inviting and therefore used more often.
Where rooftop solar panels are planned, the best
results will be obtained from south facing pitches.
Standards
3.9.1 Larger family homes and north-facing
dwellings should be dual aspect, and all other
homes where possible.17
3.9.2 Where possible, orientate dwellings so that
the main elevation is south facing to provide a
controllable, sunny facade.
3.9.3 Where dwellings face south and west and have
large areas of glazing, include external shading
devices.
3.9.4 Aim to orientate roofs towards south where
solar panels are to be fitted.
3.9.5 Consider the impact of external noise and
pollution when deciding on the orientation of
homes and outdoor spaces.
3.10 Daylight and sunlight
Design considerations
Daylight and sunlight are highly valued,
particularly when levels are controllable. They
enhance general wellbeing and play an important
role in regulating mood, daily and seasonal body
rhythms and UV exposure for the creation of
vitamin D.
Windows should therefore be carefully positioned
and sized to optimise daylight and sunlight
taking account of the function, size, proportion
and layout of each space. The desire for daylight
and sunlight should be balanced with the need
to manage solar gains and optimise airflow for
ventilation.
During the HSR, daylight and sunlight were
acknowledged as important issues but it was
decided that there was insufficient evidence and
consensus about the methodology that should
be adopted to warrant setting standards. The
withdrawal of the Code has therefore left a gap in
these areas.
The British Standard (BS 8206:2008) and BRE
Guide to Site Layout Planning for Daylight and
Sunlight (which were adopted through the Code)
still exist but they involve specific calculations
and require higher levels of daylight in kitchens
than in living spaces, which many people find
counterintuitive. The average daylight factor
(ADF) calculated using this methodology can
be useful to understand what can typically be
achieved in similar types of developments.
Solar gain from sunlight can be beneficial in
winter to reduce the heating demand, but is also
a major cause of overheating in the summer and
the shoulder seasons unless it is controllable.
Striking the right balance between receiving too
much or too little sun can be difficult and the
approaches in the table on the next page should
be considered. Daylight should not be the only
driver in the design of a project and it is worth
Part II The standards: 3.0
taking a balanced approach to meet the specific
requirements of each home.
The ‘Right to Light’ is a separate and complex
legal issue concerning the extent to which a new
building can restrict the amount of light entering
an existing building. If the rules are breached,
damages may be payable to the owner or
occupant of the existing building.
Standards
3.10.1 All habitable rooms should receive good levels
of daylight, especially the main living space
which should also receive direct sunlight for
part of the day.
3.10.2 Bathrooms and circulation areas should receive
daylight where possible.
3.10.3 The size and location of windows should take
account of the considerations in the table on the
next page and the guidance in subsections 3.9,
3.11 and 3.12 together with Appendix G.
3.10.4 Aim to ensure that at least 50% of the area of
a private outdoor space receives at least two
hours of sunlight in the shoulder seasons as
defined by the BRE Guide to Site Layout Planning
for Daylight and Sunlight.
97
See also Appendix F (energy) and Appendix G
(window design) and the following subsections:
3.5 Thermal comfort
3.9 Aspect and orientation
3.11 Ventilation and air quality
3.12 Overheating

The following ten principles outline a pragmatic, good practice approach to daylight:
1. Living areas and kitchen/dining rooms need more 7. The specification of the glass (particularly its g-value
daylight than bedrooms, but all parts of the home and light transmittance) will have an impact on the
should receive good levels of daylight. amount of daylight and solar gain the room receives.
2. When windows are confined to one wall, the window 8. The minimum targets for average daylight factors
width should be at least 35% of the wall length (BS (ADF) sought by British Standard (BS 8206:2008)
8206:2008). As a rule, the depth of rooms when and the BRE Guide to Site Layout Planning for Daylight
single aspect should not exceed 2 x height, allowing and Sunlight are 2% for kitchens, 1.5% for living
for good daylight and ventilation.18 The depth can be areas, and 1% for bedrooms. These values can be
doubled for dual aspect rooms. difficult to achieve in dense, city centre locations and
should not be rigorously applied, but can be used
3. Higher level glazing (above 0.8mm from the floor)
as a benchmark for understanding and addressing
admits more daylight than low level glazing. (The
variation across units on a site. Note that as ADFs
bottom portion of a full height window provides a
assume an overcast sky, the orientation of a window
very small share of the daylight, typically around
is irrelevant because sunlight is not factored in.
15%)19.
9. Taking account of height and orientation, blocks
4. Light coloured décor (wall, floor and kitchen finishes)
should be sensibly spaced to achieve good daylight
increases the amount of reflected light within the
and sunlight within homes and in external spaces.
space.
10. The measures above should be balanced with
5. Where windows face onto buildings or other large
appropriate shading to prevent overheating.
structures daylight will be reduced so where privacy
allows, larger windows should be considered.
6. Rooflights often cause or contribute to overheating
and undue heat loss and should be carefully sized
and located to avoid south-facing pitches.

18 Sofie Pelsmakers, The Environmental Design Pocketbook

19 BS 8206:2008

98
3.11 Ventilation and air quality
Design considerations
Effective ventilation is vital for ensuring good
indoor air quality, the ability to mitigate heat
build-up and to remove excess moisture. The
increasing levels of airtightness required to meet
more demanding energy efficiency requirements
makes it all the more important to provide
adequate ventilation, whether through natural or
mechanical means.
Older homes tend to be naturally ‘leaky’,
achieving high air changes from incidental
infiltration around windows and doors, through
draughty fireplaces, and ventilated floors and
roofs. While this results in significant heat loss
and therefore high heating bills in winter, the
occupants do benefit from good indoor air quality.
New homes have the advantage of reduced heat
loss through lower infiltration rates that provide
warmer, more controllable conditions all year
round. Without careful design and specification,
this comes at the expense of ventilation,
threatening to reduce the health and wellbeing of
residents.
Natural ventilation is always preferable as it
provides residents with an easy to operate,
maintenance-free system, has no associated
energy bills, can be extremely effective at
removing heat and improving indoor air quality,
and ranks highly in terms of occupant satisfaction
and comfort. Cross ventilation, whereby
adequately-sized openings are provided on
opposite elevations allowing large volumes of air
to pass through the home, is the most effective
arrangement, and single-sided ventilation via a
single opening, the least effective. Where natural
ventilation is provided, trickle ventilators are
often installed to achieve required background
ventilation rates. Passive ventilation with heat
recovery can be used as an alternative to trickle
vents and are particularly well suited for houses.
Part II The standards: 3.0
Mitigating heat build-up is one of the reasons for
ventilating. Others include removing moisture
from kitchens and bathrooms and improving
air quality (especially to manage the build-up
of CO2 and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
off-gassing from internal finishes). Approved
Document F requires new dwellings to achieve
prescribed ventilation rates to dilute and remove
internal pollutants and water vapour. Four types
of ventilation are defined to ensure that a mixture
of background ventilation, extract from kitchens
and bathrooms, and purge ventilation are
achieved.
Stack ventilation is only likely to be effective in
a house with three or more storeys, in which
the habitable rooms are connected to a central,
full height space. This is because the thermally-
induced buoyancy of warm air needs considerable
height to be effective.
Where external noise or pollution is problematic,
mechanical ventilation, typically with heat
recovery, MVHR may be required. However, it
is still important to provide openable windows
99
because although MVHR will be capable of
achieving the required air change rates, people
enjoy air movement. Residents also sometimes
find the level of background noise unacceptable
and switch it off.
External planting can be useful to improve local
air quality by converting CO2 to oxygen and
collecting airborne pollutants which are later
washed away by rain.
Some rules of thumb to achieve good levels of
natural ventilation in the home
Depth to floor/
Vent configuration
ceiling height (H)
Single sided, single opening
Single sided, multiple opening
Cross ventilation
Where mechanical ventilation cannot be avoided
some considerations include:
n MVHR is more efficient at reducing heat loss in
dwellings with an air permeability of less than
3m3/h.m2 @50Pa.
n MVHR systems bring additional maintenance
with filters that require changing by the
landlord or occupant. Where filters are not
maintained regularly studies have shown that
the indoor air quality can be very poor. Ensure
adequate space for maintenance and access.
n Mechanical ventilation should be
commissioned and tested thoroughly prior to
handover to ensure its effectiveness.
1.5H
n Where mechanical ventilation systems are
2.5H
specified occupants should be provided with
clear and simple instructions on how the
5H systems work.

Total area opening n The ductwork runs affect ceiling height and
Heat gains* location of the MVHR unit and should be
% floor area
factored into the design at an early stage to
Low (‹15 W/m2) 10% prevent design clashes.
Medium (15-30 W/m2) 20% n Summer bypass should always be specified so
that heat is not recovered from the home and
High (›30 W/m2) 25% returned in to it on warm days.
n Fan noise should be kept to a minimum to
discourage residents from turning it off and
negating its purpose.

*To put this in context, adults generate ~100W when still or ~160-320W when carrying out moderate work, energy saving lights generate up to
20W/m2, TVs ~100W and ovens ~2500W. Therefore it is more likely that the ventilation required will be in the medium or high range for homes.
Source: RIBA

100
Standards
3.11.1 Meet the ventilation requirements set out in
Part F as a minimum.
3.11.2 Avoid the need for mechanical cooling by
providing dual aspect dwellings (flats and
houses) that achieve effective, natural cross
ventilation.
3.11.3 Provide a variety of window opening options to
allow controlled ventilation through smaller
openings and purge ventilation through larger
openings (or doors). (AD F stipulates that a
window that opens through less than 15˚ is not
suitable for purge ventilation).

Part II The standards: 3.0

3.11.4 Air intakes for buildings next to busy urban
roads should be as high as possible and away
from the direct source to minimise the intake
of pollutants. (AD F requires air intakes to be
on the less polluted side of the building where
possible).
3.11.5 Where trickle vents are provided for
background ventilation, their purpose should be
explained to residents in home user guides so
as they are not closed, or taped shut, to prevent
draughts.
3.11.6 Where MVHR is to be installed, ensure the
dwelling airtightness will be ‹3m3/h.m2 @50Pa,
specify heat recovery bypass for summer and
ensure that fan noise is no more than 25 dB(A)
in the living space and bedrooms, and 35 dB(A)
in the room containing the MVHR fan unit20.

20 Source: PassivHaus

101
3.12 Overheating
Design considerations
Historically, buildings have been inefficient at
retaining heat and have therefore been cold in
winter, but this has also reduced the likelihood
of overheating during summer. More recently,
increased levels of insulation, airtightness,
inadequate ventilation and energy efficiency driven
by more stringent Building Regulations, have
sparked a rise in the incidence of overheating,
particularly in high density, city centre, flatted
development. This issue has been well researched
and documented by the Zero Carbon Hub, NHBC
and others, bringing to light causes of overheating
and the consequences for residents if not addressed.
The Chartered Institute of Building Service
Engineers (CIBSE) defines overheating in Guide A
2015 by comparing expected indoor temperatures
with a running mean of external temperatures.
They recommend that indoor temperature should
not exceed the calculated maximum for more
than 3% of occupied hours between May and
September, while also meeting a maximum daily
limit and an absolute limit on temperature. As a
rule of thumb, CIBSE recommends the following
internal temperatures for general comfort:
Dwelling room
Customary summer
temperatures (˚C)
Bedroom 23-25*
Kitchen 21-25
Living room 23-25
*where indoor temperatures exceed 24-26, sleep and comfort can
be impaired
Source: CIBSE Guide A 2015
102
To reduce the risk of overheating, the following
points should be considered during the
design stage:
n Orientate homes and rooms so they do not
receive excess solar gain and consider the
positioning and size of windows.
n Where the design includes thermal mass it is
important that adequate night-time ventilation
can be achieved through small opening lights
that can be safely left open.
n Where a dwelling cannot be adequately
cooled through natural ventilation at night,
the thermal mass will not be effective at
regulating internal temperatures.
n Thermal mass must be exposed internally
to benefit the space. Carpets, timber and
battened plasterboard will de-couple the
thermal mass from the space, eliminating its
effectiveness.
n Movable solar shading, preferably external
devices, should be used to mitigate excess
solar heat gains.
n Where solar control glazing is proposed, the
balance of wanted and unwanted heat gains in
summer and winter should be considered.
n For east through to west-facing elevations,
deciduous trees located in front of windows
can be a useful means of achieving summer
shading without losing winter warmth
and light.
n External planting can help to lower
local temperatures though shading and
transpiration. Water features can lower
external temperatures though evaporation.
n Dark coloured external materials contribute to
increased local air temperatures known as the
albedo effect and heat island effect.
See also Appendix F (energy, including
overheating in corridors) and Appendix G (window
design) and the following subsections:
3.5 Thermal comfort
3.9 Aspect and orientation
3.10 Daylight and sunlight
3.11 Ventilation and air quality

Standards
3.12.1 Carry out overheating analysis, prior to

Part II The standards: 3.0

planning submission, on a range of dwellings
with larger south and west-facing openings
unless these are adequately shaded. The
analysis should be in line with CIBSE Guide A
(2015) and CIBSE TM52 (2013).
3.12.2 Consider the specification of windows for
control of solar gain and heat loss.
3.12.3 Where necessary, use movable, external
shading to reduce solar gains on south and
west-facing facades.
3.12.4 Increase levels of exposed thermal mass
inside the dwelling to regulate peak internal
temperatures and combine this with measures
that allow residents to achieve night-time
ventilation. Consider tiled or thin sheet floor
finishes, rather than carpet or other soft
finishes, and exposed concrete soffits to
maximise the benefits of thermal mass.
3.12.5 In urban areas avoid darker coloured external
materials where possible.
3.12.6 Use deciduous trees and other planting to
provide shade.

103
3.13 Private outdoor space and external storage

Design considerations to de-clutter the dwelling frontage and therefore

the streetscape. Boundary treatments between
Private outdoor space is highly valued and can rear gardens should offer privacy, security and
take the form of a front or rear garden, terrace, durability.
balcony or winter garden. The form and size of
the space will depend largely on the character, Front gardens have more limited amenity value
location and density of the development, the but form an important privacy buffer and the
housing typologies and the local demographic. boundary treatment has an enormous impact
In London, as in other major cities, flats on the quality and ambience of the streetscape.
predominate and the GLA standard (reflected In terraced housing, cycles and bins will usually
in 3.13.2 on the next page) ensures that, as a have to be stored in front gardens and this
minimum, all new homes have a balcony or needs careful consideration at the very earliest
terrace that is accessible to a wheelchair user design stages. Capacity studies need to all allow
and large enough for family members to enjoy sufficient plot depth and width, house plans
together. specifically designed or selected and entrances
and windows carefully placed. Often among the
Rear gardens offer much more scope for rest, last items to be installed, these crucial elements
activity and growing food and are particularly need to be properly designed and specified and
valuable for families with young children. protected from last minute budget cuts.
Collectively they can also make a significant
contribution to the wildlife-friendly green space
across a development when planted. Small plant
beds and lawns of less than 20m2 are difficult
to sustain however, and for many older people a
small, sheltered, paved garden, perhaps with a
raised bed, may be the best solution.
People will shape and modify their gardens over
time but it is useful to provide basic elements
including a patio, a turfed lawn (where size
permits), and provision for outdoor clothes
drying and storage. Where direct access to the
street is possible, rear gardens can usefully
accommodate cycle and bin storage too, helping

104
Standards
3.13.1 Where required by the LPA, meet the
requirements of AD M Section 3B Private
entrances and spaces within, and connected to the
dwelling (Part M, optional requirement M4(3)
Wheelchair user dwellings).
3.13.2 Provide a private open space for every dwelling
at least 1.5m deep and 5m2 for a 1 bed dwelling,
rising by 1m2 for each additional person. The
space may be a front or rear garden, balcony,
winter garden or roof terrace.
3.13.3 Front gardens should aim to provide the
following:
• a robust boundary treatment that defines
the junction between the public and private
realm, and is appropriate to the character of
the building and the street
• an overall depth of at least 1500mm
(deeper where bikes and bins are to be
accommodated) with an additional planting
zone at least 600mm deep
• storage for cycles and bins (unless provided
in rear gardens) designed and located to
avoid obstructing ground floor windows and
doors, and be as unobtrusive as possible
(as required by Part H of the Building
Regulations)
• discreet integration of gas and electricity
meters.
3.13.4 Rear gardens should aim to provide the
following:
• level access from a kitchen/dining room,
living space or circulation (kitchen/diner
is usually the preferred arrangement for
families especially where there is a lawn).
• paved patio area (equivalent to the minimum
spatial requirements of standard 3.13.2) and
with lighting and a power socket
• socket for a rotary clothes line (accessible
from the patio)
• turfed lawn and planting beds (where
Part II The standards: 3.0
appropriate)
• secure boundaries (typically 1800mm high,
robust, timber fencing between adjoining
gardens or 1800-2100mm high brick walls
where adjoining the public realm)
• watering point (preferably a water butt)
• concrete slab suitable for a shed or storage
pod and where possible, the shed or storage
pod itself
• secure gated access to the pavement where
the garden adjoins the street
• no alleys between rear gardens.
3.13.5 Balconies, winter gardens and roof terraces
should aim to provide the following:
• level access from the living space or
kitchen/dining room (and a bedroom where
appropriate but not solely from a bedroom)
• enough space for all household members to
sit together around a small table
• solid, drained floors
• lighting and a power socket
• screening and/or shading for privacy or
shade where appropriate.
See also subsections 1.3 and 1.6 for other
standards relating to front garden boundary
treatments and subsection 2.5 for communal
cycle storage and bin storage.
105
Bringing the outside in

children can play outside

while being supervised
from inside

large windows
and patio
doors create a
strong visual
and physical
connection
between the
home and the
garden

more practical to access the garden

from the kitchen in family homes

106
3.14 Accommodating diversity
Design considerations
The importance of providing a good range of
housing tenures, sizes and typologies was
discussed in subsection 1.4. Most well-designed
homes will be able to accommodate diverse
needs and cultural requirements, particularly
those that meet Category 2 or 3 accessibility
requirements. Category 1 housing is likely to be
less flexible, particularly where space standards
have not been applied.
But it is also necessary to understand the local
demographic and consider specific housing
needs. Providing two living spaces is useful for
most families but can be particularly important
for Muslim and Bengali cultures because it allows
cooking and eating to take place in separate
rooms and for family members to socialise
separately. Bathing and toileting arrangements
can also be culturally sensitive and it is often
useful to have a second WC, particularly when
this includes a shower.
Where more bespoke provision is needed, this
will usually be initiated by a specialist provider
who will issue a detailed brief. Requirements
vary widely and may relate to everyday activities
or special occasions such feasts and festivals.
Members of the Orthodox Jewish community
for example may need to sleep where they have
a view of the sky during the week-long festival
of Succohs.
A literature review of publications covering the
design of various forms of non-mainstream
housing, produced by Levitt Bernstein and
PRP Architects for the HCA, contains useful
pointers for wide range of special interest groups
and includes features that can be included in
mainstream housing, where appropriate.
There is also a growing need for multi-
generational homes (dwellings for extended
families and so called ‘boomerang kids’ who
return to, or live at home into adulthood), and
housing that can accommodate a carer or
Part II The standards: 3.0
‘live-in friend’.
While specialised housing for older people
is outside the scope of this document, the
influential HAPPI report contains ten useful
design principles. The majority are appropriate
for all homes, but are particularly useful
when designing with older people in mind. The
principles are reproduced below the standards.
Standards
3.14.1 Understand the local demographic and aim to
meet cultural needs as far as possible while
maintaining flexibility over the long term.
Consider the need for:
• additional bathrooms or washing facilities
• separate living spaces
• large kitchens with space for eating or
separate food preparation areas
• larger balconies.
3.14.2 Consider the need for dwellings that meet the
needs of older people and aim to include the
HAPPI design principles.
3.14.3 Consider the need for multi-generational
homes and homes which could be easily
modified to provide self-contained ‘bedsit’ type
accommodation for a relative, carer or lodger
to live semi-independently.
107
 The 10 HAPPI design principles:

1. The new retirement homes should have generous
internal space standards with potential for three
habitable rooms and designed to accommodate
flexible layouts.
2. Care is taken in the design of homes and shared
spaces and with the placement, size and detail of
windows, to ensure plenty of natural light, and to
allow daylight into circulation spaces.
3. Building layouts maximise natural light and
ventilation by avoiding internal corridors and single
aspect flats, and apartments have balconies, patios
or terraces with enough space for tables and chairs,
as well as plants.
4. In the implementation of measures to ensure
adaptability, homes are designed to be ‘care ready’
so that new and emerging technologies, such as
telecare and community equipment, can be readily
installed.
5. Building layouts promote circulation areas as
shared spaces that offer connections to the wider
context, encouraging interaction, supporting
interdependence and avoiding an ‘institutional feel’,
including the imaginative use of shared balcony
access to front doors and thresholds, promoting
natural surveillance and providing for ‘defensible
space’.
6. In all but the smallest developments (or those
very close to existing communities) multi-purpose
space is available for residents to meet, with
facilities designed to support an appropriate
range of activities – perhaps serving the wider
neighbourhood as a community ‘hub’ as well as
guest rooms for visiting friends and families.
7. In giving thought to the public realm, design
measures ensure that homes engage positively
with the street, and that the natural environment
is nurtured through new trees and hedges and the
preservation of mature planting, and providing
wildlife habitats as well as colour, shade and shelter.
8. Homes are energy efficient and well insulated, but
also well ventilated and able to avoid overheating
by, for example, passive solar gain, the use of native
deciduous planting supplemented by external blinds
or shutters, easily operated awnings over balconies,
green roofs and cooling chimneys.
9. Adequate storage is available outside the home
together with provision for cycles and mobility aids,
and that storage inside the home meets the needs of
the occupier.
10. Shared external surfaces, such as ‘Home Zones’
that give priority to pedestrians rather than cars,
and which are proving successful in other countries,
become more common, with due regard to the kinds
of navigation difficulties that some visually impaired
people may experience in such environments.’

Source: HAPPI Housing our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation 2009 report for DCLG and DoH, chaired by Lord Best and written by
PTEa and Levitt Bernstein.

108
3.15 Aftercare and home user guides
Design considerations
Providing residents with the information they
need in order to run their new homes efficiently
is an essential part of creating sustainable
buildings. Often complex building operation
modes and mechanical systems are installed
to reduce CO2 emissions, but if the intention is
not explained clearly or in enough detail, then
the resident’s experience can be variable or
disappointing.
Evidence is growing on the ‘performance gap’,
the difference between the predicted energy
consumption of designed buildings and their
actual performance in use; whereby residents
use significantly more energy than had been
predicted. This gap can be due to a number of
causes, including, but not limited to:
n discrepancies between the design of the fabric
and its construction
n discrepancies between the systems ‘as
designed’ and the systems ‘as installed’
n installation of complex/non-intuitive controls
for heating, ventilation and/or lighting
n inappropriate specification of equipment for
the user group
n incomplete or improper commissioning of
installed systems
n inadequate handover and aftercare for
residents
n inadequate or inappropriate home user guides.
Where any one of these occurs, residents will find
it difficult to understand and use the equipment
they have been provided with. This leads to high
energy bills and/or an uncomfortable living
environment, resulting in complaints and costly
Part II The standards: 3.0
maintenance call outs.
These issues can usually be avoided or mitigated
by following some simple steps. The Building
Services Research and Information Association
(BSRIA) has been a pioneer in attempting to
mitigate poor building performance though
the development of a methodology called Soft
Landings. This recommends that architects and
constructors remain involved after practical
completion to help fine-tune the building and
systems, and is suggested as part of the RIBA
Plan of Work Green Overlay.
109
Standards
3.15.1 Provide a thorough one-to-one handover with
the residents of every home with a follow-up
after one to two months. Cover the operation Typical information to include in a Home
of the systems and features within the building User Guide
and arrange it for a time when the residents are (Edited from the Code for Sustainable Homes)
not preoccupied with the process of moving in.
3.15.2 Provide a home user guide covering the Operational issues
detailed operation of the systems and features
• Design features (solar control, natural
within the building. Include the items in the
ventilation etc.)
table to the right and ensure that the equipment
and controls described and/or pictured in • Mechanical and electrical systems – including
the guide match those installed to prevent controls, efficient operation and maintenance
confusion or misunderstanding. (heating, ventilation and lighting etc.)

3.15.3 Ensure that handovers and home user guides • Renewable systems
are also provided to all future residents with
• Water use (internal and external)
versions available in different languages.
• Recycling and waste
3.15.4 Keep spare copies of home user guides and
ensure that housing management staff are • Emergency information
trained to explain the system to residents,
• Links, references and further information
answer queries and able to provide extra help
to vulnerable residents where necessary.
Site and surroundings
3.15.5 Refer to BSRIA’s free guide to Soft Landings
• Recycling and waste
for details of what to do at each stage of the
design and build process. The earlier the Soft • Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDs)
Landings procedures can be taken on board the
better the final outcome in terms of operational • Public transport
efficiency and occupant satisfaction. • Local amenities
• Links, references and further information

110
Part III
Managing the design process

Overview of the client’s role

Key parts of the process

n Appointing the right team
n Developing a shared vision
n Producing a clear brief and keeping it up to date
n Consulting residents and other stakeholders
n Setting up a formal design review process
n Checking and approving the planning application
n Maintaining quality throughout detailed design and construction
n Forward planning for management and maintenance

Dealing with different development scenarios

n Design and Build
n Bids and competitions
n Section 106 partnerships

111
Overview of the client’s role
This part of the handbook looks at the client’s
role. Planning is a major milestone in any project
and the focus here is on the pre-planning/
design stages and the role that standards play. It
touches on post-planning stages because of the
importance of seeing things through to the end.
Further detail is provided in Appendices I and J.
The client’s first task in any project is to weigh
up the opportunity and decide whether to
proceed. Whatever the nature of the opportunity
– client-led from the start or late involvement
as a Section 106 partner – the client must
decide whether the benefits outweigh the risks
and whether the project has the potential to
satisfy the business and social objectives of
its organisation.
The design process is every bit as important as
the design itself and the client’s role in this is
critical. Unless an outside project manager has
been appointed, the client must set out the initial
aims, produce a comprehensive brief and steer
the project – ‘signing off’ each key stage along
the way and remaining in control of the budget
and the programme throughout. Ideally the client
also acts as a ‘design champion’, not responsible
for the design but well versed in design
principles, committed to quality and confident
enough to articulate opinions. He or she also
needs to liaise closely with members of the asset
management team to ensure that the approach to
future maintenance informs the design process
and lessons learned are passed on.
112
It is extremely helpful for the design team to
understand the standards that are required right
at the start. While many things can wait until
later, others cannot. Being clear about what is
expected puts the onus on the design team to
think ahead. Many parts of this handbook have
highlighted problems that stem from early
mistakes – a failure to consider access to plant
and refuse stores, or a tendency to underestimate
the amount of parking, wall thicknesses or the
size of wheelchair homes. These are all common
pitfalls that stem from over-optimism and the
pressure to maximise dwelling numbers. They
can be difficult to correct later. Setting up early
meetings with key stakeholders, including
experts within the clients’ organisation, is vital.
Section 1.0 of Part II stresses the value of a
comprehensive site analysis and the importance
of the landscape and urban design strategies.
It is important that the early stages are not
too rushed. All parties should feel that all
viable options have been explored and the right
‘diagram’ adopted.
Being a good client is hard work – it always feels
as though there is a lot to do, and indeed, there is.
The client needs to appoint the consultant team,
take responsibility for the Principal Designer role
under the Construction (Design and Management)
Regulations (CDM), produce a programme, make
decisions, tackle problems head-on, organise
consultation, design reviews and numerous
meetings and generally manage the process.
Tackling things calmly and methodically, and at A comprehensive checklist of the task that
the right stage, helps to keep morale high and the clients should undertake, or delegate to others,
project on track. Good communication is vital. is included as Appendix I and a checklist of CDM
responsibilities as Appendix J.
Different development scenarios pose different
challenges and housing associations work
in many scenarios in which they are not the
lead client. Design and Build and Section 106
scenarios are often particularly challenging.
These scenarios are considered later in this part
of the handbook.
A table summarising the key actions for the client
and the design team, related to the seven work
stages of the RIBA Plan of Work, is included
below and the following key pre- and post-
planning client-based activities are considered in
some detail in the next subsection:
n appointing the right team

n developing a shared vision

n producing a clear brief and keeping it up

to date
n consulting residents and other stakeholders

n setting up a formal design review process

n checking and approving the planning

Part III Managing the design process

application
n maintaining quality throughout detailed design
and construction
n forward planning for management and
maintenance

113
Table of key actions for the client and the design team throughout the
design process
RIBA Client actions Design team actions
workstages

0 – Assess scheme potential against key business objectives

– Develop the strategic brief
Strategic – Consider the project team
definition – Consider funding sources
– Draft initial programme
Decide whether to proceed

1 – Appoint principal designer and other key consultants and – Carry out site appraisal – identify

Monitor progress, cost and programme and keep the project brief and project execution plan up to date
confirm scope of services opportunities and constraints
Preparation – Define the key objectives of the project – Produce initial feasibility studies
and brief – Develop the project brief – Begin to develop the design concept
– Carry out desktop planning survey
Develop the shared vision

2 – Complete appointments as necessary

– Finalise project brief
– Produce outline options for initial
costing

Carry out consultation

Concept – Review cost appraisals and viability
design – Arrange design review of options and include asset
management staff
– Arrange pre-app discussion with planners
Select preferred design approach
Carry out CDM responsibilities and maintain the Health and Safety file
– Prepare strategies for sustainability,
structure and services
– Consider the construction strategy

3 – Review cost appraisals

– Pre-app discussion with planners
– Develop design proposals
– Produce design and access
Developed – Arrange design review of preferred option and assess statement and other planning
design against required standards reports
– Sign off proposals and instruct planning application
Submit planning application

4 – Input into Employer’s Requirements (where Design and Build

(D&B))
– Develop technical proposals
– Co-ordinate input from specialist
Technical – Confirm the consultant team for post-planning stages suppliers and subcontractors
design – Instruct Building Regulations application – Prepare drawings and specifications
for Building Regulations submission
Submit building regs application

5 – Interview contractors and appoint successful tenderer

– Review contractors’ proposals against ERs with asset
– Administer contract (where
appropriate)
Construction management staff – Produce as built documents
– Attend site meetings
Prepare for handover

6 – Prepare/receive residents handbooks and user manuals

– Accept building
– Complete as built documents

Handover + – Agree final account

close down
Residents move in

7 – Carry out resident training

– Implement planned maintenance
– Participate in POE

In use – Initiate post-occupancy evaluation (POE)

Resident feedback
114
Key parts of the process
Appointing the right team
Getting housing designed and built is an
increasingly complex process involving a growing
number of participants. Appointing the right
consultant team is crucial to success. Experience
and creativity are not mutually exclusive and clients
should look for designers that have both skill
sets. Project size will be a significant factor when
choosing consultants and, if the project is large
enough, appointing two or more design companies
to work together can be very successful. This
may be particularly appropriate in a project that
combines residential with other uses. All projects
benefit from the expertise of a landscape architect
and will need a sustainability consultant. Larger
projects may warrant the appointment of an urban
designer too. Larger, multi-disciplinary practices
usually have in-house expertise in these disciplines.
Whether to use ‘Building Information Modelling’
(BIM) is another key decision. It is still relatively early
days in the BIM journey and all consultants need to
be ‘BIM literate’ to get the best results. Project size
and complexity will be a key factor. Understandably,
many clients are keen to delay the appointment of a
structural engineer and M&E consultants but on a
large or complicated project, it helps to have early
input. As a collaborative way of sharing information,
BIM facilitates this. Clarity about the scope of
service required, precise and timely instructions
and good general communication are vital, and
it helps to retain the same team throughout the
project. Ideally, the key members of the client and
consultant teams are involved from start to finish.
Developing a shared vision
Irrespective of the size of the project or the
procurement route, a good outcome is much
more likely when there is a ‘shared vision’ that is
understood and supported by the whole team.
In simple terms, the client should articulate an
overarching goal, or set of goals, that describes
the rationale behind the project and what it
should achieve. Together with the findings of the
site analysis, this will inspire and guide the initial
concept – a diagram, or set of diagrams, that
describes the essence of the design response.
This should address the key opportunities and
constraints and begin to convey something about
‘the place’ that the site could become – even a
sense of how it might feel to live there.
The client’s objectives for the project and
the designer’s concept for the site should be
discussed with the project team and other
stakeholders, including residents where possible.
Once agreed, they become the ‘shared vision’.
The vision should aim high but remain
Part III Managing the design process
deliverable. The principal challenges need to be
identified and discussed early on because the
project will fail unless they are addressed at the
start. Cost and programme are invariably among
the constraints but there may be other logistical
drivers too – phasing, decanting, a sloping
site, flood risk, retained uses, a landscape of
exceptional quality, a desire to use Modern
Methods of Construction (MMC), disillusioned
residents, wary neighbours etc.
115
Captured in a diagram and short paragraph in
this way, a shared vision helps to get buy-in from
stakeholders, acts as anchor throughout the
project and informs decision making. It should
become part of the project brief and a constant
reminder of what the team is trying to achieve
and why.
Producing a clear brief and keeping
it up to date
It seems obvious that every project needs a
clear brief that is kept up to date but this is
comparatively rare in practice. One of the
objectives of this handbook is to help with
the briefing process. Getting some generic
parameters agreed quickly allows the design
team to concentrate on the particular challenges
and opportunities of each project. Ideas inevitably
evolve, requirements change and savings often
have to be made in the course of a project
so keeping the brief up to date is a valuable
tracking exercise and provides clarity throughout
the process.
Consulting residents and other
stakeholders
Involving the individuals and organisations likely
to be most affected by new development is critical
to acceptance and often enriches the end product.
The timing of consultation is important and as
a general rule, the earlier the better. Rumour
abounds when new development is planned and
it is much better to ‘hear it first’ and get reliable
information directly from the people responsible.
116
The second crucial aspect is to be clear about
the nature of the consultation and manage
expectations accordingly. Are residents and other
stakeholders essentially just being informed,
or are they being invited to contribute ideas, be
actively involved in decision making – perhaps
even have a vote? Is it appropriate to invite
everyone to the same session or hold different
sessions for different interest groups?
There are many possible techniques ranging
from visits to completed schemes (at home or
abroad), away days, workshops, to meetings
and presentations. All have their place and the
choice should be guided by the nature of the
audience, or participants, and what is expected
of them. Openness, honesty, approachability and
keeping people up to date are all essential facets
of good consultation. While the client should
expect to arrange and be present at all events,
it is important that members of the project
team are also involved. Designers are best
placed to explain the design concept/approach/
proposals and it is important that they get first-
hand feedback. It can be useful to engage a
professional facilitator, particularly for larger or
more controversial projects.
Setting up a formal design
review process
All projects benefit from design review. At least
two reviews should be built into the pre-planning
process. The first should consider the sketch
design and review the strategies that are being
adopted for all aspects of the project from urban
design and landscape to waste management and
energy, and the second should ensure that all
design issues are satisfactorily resolved before
the scheme is submitted for planning.
The reviews need not be long but should be
structured and comprehensive – the aim is to
achieve the best possible outcome and ensure
that the shared vision has been reflected in the
design proposals and that the project brief, and
the standards required by it, are being met. A
cross-section of members of the client team,
including housing managers, should be present,
along with key members of the project team.
The lead client should describe the vision for
the project, noting any particular opportunities
and constraints, and ask the design team to
present the proposals before inviting structured
feedback. It should be a collaborative and
constructive process – not ‘trial by jury’.
Design Review: principles and practice 2013,
produced by CABE with others, contains useful
guidance on the design review process and
recommends that a Building for Life appraisal
is included. The review process is also a good
opportunity to check that the standards required
by the brief have been met. It is often useful to
undertake an audit prior to the review so that
discussion can be focused on areas of particular
merit or concern, rather than attempting to cover
everything.
Checking and approving the
planning application
Clients need to be fully up to speed with progress
throughout the process and give approval to
move to the next stage as and when appropriate.
Planning is perhaps the biggest milestone in
most projects and it is vital that the drawings,
the Design and Access Statement, any other
accompanying reports, and the application itself,
describe the proposals accurately and do justice
to the scheme.
It is even more important that they embody a
scheme that complies with the project brief
and that the client wants to build. As part of the
design review process, it is imperative that the
scheme proposals are impartially audited against
the standards required. There is limited scope
to change a scheme that has planning approval
without invoking bureaucratic processes,
so the client must take responsibility for the
material submitted.
Pre-application consultation (pre-app) with
the planners is usually advisable but is now
chargeable so this important opportunity to
get early feedback needs to be carefully timed
and planned.
Maintaining quality throughout
detailed design and construction
Part III Managing the design process
While the focus of this handbook is on the design
stages leading up to planning, it would be remiss
not to touch on the post-planning stages as
these are so important to the eventual outcome.
Schemes need to be loved and nurtured from
start to finish. The shared vision should be
understood by all parties and kept in mind at
all stages.
117
Retaining the same team is helpful but where
this doesn’t happen, a formal handover is vital
and the executive team should have a proper
understanding of the design intent and a
commitment to uphold it.
Forward planning for management
and maintenance
The importance of this has been touched on in
earlier parts of the handbook. However inspired
a design may be, it is only likely to succeed if
it can be managed and maintained. The client
must therefore set clear parameters and ensure
that appropriate resources will continue to be
available over time.
Spaces that are not well maintained or managed
soon fall into a vicious circle of neglect and
mis-use – or no use.
118
Dealing with different
development scenarios
Design and build
Design and build is fast becoming the norm when
it comes to procurement, and inevitably there
are pros and cons. One of the main difficulties
when seeking to appoint a contractor, through
a competitive tendering process, is striking the
right balance between being clear about the
quality that is required without tying down the
tenderers to particular products or solutions.
Clients who say too little expose themselves to the
risk of a poor outcome – unable to defend against
cheap products and cost-cutting techniques.
Those who say too much risk paying too much
– unable, or unwilling, to take advantage of a
developer’s experience or buying power even
though the cheaper solution on offer might be as
good as, or better than, the specified solution.
Having a robust performance specification, based
on a good practice set of standards that are not
too prescriptive, and being willing to listen but
also willing to say ‘no’, is the best approach.
Design and build often results in the original
design team being replaced by a new team
of executive architects – usually because the
executive team are either known to the developer
or offer a lower price. This sort of switchover
is rarely ideal but when it does happen, it is
important that all parties agree that the design
complies, or is capable of complying, with both
the statutory and the clients’ own requirements
as expressed in the Employer’s Requirements
(ERs) before the information is passed on. This
is further justification for having a shared vision
that can be communicated to the new team, an
up to date brief that encapsulates the client’s
current requirements, and a well developed set
of drawings that leave only the right amount
of flexibility.
Bids and competitions
Many projects are now awarded through a
bidding process. The assessment criteria are
usually a combination of quality, price and
programme – but not always in that order. The
brief often describes some sort of overall vision
and may also include detailed requirements. The
competing teams need to develop their own vision
and add their own goals to those of the brief
and work fast to produce a winning concept that
meets the needs and expectations of all parties.
The main dangers in this scenario are over-
promising or under-pricing – or both. By
their very nature, bids are competitive and a
conservative financial offer is unlikely to win
unless the design is exceptional and the weighting
is biased towards quality. Here too, it is therefore
important to strike the right balance – offering
enough to win the job while being confident that it
can be delivered.
There is usually limited opportunity for dialogue
throughout the bidding process and it is often
impossible to consult with the local community
or with local residents until an appointment has
been confirmed. While the terms of the tender
may require a well-advanced design (sometimes
taken almost to planning stage) there is then
a risk that the process takes a step back when
the contract is awarded and all parties can
talk freely.
Section 106 partnerships
These situations, whereby lead developers seek
a partner to take on the affordable housing
element, are often the most difficult of all for
housing associations, particularly when this
happens towards the end of the design process.
In most cases, the concept will have been
established and many decisions irreversible.
Before agreeing to get involved, it is important to
understand the original vision for the project and
assess the extent to which it resonates with the
prospective partner’s own objectives. It is also
worth visiting the site to get a feel for the area
and assess whether anything important has been
missed. Where the design proposals seem less
than ideal, it is important to establish how much
scope for change exists.
Through a structured design review, the proposed
scheme should then be evaluated against a
Part III Managing the design process
defined quality benchmark. The handbook will
help here. It is unlikely that all of the standards
suggested in Part II will have been met, or that
there will be enough scope for the design to be
modified to achieve full compliance, but it will be
useful to assess how it measures up.
The questions that follow may provide a useful
starting point for interrogation but it should not
be assumed that they represent an acceptable
benchmark in themselves.
119
 Checklist of important questions
Placemaking and the public realm
1. Does the scheme score at least amber for
each of the 12 Building for Life questions?
Q1 Connections
Does the scheme integrate into its surroundings
by reinforcing connections or creating new ones,
whilst also respecting existing buildings and land
uses along the boundaries of the development
site?
Q2 Facilities and services
Does the development provide (or is it close to)
community facilities, such as shops, schools
workplaces, parks, play areas, pubs or cafés?
Q3 Public transport
Does the scheme have good access to public
transport or help reduce car dependency?
Q4 Meeting local housing need
Does the development have a mix of housing types
and tenures that suit local requirements?
Q5 Character
Does the scheme create a place with a locally
inspired or otherwise distinctive character?
Q6 Working with the site and its context
Does the scheme take advantage of existing
topography, landscape features (including water
courses), wildlife habitats, existing buildings, site
orientation and microclimates?
Q7 Creating well defined streets and spaces
Are buildings designed and positioned with
landscaping to define and enhance streets and
spaces and are buildings designed to turn street
corners well?
120
Q8 Easy to find your way around
Is the scheme designed to make it easy to find your
way around?
Q9 Streets for all
Are streets designed in a way that encourage low
vehicle speeds and allow them to function as social
spaces?
Q10 Car parking
Is resident and visitor parking sufficient and well
integrated so that it does not dominate the street?
Q11 Public and private spaces
Will public and private spaces be clearly defined
and designed to be attractive, well managed and
safe?
Q12 External storage and amenity space
Is there adequate external space for bins and
recycling as well as vehicles and cycles?
2. Is the affordable housing element designed
and specified to a decent standard, not
significantly different from homes of other
tenures and reasonably well integrated?
(1.5.1)
3. Are cladding materials and components
such as doors, windows, and rainwater
goods sufficiently durable and can they be
maintained?
4. Are the streets and pavements designed to
adoptable standards and has adoption been
agreed? (1.6.4)
Communal spaces The home
5. Is the affordable housing in a separate core 13. Where the nationally described space standard
(or cores) or, where combined with other has not been applied, do all homes meet at
tenures, are all homes in the core to be owned least the overall floor areas set out below,
and managed by the housing association? and provide the storage required under the
6. Is there a maximum of 120 bedspaces in these national space standard? (3.1.1):
cores, or are the dwellings non-family units, Number of Number of 1 storey 2 storey 3 storey Built-in
or is there a concierge? (2.2.6) bedrooms bedspaces dwellings dwellings dwellings storage (m)
1p 39 (37)3 1.0
7. Is there at least one lift to every home on
1b 2p 46 54 1.5
the fourth floor or above, and two lifts to all
2b 3p 57 66 2.0
homes on the seventh floor and above? (2.2.8)
4p 66 75
8. Has adequate space been allowed for 3b 4p 70 80 86 2.5
services and are the necessary areas 5p 81 88 94
accessible? (2.2.9, 2.2.10) 6p 90 97 103
9. Is communal space (with play opportunities) 4b 5p 85 92 98 3.0

provided for developments with 20 or more 6p 94 101 107

7p 102 109 115
flats or is public open space is available
8p 111 118 124
within 500m?
5b 6p 98 105 111 3.5
10. Where communal parking is provided, is 7p 106 113 119
it appropriate and at ground level – or, if 8p 115 122 128
underground, can it be managed? (2.4.1, 2.4.2) 6b 7p 110 117 123 4.0
11. Where multiple landlords are involved, and 8p 119 126 132
any buildings, spaces and/or services are to 14. Are all double and twin bedrooms are at least
be jointly managed and/or maintained, are the 11m2 and all single bedrooms at least 7m2?

Part III Managing the design process

individual and joint responsibilities formally (3.1.1)
defined? (Refer to page 16 which details
15. Have fully furnished layouts been provided and
design issues affecting service charges)
do they look workable? (3.2.1)
(2.7.6)
16. Do homes for 5 or more people have a separate
12. Looking at all aspects of the communal
kitchen or kitchen/dining room with a window?
areas, are the service charges likely to be
manageable for residents?

121
 17. Do at least 25% of homes meet Category 2
and at least 5% meet Category 3 of Part M
Volume 1 Dwellings? (3.3.5 and 3.3.8)
18. Are homes individually metered for gas, heat
and electricity? (Appendix F)
19. Has soundproofing been improved beyond
Building Regulations Part E? (3.7)
20. Does the window design take account of
privacy, aspect, orientation, daylight,
sunlight, ventilation and overheating and can
all windows be safely cleaned from inside?
(3.2.11, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12 and Appendix G)
21. Where a DHN or communal heating
is proposed, is it appropriate for the
development and are robust specification
and management arrangements in place?
(Appendix F)
22. Are all family dwellings (3p and above) able
to receive sunlight (do they all avoid facing
only north), and are all family dwellings dual
aspect where possible? (3.9.1)
23. Does every family dwelling have some usable
private outdoor space? (3.13.1)
24. Will a choice of fixtures, fittings and finishes
be offered?
25. Can as-built drawings and operational
instructions be made available?

122
Appendices

Appendix A: Summary of Part II standards

Appendix B: Typical tenure variations
Appendix C: Furniture schedule
Appendix D: Kitchen design: good practice principles
Appendix E: Accessibility: examples of compliant layouts at
Category 2 and 3
Appendix F: Energy: further detail on a good practice
approach
Appendix G: Window design: what to consider
Appendix H: Checklist of client’s job management
responsibilities
Appendix I: Checklist of client’s responsibilities under CDM
Appendix J: Housing Standards Review: further detail
Appendix K: Metrics and measurement

123
Appendix A: Summary of Part II Standards
Key to the three groups of standards
and regulations:
Nationally defined and universally applied
Nationally defined and locally applied
Additional good practice standards
Remember to add local planning requirements
and any tenure variations (see Appendix B)
1.0 Placemaking and the
public realm
1.1 Site appraisal
1.1.1 Research, study and visit the site and its
surroundings (using the checklist on page 30),
take photographs and make notes.
1.1.2 Gather information from local residents, local
interest groups and other stakeholders.
1.1.3 Obtain a topographical survey (and where
appropriate, plans of existing buildings and a
tree condition survey) as soon as possible.
1.1.4 Communicate the results of the site appraisal
through annotated diagrams and text and
consider the impact that the new development
may have on the site, its surroundings and its
ecology.
124
1.2 Landscape and climate
1.2.1 Ensure that early design proposals
demonstrate a considered and sustainable
response to landscape, and climate.
1.2.2 Ensure that landscape design is not a reserved
matter at the planning stage as this allows
developers to cut out, or water down, the
proposals.
1.2.3 On larger sites, devise a landscape strategy
that includes plans for implementation,
management and maintenance. Use Section
106 obligations to deliver these objectives.
1.2.4 Use the strategy to guide design development
and specification. Consider how it can be
reinforced and carried through into all aspects
of public realm design.
1.3 Urban design
1.3.1 Meet the core aspirations of Building for Life 12
by ensuring that:
• the development is connected to, and
integrated with its surroundings
• the layout is legible, permeable and uses
visual clues or markers to allow people
to navigate through the site and orientate
themselves within it
• streets are connected, well-used and well-
overlooked and dead-ends and blank walls
avoided
• landscape and buildings are designed to work
together and materials are of high quality and
carefully detailed
• public and private space are clearly defined
and it is clear who owns what
• entrances to dwellings are prominent,
and plant rooms, bin and bike stores are
accessible but away from key pedestrian
interfaces.

1.3.2 Ensure that development proposals
demonstrate:
• how the design responds to its physical
context, including the character and legibility
of the area and the local pattern of building,
public space, landscape and topography
• how the scheme relates to the identified
character of the place and to the local vision
and strategy or how bolder change is justified
in relation to a coherent set of ideas for
the place expressed in the local vision and
strategy or agreed locally.21
1.3.3 Aim to meet the requirements of Secured
By Design: New Homes 2014, Section 1 The
Development – Layout & Design (Planning Issues).
1.4 Density and scale
1.4.1 Check local planning policy requirements for
density (and the method of calculation to be
used). Be guided by these targets or limits
but challenge them where there is a strong
justification for deviating from them and
consider appointing a planning consultant
where proposals are likely to be contentious.
1.4.2 Aim to optimise, rather than maximise, density
and consider it alongside a range of other
issues including scale, massing, typology, mix,
tenure, block layout, service charges, public
transport and local facilities, parking and open
space requirements.
1.5 Dwelling mix, tenure and
typology
1.5.1 Development should be tenure blind and homes
of different tenures integrated.
1.5.2 Aim to provide a good tenure mix and range
of dwelling sizes and types, in line with local
planning policy requirements, and taking
account of the site and its context.
21 Based on GLA standard
Appendices
1.5.3 Aim to provide houses with gardens for
larger families even in urban locations, and
consider alternatives such as double-stacked
maisonettes where density targets make
houses impossible.
1.5.4 Take account of Local Plan policy re ‘optional
requirements’ for accessible housing but be
prepared to exceed these targets where there
is evidence of higher need.
1.5.5 Consider the need for specialised and/or
designated housing for older people and work
with specialist providers where appropriate.
1.5.6 Consider the long-term implications of
decisions about tenure, mix and typology and
avoid solutions that are inherently inflexible.
1.6 Streets and parking
1.6.1 In all but the smallest developments, develop
a street hierarchy as part of the urban design
strategy. Represent this through a series of
typical street sections which show building
heights, and identify zones for pedestrian cycle
and car movement, car parking trees/planting
and services and front gardens/defensible
space.
1.6.2 Comply with the principles of Manual for Streets.
1.6.3 Carry out vehicle tracking as necessary to
ensure that road widths and junction radii are
adequate for turning and manoeuvring, but
ensure that these do not dominate the design.
1.6.4 Ensure that streets are designed to adoptable
standards, and engage with the highways
department at an early stage.
1.6.5 Subject to local authority requirements, aim
to confine tarmac to main feeder roads and
use paving elsewhere. Select dark colours
to disguise oil spills particularly in parking
areas. Ensure that parking bays are delineated
from the carriageway by contrasting paving or
edging, not by painted lines, and use permeable
paving.
125
1.6.6 Check local planning parking requirements
and reconcile this with local market research.
Ensure that appropriate provision is made
within the site boundary to avoid increasing the
pressure on surrounding streets. Include an
allowance for visitor parking and provide 10% of
this as disabled spaces (in addition to allocated
provision for wheelchair-using residents).
1.6.7 Create live frontages with frequent entrances,
windows, and habitable rooms at street level
while ensuring enough privacy.
1.6.8 Aim to meet the requirements of Secured
By Design: New Homes 2014 and achieve
certification for Section 3: Ancillary Security
Requirements, where appropriate.
1.6.9 Prioritise the needs and safety of pedestrians
and cyclists. Consider the need for dedicated
pedestrian routes and/or cycle lanes especially
where there is potential to connect into existing
or planned local networks. Provide cycle
parking for visitors in addition to, and separate
from, provision for residents.
1.6.10 Consider car-clubs and, on larger sites,
investigate the potential for bus routes to be
extended or new bus stops added to serve the
new development.
1.6.11 Where parking is in-curtilage, incorporate this
at the side of dwellings rather than in front,
and where on street, use parallel, rather than
perpendicular arrangements.
1.6.12 Mitigate the visual impact of parking on the
streetscape through comprehensive landscape
proposals. Include tree planting in all new
streets; select appropriate species and space
trees accordingly, ensure that pavements are
wide enough, tree pits large enough, and that
services are installed in dedicated zones, clear
of tree and planting areas.
126
1.7 Building form and composition
1.7.1 Ensure that the design of every building
demonstrates awareness of its context and
place within the urban design strategy and
resolve the form and composition before
undertaking pre-application consultation.
1.7.2 Pay attention to every element of the building
facade as the design develops and plan ahead
to avoid unsightly flues, vents and satellite
dishes particularly on street-facing facades.
1.7.3 Aim to provide buildings that are ‘of their time’
but that also exhibit a timeless quality.
1.8 Open space and play
1.8.1 Ensure that an open space strategy, including
a play strategy, forms part of the overall
masterplan for all but the smallest sites,
and is informed by existing and planned local
provision, and the views of local people.
1.8.2 Use public open space to give a scheme its
identity; ensure that it is designed for everyone
and is multi-functional.
1.8.3 Ensure that space is overlooked and designed
for year-round use, a large proportion of the
space is green, and, where appropriate, it is
enclosed.
1.8.4 Ensure that a long-term management plan is in
place.
1.8.5 Provide for an appropriate range of play
spaces, based on the guidelines in the tables on
pages 52 and 53.

1.9 Ecology and biodiversity
1.9.1 Ensure that the site appraisal includes a habitat
survey that extends beyond the site boundaries
and leads to mitigation and enhancement
measures as part of the landscape strategy.
1.9.2 Include as much greenery as possible;
particularly low maintenance, natural planting
that is indigenous to the area, but avoid planting
too densely as this increases maintenance
costs.
1.9.3 Engage the community in installing nesting
boxes and other features that support wildlife
and are appropriate to the context.
1.10 SuDs and surface water
run-off
1.10.1 Where required by the local authority,
incorporate a SuDs strategy into the overall
landscape strategy and ensure that it is
appropriate to the context and addresses the
entire surface water cycle.
1.10.2 With reference to the CIRIA guidance and the
table on pages 58 and 59, appoint an engineer
to determine flood risk and implement an
appropriate range of drainage techniques to
manage surface water run-off sustainably.
22 Based on GLA standard
Appendices
2.0 Communal spaces
2.1 Approach routes and
entrances
2.1.1 The communal approach to every Category 1
home must meet the accessibility requirements
of AD M Section 1A Approach to the dwelling
(Part M, regulation M4(1) Visitable dwellings.
2.1.2 The communal approach to every Category 2
home must meet the accessibility requirements
of AD M Section 2A Approach to the dwelling
(Part M, regulation M4(2) Adaptable and
accessible dwellings.
2.1.3 The communal approach to every Category 3
home must meet the accessibility requirements
of AD M Section 3A Approach to the dwelling
(Part M, regulation M4(3) Wheelchair user
dwellings.
2.1.4 Communal entrance doors, associated
glazing and windows must meet the security
requirements of Part Q, regulation Q1
Unauthorised Access.
2.1.5 All communal entrances should be visible from
the public realm, clearly identified, well lit
and at least partially glazed to allow views in
and out22.
2.1.6 An access core serving four or more dwellings
should have an access control system with
audio-visual verification, and every dwelling
should have an entry phone with electronic
door release linked to a main front door.
2.1.7 Aim to make Category 2 the minimum standard
for the approach route and entrance. As a
minimum, and irrespective of lift provision,
ensure that the approach route is step-free and
adopts the shallowest possible gradient, and
that the main entrance has:
• a level external landing at least 1500mm
square and partially covered
• an accessible threshold (a maximum total
upstand of 15mm with a chamfered profile)
• a clear door opening width of at least 850mm
• a 300mm nib to the leading edge of the door
• automatically activated lighting
127
 2.1.8 Aim to meet the requirements of Secured
By Design: New Homes 2014 and achieve
certification for Section 2: Security of Dwellings
where considered appropriate.
2.1.9 Provide dirt control matting, suitable for use
by a wheelchair user, immediately inside the
entrance, and ensure that all internal finishes
and components are high quality, durable and
easy to clean. Hard flooring, such as tiling, is
recommended for the entrance lobby.
2.1.10 Provide an individual, A4+ size, tamper-proof
letterbox for every dwelling, at a height suitable
for a wheelchair user. Letterboxes should
usually be grouped and located either on the
external wall next to the entrance (to allow for
mail to be delivered from outside and collected
from inside) or located within the entrance
lobby (preferably with secondary doors to limit
tradesmen access to the lobby itself). Other
arrangements, such as letterboxes on every
front door, should also be considered.
2.2 Circulation areas, lifts
and stairs
2.2.1 The communal circulation areas to every
Category 1 home must meet the accessibility
requirements of AD M Section 1A Approach to
the dwelling, of Part M, regulation M4(1) Visitable
dwellings.
2.2.2 The communal circulation areas to every
Category 2 home must meet the accessibility
requirements of AD M Section 2A Approach
to the dwelling, of Part M, regulation M4(2)
Adaptable and accessible dwellings.
2.2.3 The communal circulation areas to every
Category 3 home must meet the accessibility
requirements of AD M Section 3A Approach
to the dwelling, of Part M, regulation M4(3)
Wheelchair user dwellings.
2.2.4 Communal doors and windows must meet the
security requirements of Part Q, regulation Q1
Unauthorised Access.
23 Based on GLA standard
24 Based on GLA standard
25 Based on GLA standard
128
2.2.5 The lift and stairs should be within sight of the
entrance area, or clearly signed. Stairs should
be attractive and prominent to encourage
active, healthy lifestyle choices.
2.2.6 Avoid long doubled loaded corridors and ensure
that communal circulation areas receive
daylight where possible.
2.2.7 As a general rule, each lift-served core should
serve a maximum of 25 dwellings or 100
bedspaces, with a maximum of eight dwellings
per floor. Secondary security measures, such
as fobbed doors to each at landing level that
restrict access to groups of eight flats, can
allow overall numbers to be increased. This is
particularly useful where two lifts are provided
as it spreads service charges.23
2.2.8 Aim to make Category 2 the minimum standard
for all circulation areas. As a minimum,
and irrespective of lift provision, ensure the
following:
• all corridors and decks are at least 1200mm
wide (preferably 1500mm to allow for
wheelchair turning)
• all doors at entrance level have a clear
door opening width of at least 850mm and a
300mm nib to the leading edge.
2.2.9 Provide at least one lift to every home on the
fourth floor or above, and two lifts to all homes
on the seventh floor or above. Provide two lifts
to all Category 3 dwellings where possible.24
2.2.10 Where possible, provide two lifts to every
Category 3 dwelling to give cover in the event of
breakdown.25

2.3 Communal amenity spaces
2.3.1 Aim to ensure that every flat has access to
communal space that:
• is overlooked by surrounding development
• is accessible to all residents of the block
• is designed to take advantage of direct
sunlight
• has suitable management in place26.
2.3.2 Provide fobbed access to the space from all
cores. Aim to provide additional, secure access
directly from the street for mowers and other
large maintenance equipment. Where this is not
possible, ensure that one core has extra wide
doors and suitable finishes.
2.3.3 Make the space as green as possible but use
grass and informal, low maintenance planting
rather than formal elements such as hedges
and topiary that rely on intensive maintenance.
Where extensive soft landscaping is planned,
provide secure access from the street for
mowers and other large equipment (not just
via cores).
2.3.4 Achieve year-round interest through the choice
of planting and ensure that the space will also
look attractive when viewed from homes above.
2.3.5 Design for incidental play using natural
elements, and discourage boisterous play
and ball games by breaking up the space with
planting, seating, mounding and changes of
material etc.
2.3.6 Consider the interface between any private
gardens, or terraces, and the communal space
carefully. Aim for privacy screening rather than
a solid barrier, and use railings and planting
rather than timber fencing. Avoid cheap timber
sheds and use neat storage ‘pods’ or integrate
the external storage where possible. Consider
whether access from private gardens to the
communal space is practical and desirable.
26 Based on GLA standard
Appendices
2.3.7 Use high quality, durable materials that
weather well and need little maintenance,
and low energy light fittings (with timers or
sensors) to provide ambience and safe access
without undue glare.
2.3.8 Include watering points and consider the use
of water butts (see subsection 1.10) but avoid
irrigation systems.
2.3.9 Draw up a plan for the long-term management
and maintenance of communal outdoor spaces
with intensive input over the first two years.
2.4 Undercroft and
underground parking
2.4.1 Where communal parking is proposed,
ensure that it is appropriate to the user group,
manageable and has the potential to be
secured.
2.4.2 Avoid underground parking for residents on
lower incomes.
2.4.3 Where undercroft parking is provided,
ensure that it is surrounded by dwellings or
other active uses that create a live frontage,
and is only used by residents of that block.
Consider which dwelling typologies are most
appropriate, and consider the structural and
services implications where different dwelling
types are stacked.
2.4.4 Install charging points for electric cars, or
make future provision.
2.4.5 Aim to meet the requirements of Secured
By Design: New Homes 2014 and achieve
certification for Section 3: Ancillary Security
Requirements, where considered appropriate.
129
2.5 Bike and bin storage and other
ancillary spaces
2.5.1 Meet the bin storage/screening requirements of
Part H (H6 of AD H) to reduce bin blight.
2.5.2 Ensure that bin stores meet the storage and
collection requirements of the local authority.
2.5.3 Locate bin stores close to cores or within
courtyards where these are large enough.
Where integral with the building footprint,
ensure that bin stores are not sited directly
next to, or below, a private front door, bedroom,
main living space or balcony.
2.5.4 Design for waste and recycling to be deposited
and collected from outside, and avoid refuse
chutes. Ensure that stores are:
• accessible to wheelchair users
• well lit and ventilated
• fitted with robust, scratch resistant, lockable,
metal doors
• fitted with a tap and floor gulley (within a
concrete floor laid to falls) and suitable for
hosing down.
2.5.5 Provide small, secure cycle stores (ideally
serving 10-15 flats) either close to cores, within
secure courtyards or within undercroft parking
areas. Aim to achieve access from a secure
outer area (the core, courtyard or undercroft).
2.5.6 Ensure that stores are covered and well lit, and
provide individual, allocated stands or hangers
but avoid double stacking where possible. In
high risk areas, consider the need for individual
lockers within each store.
2.5.7 Where feasible, provide cycle storage in a form
that is suitable for storing other ‘outdoor’ items
including prams/buggies, sports/camping
equipment etc.
2.5.8 Ensure that plant rooms are not located next to
entrances, or sound sensitive spaces such as
bedrooms and main living spaces and that extra
soundproofing is incorporated as required in
subsection 3.7.
130
2.5.9 Meet the requirements of Secured By Design:
New Homes 2014 and achieve certification for
Section 3: Ancillary Security Requirements,
where considered appropriate.
2.6 Utilities, meters and
communications technology
2.6.1 Locate all sub-stations, building services
running across or under the site, and locate
the nearest data, power, water/sewerage, gas
connection points and heat networks.
2.6.2 Contact UK Power Networks (UKPN) to
determine whether there is adequate capacity
in the nearest electrical sub-station for the
new development. Where capacity exists, apply
for connection early to ensure the capacity is
reserved.
2.6.3 Make contact with all utilities companies in
good time – they can be notoriously slow to
respond, provide information and/or carry out
works.
2.6.4 Check whether mobile telephone masts exist on
site and whether they can be moved/removed
or reinstated. Where they are to be reinstated/
installed on roofs, consider the potential effect
on the sale value of adjacent dwellings.
2.6.5 Determine the energy strategy at an early stage
to ensure space can be included in homes and
communal spaces for plant, service cupboards
and horizontal and vertical ductwork runs.
2.6.6 Where hot water is distributed through
communal spaces, especially corridors, ensure
pipework is adequately insulated, the network
is planned efficiently and corridors are suitably
ventilated.

2.6.7 Where gas connections exist on site, provide
space externally for meters allowing for
designed enclosures to reduce their visual
impact.
2.6.8 Set aside space for service risers and main
service runs at an early stage, allowing for
insulation where necessary. Consider how
these can be discreetly integrated and tamper-
proof while allowing easy access for testing,
repair and renewal. Allow adequate ceiling
void depth for recessed light fittings and
service runs.
2.6.9 Plan for soil and vent pipes (SVPs) and
incoming services to be accessible from
communal areas, rather than within flats,
wherever possible. As a minimum, provide
isolation valves in communal areas to mitigate
damage in the event of a problem and avoid
disturbing residents.
2.6.10 Ensure that risers containing gas can be
adequately ventilated to prevent pressure
build-up in the event of a leak.
2.6.11 Plan for either an adequate mains connection
or large water tanks where sprinkler systems
are to be included.
2.6.12 Co-ordinate SVPs terminations at roof level (to
avoid clashes with other installations such as
solar panels) and boiler flues and other outlets
on building facades.
2.6.13 Provide multiple data connections and TV
signals from satellites to dwellings to allow for
connection to all broadband and TV services
(such as Sky +). Use communal dishes where
possible and consider locations carefully.
Appendices
2.7 Special considerations in
mixed-use buildings
2.7.1 Ensure that the tenure, type and mix of
accommodation are appropriate to the
particular circumstances, taking account of
likely service charges.
2.7.2 Develop an integrated strategy for structure
and services in the early design stage. Keep it
simple, and where possible, avoid a transfer
structure by devising a structural grid that
works for both the residential and non-
residential elements.
2.7.3 Where multiple landlords are involved, allow
for separate supplies, risers, meters and boiler
plant. Where district or communal heating
is proposed, ensure individual metering of
resident and plant.
2.7.4 Ensure that residential entrances remain
prominent, and that dedicated, residential
parking, and bike and bin stores are provided.
2.7.5 Provide increased soundproofing between
different uses and take particular care in the
planning of the dwellings immediately above
the non-residential accommodation. Consider
duplexes to restrict the number of bedrooms
and balconies at this level.
2.7.6 Enter into dialogue with other landlords, draw
up a joint management plan to cover any areas
of shared responsibility and obtain agreement
before completion.
131
3.0 The home
3.1 Space standards
3.1.1 Where applied through local planning policy, Table 1
meet the nationally described space standard
which requires that: Number of Number of 1 storey 2 storey 3 storey Built-in
bedrooms bedspaces dwellings dwellings dwellings storage (m)
a. the dwelling provides at least the Gross 1p 39 (37)3 1.0
Internal (floor) Area1 (GIA) and built-in
1b 2p 50 58 1.5
storage area set out in Table 1 on the right.
b. a dwelling with two or more bedspaces has at 2b 3p 61 70 2.0
least one double (or twin) bedroom. 4p 70 79
c. in order to provide one bedspace, a single 3b 4p 74 84 90 2.5
bedroom has a floor area of at least 7.5m2 and 5p 86 93 99
is at least 2.15m wide.
6p 95 102 108
d. in order to provide two bedspaces, a double
(or twin bedroom) has a floor area of at least 4b 5p 90 97 103 3.0
11.5m2. 6p 99 106 112
e. one double (or twin bedroom) is at least 7p 108 115 121
2.75m wide and every other double (or twin) 8p 117 124 130
bedroom is at least 2.55m wide. 5b 6p 103 110 116 3.5
f. any area with a headroom of less than 1.5m is
7p 112 119 125
not counted within the GIA unless used solely
for storage (if the area under the stairs is to 8p 121 128 134
be used for storage, assume a general floor 6b 7p 116 123 129 4.0
area of 1m2 within the GIA). 8p 125 132 138
g. any other area that is used solely for storage
Notes:
and has a headroom of 900-1500mm (such
1. The GIA of a dwelling is defined as the total floorspace
as under eaves) is counted at 50% of its floor
measured between the internal faces of perimeter walls2
area, and any area lower than 900mm is not
that enclose the dwelling. This includes partitions,
counted at all.
structural elements, cupboards, ducts, flights of stairs
h. a built-in wardrobe counts towards the GIA
and voids above stairs. The Gross Internal Area should be
and bedroom floor area requirements, but
measured and denoted in square meters (m2).
should not reduce the effective width of the
room below the minimum widths set out 2. The internal face of a perimeter wall is the finished surface
above. The built-in area in excess of 0.72m2 of the wall. For a detached house, the perimeter walls are
in a double bedroom and 0.36m2 in a single the external walls that enclose the dwelling, and for other
bedroom counts towards the built-in storage houses or apartments they are the external walls and
requirement. party walls.
i. the minimum floor to ceiling height is 2.3m 3. Where a one person flat has a shower room rather than
for at least 75% of the GIA. a bathroom, the floor area may be reduced from 39m2 to
37m2.

132
 Appendices
3.1.2 Aim to adopt the nationally described space 3.2.5 A second WC and basin are required in homes
standard for all new homes (except wheelchair for 5 or more people.
dwellings which will need higher space
standards). 3.2.6 A shower should be installed over the bath and
a second bathroom or shower room provided in
3.1.3 Provide at least the combined floor area of a home for 7 or more people. This may be the
living, dining and kitchen space set out below entrance level WC in a house, provided that the
and aim to ensure that the living space equates shower is installed from the start. Where the
to approximately 55% of the total L/K/D (living, shower is a floor gulley the floor should be laid
kitchen, dining (space)) floor area: to falls and the room designed as a wetroom
from the outset.
2p 3p 4p 5p 6p
22m 2
24m 2
26m 2
28m 2
30m2
3.2.7 Bathrooms should have natural light and
ventilation where possible but windows should
not be placed above the bath unless this is the
3.1.4 The main living space should be at least 2.8m
only practical option.
wide in homes for up to four people and at least
3.2m wide in larger family homes. 3.2.8 Provide straight stairs where possible.

3.2.9 Provide at least two separate storage

3.2 Internal layout cupboards in every home, preferably accessible
from a circulation area. Aim to provide some
3.2.1 Fully furnished plans of each dwelling type built-in storage on every floor but ensure
should be provided at a scale of at least 1:100 that not more that 50% of the total storage is
(preferably 1:50) prior to planning. Each plan within bedrooms. A linen cupboard with slatted
should show the furniture in Appendix C and shelves is desirable in all homes and essential
include the information listed in the box below in larger family homes. Bathroom storage is
to demonstrate the spatial and accessibility also useful.
requirements that it is designed to meet.
Kitchens should be designed in accordance with 3.2.10 Provide low energy light fittings (preferably
LED) and at least three double power sockets
Appendix D.
in every habitable room and at least four in the
3.2.2 The private entrance to a family home should working area of the kitchen.
open into a circulation space, not into a
habitable room. 3.2.11 Aim to ensure that all windows can be
safely cleaned from inside, in line with the
3.2.3 A living room and separate kitchen/dining room requirements of Part K for non-residential
is the preferred arrangement for all family buildings.
homes for affordable rent. It is particularly
important in larger family homes for 5 or more
people. Aim to ensure that all homes with 3 or
more bedrooms have the potential to provide
two living spaces and that some 2 bedroom
homes achieve this.
3.2.4 In fully open plan living areas the kitchen
should occupy a discreet part of the room –
preferably an alcove with natural light. Aim to
locate the washing machine located outside this
living space, preferably in a dedicated utility
room.

133
3.3 Accessibility (Category 1, 2
and 3 dwellings)
Category 1 dwellings:
3.3.1 Meet the requirements of AD M Section 1B
Private entrances and spaces within the dwelling,
(Part M, regulation M4(1) Visitable dwellings).
3.3.2 Aim to increase the WC/cloakroom to at least
1100mm wide and 1800mm long.
3.3.3 Ensure that stairs are at least 850mm wide and
provide a power socket at the foot or head of the
stairs to facilitate the fitting of a stairlift.
3.3.4 Include as many other Category 2 requirements
as possible particularly where the space
standard applies. Wider doors, nibs and the
accessible bathroom are all easily incorporated
and benefit everyone. (The level access shower
is more difficult to justify in homes without
step-free access).
Category 2 dwellings (where required under
local planning policy):
3.3.5 Where required by the LPA, meet the
requirements of AD M Section 2B Private
entrances and spaces within the dwelling, (Part
M, optional requirement M4(2) Accessible and
adaptable dwellings).
3.3.6 Provide straight stair flights where possible
and install a power socket at the foot or head of
the stairs to facilitate the fitting of a stairlift.
3.3.7 Form a soft pocket in the first floor to
accommodate a future through-floor lift in
homes designed for older people.
Category 3 dwellings (where required under
local planning policy:
3.3.8 Where required by the LPA, meet the
requirements of AD M Section 3B Private
entrances and spaces within, and connected to the
dwelling (Part M, optional requirement M4(3)
Wheelchair user dwellings).
134
3.3.9 Provide straight stair flights where possible
(M4(3) requires a power socket)
3.3.10 In homes for 5 people and above, provide
the required bath and shower in separate
bathrooms where possible.
3.3.11 Provide an accessible parking space close to
all wheelchair homes and, where practical,
a covered carport linked to the entrance of
‘wheelchair accessible’ dwellings.
3.3.12 Install sprinkler protection where possible,
particularly to ‘wheelchair accessible’
dwellings.
3.4 Security
3.4.1 Meet the security requirements of Part Q,
regulation Q1 Unauthorised Access.
3.4.2 Consult with the local Designing Out Crime
Officer (DOCO) who will usually carry out a
crime risk analysis.
3.4.3 Meet the requirements of Secured By Design:
New Homes 2014 and achieve certification for
Section 2: Security of Dwellings and Section
3: Ancillary Security Requirements, where
considered appropriate.
3.5 Thermal comfort
3.5.1 Meet the energy efficiency requirements of Part
L1A 2013.
3.5.2 Take a fabric first approach on new
developments.
3.5.3 When selecting heating systems consider
future proofing them in terms of fuel choice
and system selection, while bearing in mind
maintenance, ease of use for residents and the
cost of energy bills.
3.5.4 Ensure adequate space for heating and
domestic hot water systems together with their
associated service runs and distribution.

3.5.5 With reference to Appendix F, consider the
type and size of the development, its heat
loads, and the management, maintenance and
service charge implications before committing
to providing an on-site heat network. Where
heat networks are considered use the CIBSE/
ADE Heat Networks: Code of Practice for the UK
to ERs.
3.5.6 With reference to Appendix F, determine the
most suitable low or zero carbon technology for
the development, taking account of its location,
size, housing typology and resident profile, and
considering management, maintenance and
service charge implications.
3.5.7 Aim to exceed the parameters shown in AD L1A
Table 4. Refer to AD L1A 2013 for the full set
of requirements, and Appendix F for further
information.
3.6 Water efficiency
3.6.1 Meet the baseline requirement of Part G
(125l/p/d) as a minimum.
3.6.2 Where required by the LPA, meet the optional
requirement of Part G (110 l/p/d) with reference
to the good practice example on page 93.
3.6.3 Aim to meet the higher standard of 110 l/p/d in
all developments.
3.6.4 Ensure that the specification of any rainwater
and greywater harvesting system takes account
of the needs of the end user and maintenance
implications.
3.6.5 Avoid combining green roofs with rainwater
harvesting as this can result in discoloured
water that is off-putting to residents.
Appendices
3.7 Soundproofing
3.7.1 Meet the requirements for airborne and impact
sound insulation values of AD E as a minimum.
3.7.2 Aim to achieve airborne sound insulation values
that are at least 5dB better than (above) AD E,
and impact sound insulation values that are at
least 5dB better (lower).
3.7.3 Ensure that separating walls between flats
and corridors/stairwells/lifts/bin stores/bike
stores receive additional sound insulation in
line with 3.7.2.
3.7.4 Avoid installing fixed windows except in
exceptional circumstances.
3.7.5 Where installed, ensure that mechanical
ventilation is carefully specified and located to
minimise noise nuisance and lessen the risk of
occupants turning it off.
3.8 Privacy from overlooking
3.8.1 Avoid placing bedrooms and bathrooms at
ground level on street-facing facades, or where
they face directly onto a busy courtyard or
podium.
3.8.2 Avoid large, full height windows to bedrooms
and living spaces where there is a risk of
overlooking unless protected by deep gardens
or fitted with privacy screens or shutters.
Consider the use of obscure glazing for lower
window panes and balcony balustrades (where
glass is specified).
3.8.3 Where distances are tight, reduce direct
overlooking by offsetting facing windows
and balconies and consider the use of bay, or
angled, windows.
3.8.4 Provide curtains or blinds to habitable rooms or
ensure that they could be easily hung or fitted
by residents.
135
 3.9 Aspect and orientation
3.9.1 Larger family homes and north-facing
dwellings should be dual aspect, and all other
homes where possible.27
3.9.2 Where possible, orientate dwellings so that
the main elevation is south facing to provide a
controllable, sunny facade.
3.9.3 Where dwellings face south and west and have
large areas of glazing, include external shading
devices.
3.9.4 Aim to orientate roofs towards south where
solar panels are to be fitted.
3.9.5 Consider the impact of external noise and
pollution when deciding on the orientation of
homes and outdoor spaces.
3.10 Daylight and sunlight
3.10.1 All habitable rooms should receive good levels
of daylight, especially the main living space
which should also receive direct sunlight for
part of the day.
3.10.2 Bathrooms and circulation areas should receive
daylight where possible.
3.10.3 The size and location of windows should take
account of the considerations in the table on the
next page and the guidance in subsections 3.9,
3.11 and 3.12 together with Appendix G.
3.10.4 Aim to ensure that at least 50% of the area of
a private outdoor space receives at least two
hours of sunlight in the shoulder seasons as
defined by the BRE Guide to Site Layout Planning
for Daylight and Sunlight.
27 Based on GLA standard
28 Source: PassivHaus
136
3.11 Ventilation and air quality
3.11.1 Meet the ventilation requirements set out in
Part F as a minimum.
3.11.2 Avoid the need for mechanical cooling by
providing dual aspect dwellings (flats and
houses) that achieve effective, natural cross
ventilation.
3.11.3 Provide a variety of window opening options to
allow controlled ventilation through smaller
openings and purge ventilation through larger
openings (or doors). (AD F stipulates that a
window that opens through less than 15˚ is not
suitable for purge ventilation).
3.11.4 Air intakes for buildings next to busy urban
roads should be as high as possible and away
from the direct source to minimise the intake
of pollutants. (AD F requires air intakes to be
on the less polluted side of the building where
possible).
3.11.5 Where trickle vents are provided for
background ventilation, their purpose should be
explained to residents in home user guides so
as they are not closed, or taped shut, to prevent
draughts.
3.11.6 Where MVHR is to be installed, ensure the
dwelling airtightness will be ‹3m3/h.m2 @50Pa,
specify heat recovery bypass for summer and
ensure that fan noise is no more than 25 dB(A)
in the living space and bedrooms, and 35 dB(A)
in the room containing the MVHR fan unit28.

3.12 Overheating
3.12.1 Carry out overheating analysis, prior to
planning submission, on a range of dwellings
with larger south and west-facing openings
unless these are adequately shaded. The
analysis should be in line with CIBSE Guide A
(2015) and CIBSE TM52 (2013).
3.12.2 Consider the specification of windows for
control of solar gain and heat loss.
3.12.3 Where necessary, use movable, external
shading to reduce solar gains on south and
west-facing facades.
3.12.4 Increase levels of exposed thermal mass
inside the dwelling to regulate peak internal
temperatures and combine this with measures
that allow residents to achieve night-time
ventilation. Consider tiled or thin sheet floor
finishes, rather than carpet or other soft
finishes, and exposed concrete soffits to
maximise the benefits of thermal mass.
3.12.5 In urban areas avoid darker coloured external
materials where possible.
3.12.6 Use deciduous trees and other planting to
provide shade.
3.13 Private outdoor space and
external storage
3.13.1 Where required by the LPA, meet the
requirements of AD M Section 3B Private
entrances and spaces within, and connected to the
dwelling (Part M, optional requirement M4(3)
Wheelchair user dwellings).
3.13.2 Provide a private open space for every dwelling
at least 1.5m deep and 5m2 for a 1 bed dwelling,
rising by 1m2 for each additional person. The
space may be a front or rear garden, balcony,
winter garden or roof terrace.
Appendices
3.13.3 Front gardens should aim to provide the
following:
• a robust boundary treatment that defines
the junction between the public and private
realm, and is appropriate to the character of
the building and the street
• an overall depth of at least 1500mm
(deeper where bikes and bins are to be
accommodated) with an additional planting
zone at least 600mm deep
• storage for cycles and bins (unless provided
in rear gardens) designed and located to
avoid obstructing ground floor windows and
doors, and be as unobtrusive as possible
(as required by Part H of the Building
Regulations)
• discreet integration of gas and electricity
meters.
3.13.4 Rear gardens should aim to provide the
following:
• level access from a kitchen/dining room,
living space or circulation (kitchen/diner
is usually the preferred arrangement for
families especially where there is a lawn).
• paved patio area (equivalent to the minimum
spatial requirements of standard 3.13.2) and
with lighting and a power socket
• socket for a rotary clothes line (accessible
from the patio)
• turfed lawn and planting beds (where
appropriate)
• secure boundaries (typically 1800mm high,
robust, timber fencing between adjoining
gardens or 1800-2100mm high brick walls
where adjoining the public realm)
• watering point (preferably a water butt)
• concrete slab suitable for a shed or storage
pod and where possible, the shed or storage
pod itself
• secure gated access to the pavement where
the garden adjoins the street
• no alleys between rear gardens.
137
3.13.5 Balconies, winter gardens and roof terraces
should aim to provide the following:
• level access from the living space or
kitchen/dining room (and a bedroom where
appropriate but not solely from a bedroom)
• enough space for all household members to
sit together around a small table
• solid, drained floors
• lighting and a power socket
• screening and/or shading for privacy or
shade where appropriate.
3.14 Accommodating diversity
3.14.1 Understand the local demographic and aim to
meet cultural needs as far as possible while
maintaining flexibility over the long term.
Consider the need for:
• additional bathrooms or washing facilities
• separate living spaces
• large kitchens with space for eating or
separate food preparation areas
• larger balconies.
3.14.2 Consider the need for dwellings that meet the
needs of older people and aim to include the
HAPPI design principles.
3.14.3 Consider the need for multi-generational
homes and homes which could be easily
modified to provide self-contained ‘bedsit’ type
accommodation for a relative, carer or lodger
to live semi-independently.
138
3.15 Aftercare and home
user guides
3.15.1 Provide a thorough one-to-one handover with
the residents of every home with a follow-up
after one to two months. Cover the operation
of the systems and features within the building
and arrange it for a time when the residents are
not preoccupied with the process of moving in.
3.15.2 Provide a home user guide covering the
detailed operation of the systems and features
within the building. Include the items in the
table to the right and ensure that the equipment
and controls described and/or pictured in
the guide match those installed to prevent
confusion or misunderstanding.
3.15.3 Ensure that handovers and home user guides
are also provided to all future residents with
versions available in different languages.
3.15.4 Keep spare copies of home user guides and
ensure that housing management staff are
trained to explain the system to residents,
answer queries and able to provide extra help
to vulnerable residents where necessary.
3.15.5 Refer to BSRIA’s free guide to Soft Landings
for details of what to do at each stage of the
design and build process. The earlier the Soft
Landings procedures can be taken on board the
better the final outcome in terms of operational
efficiency and occupant satisfaction.

Appendix B: Typical tenure variations
Most developments are now mixed tenure and
the principles of tenure-blind design – the ability
for homes to be occupied under different tenures
over time – and mitigating service charges
are among the handbook’s most important
recommendations. Nonetheless, it is important
to acknowledge that needs and expectations
may vary across sectors and that cross subsidy
from private sale and/or rental homes is an
increasingly important revenue source for
affordable housing providers.
A balance therefore has to be struck. This
checklist highlights some areas where it may
be sensible to adopt a different approach for
other tenures, while avoiding very obvious
qualitative distinctions, particularly externally.
In practice, the majority of tenure differences
are related to internal specification. These are
outside the scope of the handbook but are not
unduly challenging to the principle of tenure
blind design.
For simplicity, the measures suggested here do
not differentiate between private sale, private
rent (PRS) or shared ownership (SO), though as a
general rule, durability and maintenance in flats
and communal areas will be a higher concern
for PRS than for outright sale. Clients may wish
to differentiate between these tenures and may
also choose to add or remove items on a site-
specific basis.
Appendices
The checklist below follows the structure of Part
II and numbers relate to the standards:
1.0 Placemaking and the public realm
(1.6.11) Car ownership may be higher among
homeowners and different parking solutions may
be appropriate.
(1.8.5) Child density may be lower in private and
shared ownership homes (particularly private
rent) so it may be appropriate to dedicate less
space to play.
2.0 Communal spaces
(2.1.9) The size and design of entrance lobbies
and circulation areas generally may vary, but
within a development, the entrances should be
given equal prominence and be indistinguishable
by tenure.
(2.2.6) The number of dwellings per core could
be safely increased, though this may limit future
flexibility unless the design allows for secondary
security measures to be incorporated later.
(2.3.3) The design and specification of communal
courtyards could be more ambitious where
maintenance costs and service charges are less
of an issue, noting that it is usually relatively easy
to modify/simplify external spaces at a later date.
(2.3.4) Play space may be less important.
139
(2.4.2) Underground parking may be the best (3.3.8) For tenures other than affordable rent,
solution for private rent and sale but would limit the ‘wheelchair adaptable’ requirements of
the potential to change tenure. regulation M4(3) (rather than the ‘wheelchair
accessible’ requirements) should be met.
(2.5.5) Fewer but larger cycle stores may be
acceptable but will also cut down future flexibility. (3.3.10) This standard is only relevant to
affordable housing. All ‘wheelchair adaptable’
(2.7.1) A broad range of dwelling types is likely to
dwellings need only provide a bath or shower,
be more future-proof than a high concentration of
not both.
a single typology.
(3.8.4) Curtains are not usually provided.
3.0 The home
(3.2.3) Open plan living (combined kitchen/dining/
living) is usually the preferred arrangement in
flats for private sale, PRS and SO (though less so
in houses). Kitchens will usually be fully fitted,
often with integrated appliances, cooker hoods
and pelmet lighting. In homes with three or more
bedrooms, layouts that have the potential to
provide two ‘living spaces’ (ideally a living space
and a kitchen/dining room) are highly preferable
in terms of future flexibility.
(3.2.6) Ensuites are usually expected in flats with
two or more bedrooms, and often in houses with
three or more bedrooms. While they are not ideal
in affordable housing, a second bath or shower
room is always helpful in a family home and the
space could be converted to storage if preferred.
(3.2.9) The master bedroom is usually expected to
have a built-in wardrobe.
(3.2.10) Lighting design and specification is likely
to vary.

140
 Appendices
Appendix C: Furniture schedule
Type of Number of items required (by bedspace)
Furniture required in each room
space 1p 2p 3p 4p 5p 6p 7p +
Living armchair (or 'sofa seat' in addition to sofa
850 x 850 2 2 3 1 2 3 4 +1
space where required below)
settee – 2 seat (optional, as above) 850 x 1300 (item optional)
settee – 3 seat (optional, as above) 850 x 1850 1 1 1 1 1
TV 220 x 650 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
coffee table 500 x 1050 (or 750 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
diameter)
occasional table 450 x 450 1 1 1 1
storage units 500 x length shown 1000 1000 1000 1500 2000 2000 2000 +
Dining dining chair 450 x 450 2 2 3 4 5 6 7 +
space dining table 800 x length shown 800 800 1000 1200 1350 1500 1650 +
Double double bed in principal bedroom 2000 x 1500 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
bedroom double bed in other double bedroom 1350 x 1900 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
bedside table 400 x 400 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
desk and chair 500 x 1050 (+ chair) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
chest of drawers 450 x 750 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
double wardrobe 600 x 1200 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Twin single bed 1900 x 900 2 2 2 2 2
bedroom bedside table 400 x 400 2 2 2 2 2
chest of drawers 450 x 750 1 1 1 1 1
desk and chair 500 x 1050 (+ chair) 1 1 1 1 1
double wardrobe 600 x 1200 1 1 1 1 1
Single single bed 1900 x 900 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
bedroom bedside table 400 x 400 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
chest of drawers 450 x 750 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
desk and chair 500 x 1050 (+ chair) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
single wardrobe 600 x 600 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Kitchen length in mm
(1) sink top with drainer 600 x 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000
1000 1000 1000
(2) cooker (or oven + hob) space 600 x 600 600 600 600 600
600 600 600 600
(3) washing machine position/worktop 600 x 630 630 630 630 630
630 630 630 630
(4) other base units 600 x length shown 600 1200 1600 1600 1600
2700 2700 +
(4a) dishwasher/worktop (included in 4) 600 x length chosen (item optional)
(5) ancillary equipment space 600 x length shown 600 600 1200 1200
(6) fridge/freezer space 600 x 600 600 600 600 600
600 600 600 600
(7) recycling bins space 600 x length shown 300 300 300 300
600 600 600 600
(8) total length of fitments (items 1 to 7) 3730 4330 4730 4730 5630
6730 7330 +
(9) wall cupboards 300 x maximum available length
Note: Item 3,5,7 may be in other rooms or spaces but should be close to the kitchen
Bathroom WC + cistern 500 x 700 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
bath 700 x 1700 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
hand wash basin 450 x 600 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
shower tray 750 x 750 (item optional)
WC/ WC + cistern 500 x 700 (where required)
cloakroom hand rinse basin 250 x 350 (where required)

Note: This schedule and the drawn schedules on the following pages are based
on work done by MAE architects and is included with their permission.

141
 Living space furniture

850 1300 1850 1050 750 650

220
or

500
850

armchair 2 seater sofa 3 seater sofa coffee table space for TV

Length varies (refer

to furniture schedule) 100
450 450
450

450
500

storage unit visitors chair occasional heat source

table

Bedroom space furniture

1500 1350 900

2000

1900

1900

double bed for double bed for other standard single bed
principal bedroom double bedroom
100

1200 600 750 1050 400

400
450

500
600

600

double wardrobe single wardrobe chest of drawers dressing table bedside heat source
and chair/stool table

142
 Appendices
Kitchen furniture
600 1000 600 630 600 300
Key to items:
AE Ancillary equipment
1p FF WM BU RB total length 3730 BU Base unit
600

DW Dishwasher – optional
FF Fridge freezer
600 1000 600 630 1200 300
RB Recycle bins
450
WM Washing machine
2p FF WM DW BU RB total length 4330
600

600 1000 600 630 1600 300

600
3p FF WM DW BU RB total length 4730
600

600 1000 600 630 1600 300

600
4p FF WM DW total length 4730
600

BU RB

600 1000 600 630 1600 600 600

600
5p FF WM DW BU AE RB total length 5630
600

600 1000 600 630 2700 600 600

600
6p FF WM DW BU AE RB total length 6730
600

600 1000 600 630 2700 600 600 600

600
7p FF WM DW BU AE AE RB total length 7330
600

Dining space furniture 800

800
800
800
1350
1200
1000
800

table 1p-2p table 3p table 4p table 5p

800
800

450
1650
1500

450

table 6p table 7p dining chair

143
Appendix D: Kitchen design: good practice principles
Kitchens are one of the most important spaces Good practice example of a typical family
in any home but are often not given the attention kitchen/dining room layout for 5 people
they warrant. It is important that kitchen layouts 3500
are tested at the design stage through fully
furnished plans. The drawing below shows a
practical 5 person kitchen layout that observes
the following good practice principles:
i i
n C or L shaped arrangements work better than c d e c
straight runs
b f
n provide at least 1.5 sink bowls in a family
kitchen
a
g
n locate the recycling bins under or close to the

4500
sink unit
h
n keep the sink and hob away from corners and
ensure both have at least 400mm worktop
each side
n locate tall items (fridge/freezer and tall access from
cupboards) at the end of a run circulation

n try to keep plumbed appliances (sink,

dishwasher and washing machine) close
together
n allow at least 300mm each side of a corner to potential to connect to living space desirable

allow for corner carousels to make efficient

key
use of corner cupboards
a. washing machine
n provide plenty of wall cupboards b. dishwasher
c. corner unit
n provide an extractor above the hob d. sink unit (1.5 bowls)
e. recycling
f. hob and oven (extractor over)
g. storage unit
h. fridge/freezer (free standing)
i. wall cupboards

1500mm turning circle desirable

144
 Appendices
Appendix E: Accessibility: examples of compliant layouts at
Category 2 and 3
2 storey 3b5p house designed to meet
Category 2 of AD M Volume 1: dwellings
(and meet the Nationally Described Space
Standard)

Summary of requirements for the ground

floor of this dwelling type
1. Approach route
n step-free access to private front
entrance (max. ramp 1:12)
n 900mm wide
n gate 850mm clear with 300mm nib to
leading edge
2. Landing outside main private entrance
n level (max. gradient 1:60)
n 1200 x 1200mm
n motion-activated lighting
n 900mm wide, 600mm deep cover/canopy
3. Main private entrance
n accessible threshold
n 850mm clear door opening
n 300mm nib to leading edge 200mm max.
reveal depth on leading side

145
4. Hall 9. WC/cloakroom
n 900mm wide n located at entrance level
n localised narrowing to 750mm permitted n 1450 x 1800mm
5. Internal doors n basin 200mm back from front of WC
n provision for future level access shower
n 300mm nib to leading edge of doors at n strengthened walls (for grabrails)
entrance level n outward opening door
6. Internal door and hall widths 10. Stairs
Doorway (min. clear Corridor or hall (min. clear n 850mm wide (measured 450mm above
opening mm) width mm) pitch line and ignoring newel post)
750* 900 (head-on approach)
11. Door to garden
750* 1200 (not head-on approach)
775* 1050 (not head-on approach) n as main private entrance door
800 900 (not head-on approach)
12. Switches, sockets and controls
Note: *900mm doorset will meet the requirement
n 450-1200mm above FFL
7. Living room n 300mm from an inside corner
n other window handles 450-1400mm
n living room located at entrance level
n glazing to principal window to start at
above FFL (except window to living
or below 850mm above finished floor room).
level (FFL)
n one window handle 450-1200mm
above FFL
8. Kitchen
n 1200mm clear space in front of
kitchen units

146
 Appendices
Summary of requirements for the first floor
of this dwelling type
13. Landing
n 900mm wide
n localised narrowing to 750mm permitted
n door and hall widths as entrance level
but no nibs required
14. Principal bedroom
n 750mm to both sides and foot of bed
n 750mm clear route to window
n bed shown as 1500 x 2000mm

15. Twin (or second double) bedroom

n 750mm clear to one side of each bed
n 750mm clear route to the window
n single bed shown as 900 x 1900mm and
double 1350 x 1900mm
16. Single bedroom
n 750mm clear to one side of each bed
n 750mm clear route to window

17. Bathroom
n located on same floor as principal
bedroom
n access to bath, WC and basin
n bathroom typically 2150 x 2000mm
(2150 x 2150mm gives more flexibility)
18. Switches, sockets and controls
n 450-1200mm above FFL
n 300mm from an inside corner
n window handles 450-1400mm above FFL
Notes:
1. All dimensions in the summary above are minimum requirements except where noted
2. The plans shown here exceed minimum compliance in some respects
3. The notes above are a synopsis of key points and do not represent a complete list of requirements

147
2b3p ‘wheelchair accessible’ ground floor flat (or bungalow) designed to meet Category 3 of
AD M Volume 1: dwellings

148

Summary of requirements for this
dwelling type
1. Approach route
n step-free access to private front
entrance (maximum ramp 1:15)
n 1200mm wide
2. Landing outside main private entrance
n level (max 1:60 fall)
n 1500 x 1500mm
n motion-activated lighting
n 1200 x 1200mm cover/canopy
3. Main private entrance
n accessible threshold
n 850mm clear door opening
n 300mm nib to leading edge (maintained
for 1800mm beyond door)
n 200mm max. reveal depth on
leading side
n 200mm nib to following edge
n 150mm nib on hinge side (to allow for
letter box with cage)
n 1500mm turning circle (or 1400 x
1700mm ellipse) inside entrance
4. Wheelchair transfer/storage space
n 1100mm deep and 1700mm wide
n 1200mm deep access space alongside
n power socket for charging
Appendices
5. Internal doors
n 850mm clear door opening
n 300mm nib to leading edge
n 200mm nib to following edge
n 800mm nib or 1500mm turning circle
outside outward opening door in a
corner situation
6. Hall
n 1050mm wide or 1200mm where the
approach to a door not head-on
n localised narrowing by 150mm permitted
7. Principal living room
n located at entrance level
n glazing to principal window to start at or
below 850mm above FFL
n one window handle 700-1000mm
above FFL
8. Kitchen
n located at entrance level
n principal eating area within (or
connected to) the kitchen
n 1500mm clear space in front of kitchen
units and appliances
n overall length of worktop 6530mm
n sink and hob in height adjustable or
easily lowered section of worktop
(2200mm long)
9. Built-in general storage
n 2.0m2
149
10. Principal bedroom 13. Switches, sockets and controls
n 13.5m2 and 3.0m wide n 700-1000mm above FFL
n bed shown as 1500 x 2000mm n 700mm from an inside corner
n 1200 x 1200mm manoeuvring space n other window handles 450-1200mm
inside door and to both sides of bed above FFL (except to principal
n 1000mm clear to both sides and the foot living room)
of bed and in front of all furniture
14. Door to garden
n 750mm clear route to window
n strengthened ceiling for n accessible threshold
overhead hoisting n 850mm clear door opening
n 300mm nib to leading edge (maintained
11. Single bedroom
for 1800mm beyond door)
n 8.5m2 and 2.4m wide n 200mm max. reveal depth on
n bed shown as 900 x 1900mm leading side
n 1200 x 1200mm manoeuvring space n 200mm nib to following edge
inside the door
15. Private outdoor space
n 1000mm clear to one side of bed and in
front of all furniture n 1500 wide
n 750mm clear route to the window n 1500mm turning circle (or 1400 x
1700mm ellipse)
12. Bathroom
n step free access to any external stores
n located on same floor as principal (including bike and bin stores)
bedroom
n full wheelchair access to WC, basin and
1200 x 1200mm shower
n space for bath if preferred
n outward opening door
n strengthened ceiling for overhead
hoisting

Notes:
1. All dimensions in the summary above are minimum requirements except where noted
2. The plan shown here exceeds minimum compliance in some respects
3. The notes above are a synopsis of key points and do not represent a complete list of requirements

150

Appendix F: Energy: further detail on a good
practice approach
Appendix F builds on the guidance given
in subsection 3.5 and draws together the
environmental cross connections that are so
important in a holistic approach.
Building fabric
Fabric efficiency should always be regarded as
the first, and most important, step in reducing
energy consumption and creating sustainable
homes. Without it, the installed mechanical
systems, such as heating and mechanical
ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) will operate
less effectively. An energy-efficient envelope
also reduces heat loss in winter and heat gains
in summer – an essential part of protecting
vulnerable residents from extreme indoor
temperatures and fuel poverty.
However, higher fabric efficiency and airtightness
have led to some unintended consequences – due
largely to a failure to consider the environmental
cross connections sufficiently. The important
principles can be summarised as follows:
n Ensuring that orientation of the home
isn’t exacerbating excess heat gain or
loss (see also subsections 3.9 Aspect and
orientation, 3.11 Ventilation and air quality and
3.12 Overheating)
Appendices
n Balancing the size and thermal performance
of windows for improved daylight and
sunlight without excess heat gain or loss
(see also subsections 3.10 Daylight and
Sunlight, 3.11 Ventilation and air quality, 3.12
Overheating and Appendix G)
n Ensuring that the amount of ventilation
available both in background mode and in
full purge mode is adequate for the designed
and built airtightness (see also subsection
3.11 Ventilation and air quality and 3.12
Overheating)
n Ensuring that heating systems are
appropriately chosen and sized for the
amount of insulation/level of airtightness,
with easy to use controls (see also subsection
3.15 Aftercare and home user guides)
n Understanding how improved thermal
insulation can assist with reduced noise
transmission (see also subsection 3.7
Soundproofing)
While specifying good practice levels of
insulation to significantly reduce heating loads
and residents’ energy bills is a sound approach,
one of the more serious consequences is that
dwellings can overheat. This means that homes
can unintentionally become uncomfortably
warm during summer and even outside of
the typical summer months (discussed in
151
more detail in subsection 3.12). It is therefore
important to ensure that where dwellings are
insulated to meet or exceed ADL1A 2013 they are
carefully orientated, adequately ventilated and
appropriately glazed and/or shaded.
Other considerations for improved building
fabric include:
n Orientating dwellings to make use of solar
gains for warmth, but with shading options for
times of excess gains.
n Maximising natural ventilation though dual
aspect dwellings with multiple openings.
n Improving thermal mass by exposing
internal concrete soffits and using tiled floor
finishes, accompanied by effective night-time
ventilation.
n Allowing for thicker wall build-ups when
determining building footprints to ensure that
this does not eat into internal space.
n Increasing the depth allowed for the insulated
cavity in a traditional double skin wall and
anticipating the need for longer wall ties,
larger cavity trays and increased load lengths
on brickwork support angles.
n Investigating the potential for Modern
Methods of Construction (MMC) such as
cross laminated timber (CLT) or structurally
insulated panel systems (SIPS) as a means of
generating thinner overall build-ups with the
same insulating properties.
n Considering the impact of thicker roof build-
ups on the assumed height of the building,
152
including the increased thickness of external
terraces located above internal spaces and the
knock-on implications for level access.
n Controlling the heat loss in flats by insulating
the party walls and floors between dwellings
and corridors.
District heat networks and
communal heating
District heat networks (DHN) consist of a central
plant location with a network of pipes supplying
heat to a number of buildings sometimes city-
wide. Communal heat networks work in the same
way but supply heat to only one building. The
centralised plant contains boilers and sometimes
a combined heat and power plant (CHP), and is
most likely to be powered by gas in the UK. The
primary aim is to efficiently produce heat in a
central location and pipe it to where it is needed,
thereby mitigating the need for individual heating
systems.
Most only supply heat to residents. The power
is usually used for landlords’ services (with the
ability to export any surplus to the grid) because
complex rules apply to the supply of electricity
to individual homes (private wire). Some of the
more advanced networks also provide cooling to
commercial units.
District and communal heating is often
encouraged in dense urban areas, such as
London, Nottingham and Manchester, where
existing district networks are available for
developments to tap into, or there is high heat
demand which encourages new sources of supply.

When proposing development scale heat
networks that are potentially served by a CHP it is
useful to ask the following questions:
n What is the size and density of the
development? Ideally where CHP engines are
to be installed, the development would have
500 or more dwellings in close proximity to
reduce the length of pipe runs. CHP engines
are therefore best suited to large scale, dense
developments. DHN or communal heating
served by boilers can be provided at any scale
but work best at higher densities.
n Does the development have a high hot water
load? A CHP is typically sized on the domestic
hot water demand of the development because
this is a constant load all year round. Heating
is seasonal and therefore best dealt with
by additional back-up gas boilers that sit
alongside the CHP. If the development has less
than 500 dwellings, it may be better served by
gas boilers.
n Where will the electricity generated by the
CHP go? For legal reasons developments
do not normally private wire the electricity
generated by the CHP to each resident
because it does not give them the freedom
to choose who supplies their electricity. The
excess electricity must therefore either be
used in the landlords’ supply, exported to the
grid (for which the owner of the CHP receives
little or no money), or a deal struck with
neighbouring commercial premises with an
interest in purchasing the electricity.
Appendices
n Where the plant room/energy centre will be
sited? Communal boilers and CHP engines
often require a large plant room that is easily
accessible (ideally at street level) and located
in a position that allows the flue to run up
above the tallest part of the development.
n Have enough heat meters been specified
along the network? The more heat meters
sited along the network the greater the chance
the maintenance teams have of spotting
any faults or efficiency issues. A heat meter
should be provided to each dwelling to allow
for individual billing, as well as one at the
boundary of the energy centre to record plant
room output.
n Has additional space been provided in each
flat for equipment? Heat interface units
(HIUs) transfer the heat from the water in the
network to a separate heat loop inside each
dwelling. Sometimes a hot water cylinder
is included in the dwelling too. Adequate
space needs to be provided for the equipment
specified. Consider access arrangements
for maintenance and determine whether it
is possible to design service cupboards that
allow the equipment to be accessed via a door
in communal corridors.
n Is the system easy to maintain? Provide
access hatches and panels for key valves
and equipment, so they can be checked and
maintained easily.
153
n Has the overheating risk in communal
spaces been considered? Where the heat
network runs through the building, it often
runs through communal corridors in order
to distribute the heat to every flat. Unless
pipework is adequately insulated, the network
is planned efficiently and corridors are suitably
ventilated, excess heat can build up over time
causing corridors to overheat.
n Who is likely to run and maintain the systems
and manage the energy bills? For smaller
sized developments it may be difficult to find
an Energy Service Company (ESCo) to manage
the heat network. Clients may therefore be
in a position where they retain responsibility
for the heat network and must maintain the
system themselves, taking on the debt risk
of residents too. Billing companies can be
brought in but often they act as middlemen
between the resident and the owner of the
plant, with very little responsibility on their
part. Consider pre-payment meters to allow
residents to pay-as-they-go.
n Are Employer’s Requirements being used
to their best advantage? Where communal
or district heat networks are considered
it is extremely important that Employer’s
Requirements reference the CIBSE/ADE Heat
Networks: Code of Practice for the UK as a
minimum. This guide covers responsibilities
for the developer, designers, constructor,
operator and customer and sets out industry
standards. Common issues including oversized
components, inadequate commissioning,
insufficient heat metering across the
154
network, systems running inefficiently,
heavy maintenance and overestimated hot
water demand during design, can all result
in residents’ bills being larger than they
should be. The cost can be more than twice
that of average gas bills – a great concern
for residents and housing providers. This can
be avoided if addressed early in design and
through strong Employer’s Requirements.
When extending an existing heat network it is
often up to the site owner/developer to extend
the pipework, and this can cost around £3,000 or
more, per metre. The owner of the network may
also wish to specify the equipment and pipework
installed within the dwellings in order to ensure
they carry out the maintenance and bill residents.
Low or zero carbon technologies
Low or zero carbon technologies are a useful and
responsible way to supplement the energy supply
to homes. Depending on the technology selected,
renewables can contribute towards heating,
hot water and/or electrical loads either in the
home or as part of landlord supply for communal
areas. The most commonly specified renewable
is photovoltaic roof panels which are simple to fit
(either at the outset or as a retrofit), require little
or no action from residents, are low maintenance
and generate a reasonable pay back – due in part
to the Government’s Feed In Tariff (FIT).
However, there are some downsides to all of the
technologies and the best approach depends on
a number of factors. These include the location,
size and type of home, the availability of other
 Appendices
fuels, the management regime and the needs
of the occupants. The table on the next page
summarises the advantages, disadvantages and
suitability of some of the most common low and
zero carbon technologies for consideration on
developments.
Future technologies that supplement low and
zero carbon technologies, such as fuel cells or
batteries to store electricity generated from
renewables should also be considered.

155
 About Pros
PV panels generate • Ease of installation.
electricity from the • Feed in tariffs available.
sun’s energy. They are • They do not compete
typically installed on with other heat based
Photovoltaics (PV)
roofs facing due south renewables.
at an angle of 30-45˚. • PVs are suitable for both
individual homes or flats
• Simple technology with
few issues following
installation.
• They complement air
and ground source heat
pumps as these require
electricity to run.
Solar thermal panels • An efficient solution
collect heat from the for heating water in an
sun’s rays to provide individual home.
Solar thermal
hot water. • Simple technology with
few issues following
installation provided
that it is properly
commissioned.
Wind turbines • When used in the right
generate electricity location (typically
from wind energy. more exposed rural or
Larger turbines coastal areas) large
are more efficient wind turbines can be
at generating an efficient way of
electricity. Smaller producing electricity in
Wind
turbines generally the UK.
do not perform well
especially in urban
locations.
156
Cons Suitability
• The availability of roof space to • Any project with
mount enough PV panels. electricity demand
• Can have a visual impact and suitable roof
depending on location. space with no visual
• Additional structural load to restrictions.
the roof.
• Depending on the panel type any
amount of over shading (even a
fallen leaf) can turn the whole
panel off reducing electricity
generated.
• Excess electricity is difficult
to store and is often sent to
the grid.
• Space for pipework and water • Individual homes (as
tank required (typically less opposed to blocks of
practical in flats). flats) where suitable
• Can have a visual impact roof space is available
depending on location. with no visual
• Not suitable for space heating restrictions.
as the panel typically collects
heat in the summer when
heating is not required.
• Significant visual impact and • Large turbines in
gentle ‘whooshing’ sound. rural and coastal
• Generous space requirements locations with no
either on roofs or on the ground. visual constraints and
If more than one turbine is adequate land area.
proposed they should be located
at least 6-10m apart depending
on size.
• Not suitable in high density
urban areas where wind speeds
are typically too slow or gusty.
• Relatively more prone to
breaking down and becoming
out of action.
 Appendices
About Pros Cons Suitability
Air source heat • ASHPs are very similar • ASHP evaporators need to be • Commercial units
pumps transfer heat to VRF or spilt systems located externally to exchange requiring heating
collected from the and so make a good heat with the outside air, and/or cooling where
outside air to the efficient replacement in creating a visual impact. there are no acoustic
inside or vice versa. non-domestic units. • Noise associated with the restrictions.
• In rural areas not units could be an issue to • Rural homes not
ASHPs are an efficient
Air source heat pumps (ASHPs)

connected to gas, ASHPs residents and neighbours served by gas as

way of transferring
can be an efficient and unless adequately attenuated. an alternative to
2-3 times more heat
cost effective solution for Noise may also be a concern if oil boilers or direct
than direct electric
generating heat. operated at night. electric heating.
systems such as
• Capable of providing both • ASHPs would reduce the heat • Houses and flats
electric emersion
heating and cooling. demand from DHNs, lowering if used for low
heaters.
• Split air to water heat the efficiency of the other temperature heating.
pumps can provide an systems. Only the most efficient
efficient electric based • ASHPs are often not as efficient split air to water
solution for residential to run in reality compared to heat pumps should
properties. manufacturer’s claims. be considered in this
• Not suitable for residential units scenario.
if used to generate hot water
as the efficiency of the heat
pumps can drop significantly if
demand is too high – potentially
increasing energy bills.

Ground source heat • In rural areas not • Ground source loops can • Commercial units
pumps work in the connected to gas, with sometimes affect the lifetime of requiring heating and/
same way as ASHPs plenty of land, or in areas foundation piles when in close or cooling where there
but transfer heat to where visual intrusions proximity. are acoustic or visual
and from the ground. are unacceptable GSHPs • Installation of bore holes or restrictions.
Ground source heat pumps (GSHPs)

can form an efficient trench loops will increase • Homes if used for low
GSHPs are an efficient
solution. construction time and temperature heating,
way of transferring
• Capable of providing both capital cost. less efficient at
3-4 times more heat
heating and cooling. • If installed on an unsuitable producing hot water.
than direct electric
• GSHPs are most efficient project (project with high heat
systems such as
when generating heat demand) the ground loops
emersion heaters.
for low temperature can over cool the ground over
GSHPs can be laid heating systems and a period of time reducing the
horizontally in when also supplying efficiency of the heat pump.
trenches or vertically cooling, so as to balance • Not suitable for residential units
in boreholes approx. and recharge the ground if used to generate only hot
100m deep. temperatures. water, the efficiency of the heat
• GSHPs are typically more pumps can drop if the demand
efficient than ASHPs as is too high, this can increase the
the ground temperature residents energy bills.
is more stable generally
and warmer in winter,
than the outside air.

157
 About Pros Cons Suitability
Biomass comes in the • Good for rural locations • Local biomass suppliers are • Homes in rural
form of wood, wood where air quality is not typically available in large locations without a
chip or wood pellets, not a strict issue and city centres therefore pellets gas connection.
with pellets being the where there is no gas would have to be transported
most efficient form connection. from elsewhere in the UK or
of wood fuel. Any • Can run efficiently if left internationally.
of these fuel types to run for long periods • The burning of wood pellets
can be used in wood of time. releases substantially more
burning stoves or • Wood burning stoves NOx emissions than gas boiler
boilers to generate can be an attractive and equivalents. This reduces the air
heat for hot water and practical form of space quality, which is unacceptable
heating. heating when used as a in a number of cities. Catalysts
localised source. can be fitted to flues to reduce
emissions.
Biomass boiler

• Biomass wood pellets need to

be stored in a very dry location.
If wet, the pellets may not burn
and will become stuck in the
boiler or its feed. Access for
delivery of pellets should also
be considered.
• Residents may find it difficult to
move and handle fuel.
• Biomass boilers require more
maintenance than gas boilers
• Biomass boilers do not like to be
started and stopped frequently,
and can cause tar to form
internally.
• Technology is not yet reliable for
large scale communal boilers or
biomass CHP engines.

158

Demonstrating compliance
Part L of the Building Regulations deals with
conservation of fuel and power. Part L1 deals
with domestic energy and is split into two parts.
Approved Document L1A sets requirements
for energy efficiency measures in new homes
and L1B covers the refurbishment of existing
dwellings. For the purpose of this document,
the more onerous requirements of L1A for new
buildings have been addressed.
Although energy regulations have been largely
unaffected by the Housing Standards Review
they have been subject to intense political debate
and numerous changes over the past decade.
Through AD L1A, updates to carbon reduction
targets and fabric energy efficiency have been
made in 2006, 2010 and 2013. AD L1A 2013 is the
current edition.
In order to ‘pass’ the requirements of Part
L1A, homes are assessed using the Standard
Assessment Procedure (SAP), a piece of software
used to calculate energy consumption and CO2
emissions. The main compliance outputs from
SAP are Energy Performance Certificates (EPC)
and the Part L1A checklist. These must be
provided to Building Control to allow issue of the
completion certificate.
Appendices
Homes are assessed against a long list of
criteria. The two most important areas of
compliance are as follows:
1. Reduction in CO2 emissions: through
improvements to the building fabric, systems
specification and inclusion of renewable
technologies. This is demonstrated by
comparing the Target Emission Rate (TER) and
the Dwelling Emission Rate (DER) calculated
in SAP. In order to pass, The DER must be less
than, or equal to, the TER.
2. Fabric energy efficiency improvements:
through better fabric specification, building
orientation and careful thermal detailing.
Compliance is demonstrated by comparing the
Target Fabric Energy Efficiency (TFEE) with
the Dwelling Fabric Energy Efficiency (DFEE)
calculated in SAP. In order to pass, the DFEE
must be less than, or equal to, the TFEE.
Every dwelling is assessed individually through
an individual SAP calculation. In the case of flats,
however, the results can be averaged across the
block as the heat loss and gain is shared between
them to a certain extent.
159
 AD L1A provides a list of individual limiting fabric parameters which must not be exceeded. These are as follows:
Limiting Fabric Parameters (Extract from Table 2 of AD L1A)

Element U-value/airtightness
Roof 0.20 W/(m2.K)
Wall 0.30 W/(m2.K)
Floor 0.25 W/(m2.K)
Party wall 0.20 W/(m2.K)
Swimming pool basin 0.25 W/(m2.K)
Windows, roof lights, curtain walling and pedestrian doors 2.00 W/(m2.K)
Air permeability 10.0 m3/(h.m2) at 50Pa
In practice it is very difficult to comply with the energy targets of the Building Regulations overall using the values
taken from Table 2 because the designed dwellings are compared with the values shown in Table 4 below.
It is therefore much safer to design to meet the fabric parameters of Table 4*.
These are as follows:
Notional Dwelling Specification (Extract from Table 4 taken from ADL1A)

Element U-value/airtightness
Roof 0.13 W/(m2.K)
Wall 0.18 W/(m2.K)
Floor 0.13 W/(m2.K)
Party wall 0.0 W/(m2.K)
Windows, roof lights, curtain walling and glazed doors 1.4 W/(m2.K) g-value – 0.63
Opaque doors 1.0 W/(m2.K)
Semi glazed doors 1.2 W/(m2.K)
Air permeability 5.0 m3/(h.m2) at 50Pa
*Refer to ADL1A 2013 for full set of requirements.

160

Appendix G: Window design: what to consider
Although there are no rules requiring homes to
have windows, natural light or natural ventilation
(mechanical ventilation is technically all that
is required) there are a number of regulations
and standards that affect, or apply to, windows.
This makes it disproportionately complicated to
balance the attributes, constraints, risks and
other considerations, particularly with full height
openings. Most of these issues have been covered
in various parts of Part II but have been brought
together here to highlight the need for careful,
all-round consideration to ensure a sensible
outcome.
Attributes
n natural light
n natural ventilation
n a view out
n potential to admit sunlight
Appendices
Constraints
n Building Regulations
– AD Q 2015 (Domestic Security)
Requires windows that are easily accessible
to provide physical security equivalent to
PAS 24 (2012), and to be securely fixed. (See
subsection 3.4 of Part II).
– AD M 2015 (M4(2) Category 2 – Accessible
and adaptable dwellings)
Requires the handle to at least one window
in the principal living area to be 450-
1200mm above FFL and handles to all other
windows, 450-1400mm above finished
floor level (FFL) unless fitted with a remote
opening device. (See subsection 3.3 of Part
II and Appendix E).
– AD M 2015 (M4(3) Category 3 – Wheelchair
user dwellings)
Requires the handle to one window in the
principal living area to be 700-1000mm
above FFL, and handles to all other
windows 450-1200mm above FFL unless
fitted with a remote opening device. (See
subsection 3.3 of Part II and Appendix E).
– AD M 2015 (M4(2) and M4(3)
Requires glazing to the principal window
of the principal living area to begin at,
or below, 850mm above FFL (or at the
minimum height reasonable to comply with
Part K). (See subsection 3.3 of Part II and
Appendix E).
161
 – AD K 2013 (Protection from falling,
collision and impact)
Requires that windows do not open below
800mm above FFL except with adequate
guarding, and that glazing below 800mm
in a window, or 1500mm in a door or side
panel, to be of a type that ‘breaks safely’
(as defined by BS EN 12600 and BS 6206).
It also defines the extent of external
cleanable reach when windows are
cleaned from inside in buildings other than
dwellings. This accords with the standards
of BS 8213 for dwellings.
– AD F (Ventilation)
Requires new dwellings to achieve
prescribed ventilation rates to dilute and
remove internal pollutants and water
vapour. Four types of ventilation are defined
to ensure that a mixture of background
ventilation, extract from kitchens and
bathrooms and purge ventilation are
achieved.
n British Standards
Risks
n Overheating and/or excessive heat loss
The desire for large windows for daylight and
sunlight has to be weighed against the risk
of overheating and/or losing too much heat.
Room function, orientation and opportunities
for cross ventilation and secure night time
ventilation all have to be considered. (See
subsections 3.9, 3.10, 3.11 and 3.12).
n Loss of privacy
Residents often feel that their privacy is
compromised by large windows, windows
with low cills, or glazed doors – particularly
when these are at street level, or abutting a
communal courtyard or podium. Curtains or
other forms of screening are frequently used
to increase privacy but the effect is often
untidy, particularly when left in place all day.

– BS 8231-1 2004 – requires guarding at

1100mm (rather than 800mm) in certain
situations
– BS 8213 – defines the extent of external
cleanable reach when cleaned from inside,
including windows in dwellings.
The diagram overleaf illustrates the main
dimensional constraints that apply to a full height
window.

162
 Appendices
n m

i b

j k g c d e f h

l l

Finished Floor Level

a clear opening (consider weight of opening vent during opening)

b minimum clear opening for emergency egress (450mm x 450mm)
a clear opening (consider weight of opening vent during opening)
c 700mm min. guarding from cill (NHBC Projects)
b minimum clear opening for emergency egress (450mm x 450mm)
d c 800mm
700mm min.min. guarding
guarding fromfrom finished
cill (NHBC floor level (Approved Document K)
Projects)
e d �850mm
800mm min.max.
guardingheightfromtofinished
clear glazing (category
floor level (Approved 2 Document
& 3) K)
f e �81100mm
50mm max. min. to guarding
height where
to clear glazing required
(category 2 &(need
3) determined by risk assessment) as BS 8231-1 (2004)
g f 1100mm
1100mm min.max. to opening
to guarding where of required
egress window (Approved
(need determined by Document B) as BS 8231-1 (2004)
risk assessment)
h g 1100mm max. to opening
1200/1400mm max. handle of egress window
height (Approved
(category Document B)
2) /1100/1200mm maximum handle height (category 3)
i h 1200/1400mm
850mm cleaning max. handle height (category
reach radius 2) / 1100/1200mm
above 1300mm as Approved maximum handleKheight (category 3)
Document
j i 850mm
1300mm cleaning
cleaningreachreachradiusas above 1300mm
Approved as Approved
Document K Document K
j 1300mm cleaning reach as Approved Document K
k 610mm max. cleaning reach down as Approved Document K
k 610mm max. cleaning reach down as Approved Document K
l l fixedlight
fixed light toughened
toughened or laminated
or laminated glass
glass as as Approved
Approved Document Document
K and BS K and(2011)
6180 BS 6180 (2011)
m m suggested
suggested curtain
curtain battenbatten
n n suggested
suggested 100mm
100mm min.min. height
height between
between top of window
top of window andforceiling
and ceiling forofhanging
hanging of blinds
curtains or curtains or blinds
safereach
safe reach forfor cleaning
cleaning windows
windows from
from BS BS 8213-1
8213-1 (1991)
(1991) and and Approved
Approved Document Document
K, requiredK,forrequired for
non-domestic
non-domestic buildings
buildings
minimum
minimum safe reach
safe capabilities
reach from BS
capabilities 8213-1
from (2004), applicable
BS 8213-1 to both domestic
(2004), applicable to bothand non-domestic
domestic and non-domestic
buildings
buildings - this is the
- this is latest guidance
the latest and is and
guidance moreisonerous than Approved
more onerous Document K.
than Approved Document K.

163
Other considerations
n Reduced flexibility in use n Aesthetic and planning considerations
Low or full height windows (and/or doors) The size, shape, proportion, style, colour
also restrict the placement of furniture and materiality of windows, and the pattern
and radiators, and power sockets often end of fenestration, all have a significant impact
up on the ‘wrong side’ of a window. Juliet on the appearance and character of a
balconies mean that windows either have to facade. LPAs may also have strong feelings
open inwards (and be clear of furniture), or on some of these aspects, particularly in
be subdivided into fixed and opening lights in conservation areas.
which case the lower fixed lights are often very
n Glazing specification
difficult to clean because of the narrow gap.
Glass can be specified with low-e and/or solar
n Windows above kitchen units and baths control coatings. This has an impact on heat
These are not ideal as they are harder to loss, heat gains and light transmittance.
reach (for operation and cleaning) and will
require remote opening devices in Category
3 dwellings and possibly also Category 2.
However, many residents value a window
above the ‘kitchen sink’ and would prefer to
have a window above the bath than none at
all where there is no practical alternative
location.
n Secure night-time ventilation
This often relies on restrictors and is more
difficult when all opening lights are large.

164

Good practice recommendations (additional to regulatory requirements)
1. The size of all windows should relate to
the function of the room (living spaces
need more light than other spaces), its
orientation (to avoid excessive heat loss or
gain) and its aspect (to make the most of
good views).
2. Both sides of all windows should be
cleanable from inside unless external
access is possible. Above ground level, this
will usually require reversible hinges.
3. Full height windows often can’t be fully
cleaned safely from inside so therefore
work best where they open onto a balcony
or other secure, and reasonably private,
outdoor space.
4. Where there is no external access to full
height windows, the overall size of the
window, and the arrangement and opening
mechanism of the opening lights, need to
be more carefully considered to ensure
safe cleaning.
5. In any room, full height windows should
generally be avoided at street level and
in other locations where privacy is likely
to be compromised, unless lower panes
are obscured glass or Juliet balconies to
increase the privacy.
Appendices
6. In any situation, full height windows should
generally be avoided to bedrooms except
where privacy is not at stake and the room
can be sensibly furnished – preferably in
more than one way. ‘Dummy’ lower panes,
backed by a wall internally, are a possible
solution and obscure glazing helps too.
7. Habitable rooms feel better when window
cills are reasonably low (800-900mm).
8. In deep rooms on the lower floors of
narrow streets or courtyards and other
situations where daylight is at a premium,
taller windows are helpful as they bring
light deeper into the plan.
9. Subject to privacy considerations, windows
above kitchen worktops should be as wide
as possible to compensate for the higher
cill height, provided that wall cupboards are
not sacrificed as a result.
10. Where possible, all windows should offer
secure night time ventilation and a mix of
large and small opening lights.
165
Appendix H: Checklist of client’s job management
responsibilities
The checklist below aims to help clients through the design and construction process. Key
responsibilities are summarised and related to each stage of a project. These are related to the RIBA
Plan of Work 2013, which identifies eight stages, numbered 0-7. The list is not exhaustive and each
project should develop its own list of critical actions.
www.ribaplanofwork.com/PlanOfWork.aspx

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strategic Preparation Concept Developed Technical Construction Handover In use

definition and brief design design design and close out

0 Strategic definition – establish consultants’ responsibilities

n Establish strategic brief and business case
for the proposed development
n Establish source of funding
n Check VAT status of proposed development
and establish if any VAT relief applies
n Establish who in the client organisation has
authority to instruct design team
n Check client duties under CDM Regulations
n Decide procurement method/form
of contract
n Appoint project team:
– check knowledge, skills, experience and
training of proposed appointees
– agree fees and scope of service
matrix to ensure that all aspects of the
design are covered
– establish BIM execution plan (where
relevant)
– check level of professional indemnity
insurance cover and current cover for
each appointee
– establish requirement for collateral
warranties with funders and/or
purchasers
– get necessary warranties in place
– get forms of appointment signed for all
appointees
n Appoint Principal Designer (CDM)

166

Notes:
• The client will be deemed to be the Principal
Designer and required to co-ordinate health and
safety in the pre-construction phase until he/she
appoints someone else to this role.
• Appoint a full team of consultants as early as possible
as this will enable a fully co-ordinated design to be
prepared and avoid abortive work/cost.
• VAT rules in relation to construction projects are
quirky. Consult a VAT specialist to ensure any eligible
VAT relief is applied and that the design team are
aware of any physical or procedural requirements
that must be met.
1 Preparation and brief
n Assemble site data:
– retrieve archive and existing drawings
and information
– locate existing Health and Safety file (if
applicable)
– locate asbestos register/survey
– commission surveys and investigations
– request and obtain record information
from utility companies
– check whether any service diversions
are required to enable development
of site
– commission archaeological
desktop report
– appoint ecologist to start bio-diversity
survey, bat survey etc.
– seek advice of Principal Designer on
scope of pre-construction information
Appendices
n Confirm site boundaries and ownership to
design team
n Check Rights of Way, Easements and
Covenants affecting the site and inform
design team
n Check Rights of Light and instruct surveyor
where necessary
n Check party wall rights
n Develop detailed brief
n Establish which standards and codes are to
apply over and above statutory minima
n Initial contact with planners to establish any
Section 106/CIL/Highways requirements
n Establish a Project Risk Register –
regularly review and identify actions to
mitigate perceived threats to project cost,
programme, safety and quality
Note:
• If the desktop report indicates that physical
archaeology investigations are required this will
need to be accommodated in project programme and
budget.
2 Concept design
n Feasibility study – agree number of options
to be tested
n Arrange and attend design team meetings
and design reviews
n Arrange resident/stakeholder consultation
as appropriate
n Review and sign off proposed concept
design
167
 n Acquire land following feasibility study and
outline consents
n Set out requirements for any special
presentation material – physical models,
CGIs, virtual reality models, etc.
3 Developed design
n Arrange and attend design team meetings
and design reviews
n Agree materials, sign off the design and
instruct the planning application to be
lodged
n Provide cheque to accompany planning
application
n Input into Employer’s Requirements
5 Construction
n Determine level of Liquidated and
Ascertained Damages (LADs) to be included
in contract terms
n Place advance orders with utility companies
n Consider placing advance orders for any
materials on long lead-in periods
Note:
• Utility companies have long lead-in periods for work
and can seriously delay construction programmes.
Placing orders in advance of the contract can
mitigate this.
4 Technical design
n Agree details
n Confirm proposed warranty provider
(NHBC, Premier etc.)
168
n Provide cheque to accompany Building
Control Application and confirm any
‘optional requirements’ that have been
imposed as planning conditions
n Select contractors to tender:
– Hold pre-qualification interviews
– Assess company information and carry
out financial checks
– Visit contractors’ completed projects and
works in progress
n Implement and apply organisations tender
processes if applicable
n Appoint Clerk of Works where
considered beneficial
n Take part in contractor interviews and
tender assessment
n Appoint contractor:
– Issue letter of intent
– Sign contract and initial contract
documents
n Review contractor proposals against
Employer’s Requirements
n Ensure construction phase in place prior to
start of construction activity
n Ensure welfare facilities in place prior to
start of construction activity
n Attend pre-contract meeting
n Arrange ‘Laying of Foundation
Stone’/‘Burying Time Capsule’ (if
appropriate)
 Appendices
n Attend site progress meetings n Put in place necessary insurances effective
n Arrange ‘Topping Out Ceremony’ (if from date of Practical Completion
appropriate) n Implement Defects Notification/rectification
n Arrange payment of contract certificates process and timescales
n Consult marketing team on specification of n Organise publicity photographs and press
interior finishes and fittings releases
n Consult marketing team on requirement for n Submit project for awards
show home(s)/marketing suite n Agree Final Account
n View and approve samples of finishes and n Undertake post-completion review of
fittings proposed by Contractor project with project team
n Review draft Residents Handbooks;
Note:
Operating and Maintenance (O&M) Manuals;
Health and Safety File • Timely rectification of defects will help residents.

Notes:
7 In use
• Avoid changes to the design and specification during
the construction phase as this will have programme n Carry out planned maintenance
and cost implications.
• The client will be deemed to be the Principal n Comply with warranty and guarantee
Contractor and required to co-ordinate health and conditions
safety in the construction phase until he/she appoints
someone else to this role. n Maintain Health and Safety file and make it
available to anyone you comes to work on
the building
6 Handover and close out
n Agree and initiate Post Occupancy
n Agree documentation required from Evaluation (POE)
contractor at handover
Note:
n Agree quality standard – area to be
completed in advance and used as • Check Terms of Warranties and Guarantees
and ensure planned maintenance is carried out
benchmark accordingly.
n Arrange training days for facilities staff
n Receive Residents Handbooks; O&M
Manuals; Health and Safety File
n Receive keys and documents relating to
individual dwellings

169
Appendix I: Checklist of client’s CDM responsibilities
Under the Construction (Design and Management)
Regulations 2015, the client is required to ensure
that the construction project is set up so that it
is carried out from start to finish in a way that
adequately controls the risks to the health and
safety of those who may be affected.
For full details refer to HSE Guidance document
L153 Managing Health and Safety in Construction or
to industry guidance for clients published by the
Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
The checklist on the next page summarises the
client’s duties during key parts of the design
process.

170

Pre-construction phase
• Where there is more than one client, agree who will
be the client for CDM purposes.
• Provide a clear brief.
• Set down health and safety expectations in the
briefing documentation.
• Set a realistic timescale and budget – allocate
sufficient time and resources to each stage of the
project.
• Select a competent project team. Check to ensure
that designers and contractors have the necessary
knowledge, skills, experience and training to carry
out the tasks for which they are appointed.
• Where there is likely to be more than one works
contractor (most projects) appoint a ‘Principal
Designer’ to co-ordinate health and safety in the pre-
construction phase.
• Co-operate with the Principal Designer.
• Provide pre-construction information to the project
team, including asbestos register and surveys,
existing drawings and archive information, existing
Health and Safety file etc. Where existing information
is not available, commission surveys and investigative
works and provide results of these to the project
team.
• Where the project exceeds the ‘Notification
Threshold’ (over 30 days and over 20 operatives, or
over 500 ‘man-days’), notify the project to the HSE
using online F10 Notification Form.
• Monitor the project team to ensure health and safety
is considered and co-ordinated in a proportionate
manner and that duty holders are complying with
their duties.
Appendices
• Where there is likely to be more than one works
contractor (most projects) appoint a Principal
Contractor to co-ordinate health and safety in the
construction phase.
• Ensure that a suitable construction phase plan is in
place before construction work commences.
• Ensure that suitable welfare facilities are in place
before construction work commences.
Construction phase
• Co-operate with the Principal Contractor.
• Monitor the construction team to ensure health
and safety is considered and co-ordinated in a
proportionate manner and that duty holders are
complying with their duties.
• Agree the format and content of Health and Safety file,
O&M Manuals and Residents Handbooks.
• Check that Health and Safety file has been prepared.
Post-construction phase
• Maintain the Health and Safety file and make it
available to anyone who comes to work on the
building.
• Keep the Health and Safety file up to date with any
changes and subsequent works.
• On transferring interest in the building, hand the
Health and Safety File to the new building owner and
explain its purpose.
171
Appendix J: Housing Standards Review: further detail
Background
In 2010, the Government initiated an industry-led
review of the housing standards typically applied
through local planning policy, to see how they
could be simplified to improve housing delivery.
Under the chairmanship of Sir John Harman,
the Local Housing Delivery Group delivered its
report in 2012, recommending that the technical
standards considered worthy of retention, should
be dealt with through the Building Regulations,
rather than through local planning.
The exercise was therefore taken back into
government hands and re-named the Housing
Standards Review. This became part of the Red
Tape Challenge, a deregulatory exercise subject
to ‘One-in-two-out’ whereby every (monetary)
pound of new regulation had to be matched by
two pounds of discarded regulation.
The remit of the HSR was limited to ‘technical
standards’ in five main subject areas:
n accessibility
n space
n security
n water
n energy
Other topics, including daylight, sunlight, natural
ventilation and overheating, were considered
172
but it was decided that there was insufficient
evidence to support the setting of standards
or regulations.
The aim was to set nationally defined standards
in the five key areas and offer them back to local
planning authorities (LPAs) in the form of a
restricted menu. Subject to their ability to prove
need and viability, LPAs would be able to select
standards from the menu but not change, or add
to them.
In two subject areas (accessibility and water
efficiency), it was decided that standards needed
to be set at more than one level, retain a baseline
regulation and add a higher level (or levels),
described as ‘optional requirements’. There was
a consensus that energy should be dealt with
entirely through planned uplifts to Part L of the
Building Regulations and this therefore ceased
to fall within the remit of the HSR, apart from
planners’ ability to require connection to local
heat networks.
A public consultation in summer 2013 returned
widespread support for the principles behind
the review and a preference for these to be
taken straight into regulation, rather than the
Government’s preferred two-stage, ‘standard-
first’ approach. The exception was the
‘Nationally Described Space Standard’, which
ministers decided should remain an optional
planning standard.

Following more work on the technical content
of the new regulations and space standard, a
second public consultation was held in summer
2014 and was again, broadly supported. Minor
additions to Part H, to reduce ‘bin blight’, were
also introduced.
The final package of new and amended
regulations, and the nationally described space
standard was published in March 2015, and can
be summarised as follows:
n accessibility: requirements taken into Building
Regulations and defined as three distinct
Categories (current Part M and two higher
levels referred to as ‘optional requirements’)
n space: a new optional ‘Nationally Described
Space Standard’ operating through planning
n security: a new, single tier Building Regulation
(Part Q) for new housing
n water: current Part G of the Building
Regulations retained as the baseline
requirement for water efficiency and a higher
‘optional requirement’ introduced for water-
stressed areas
n energy: to be dealt with through Part
L of the Building Regulations (and the
planned trajectory to Zero Carbon by 2016
subsequently put on indefinite hold)
n waste: minor changes to Part H of to reduce
bin blight
Appendices
How the new regime works
Security, waste and energy are now dealt with in
the same way as all other Building Regulations
and lie outside of the planning system. No need
or viability testing is required.
For water efficiency, the LPA does not need to
take any action unless the optional requirement
of 110 litres/person/day (equivalent to Code
Level 3/4) is felt to be necessary and viability
can be demonstrated. The Environment Agency
has published data identifying those parts of
the country that are considered to be ‘water-
stressed’ (and therefore warrant the higher
standard in principle), and LPAs are expected to
follow this guidance.
For accessibility, LPAs must decide whether
any new homes need to exceed current Part M –
(renamed Regulation M4(1) Visitable Dwellings and
also referred to as Category 1). Where need and
viability can be demonstrated, the Local Plan can
require that a specified proportion of new homes
should meet Regulation M4(2) Accessible and
Adaptable Dwellings (also referred to as Category
2), the replacement standard for Lifetime Homes,
and/or that a specified proportion should meet
Regulation M4(3) Wheelchair User Dwellings (also
referred to as Category 3).
173
Where Category 3 dwellings are considered regulation M4(1) for accessibility, and the baseline
necessary, the LPA is also required to distinguish Part G regulation for water efficiency.
between ‘wheelchair accessible’ dwellings (ready
Optional requirements are assessed under
for a wheelchair user to occupy from the outset)
Building Control, not planning. The onus is on the
and ‘wheelchair adaptable’ dwellings (capable
developer to notify the Building Control Officer
of being readily adapted to become ‘wheelchair
(BCO) who may be a local authority Building
accessible’). The GLA made a similar distinction
Inspector, or a private sector Approved Inspector
in 2008 but the HSR has now formalised the
(AI). The BCO or AI must report back to the LPA
technical differences between the ‘accessible’
who, in the event of non-compliance, will take any
and ‘adaptable’ standards at Category 3,
necessary enforcement action.
and stipulates that ‘wheelchair accessible’
requirements can only be applied to dwellings The process for adopting and assessing the
that are subject to an allocations policy. Further accessibility requirements is shown in the
detail on the implementation of the new optional diagram on the next page.
requirements has been provided in the relevant
The space standard is subject to needs and
subsections of Part II.
viability testing in the same way as the optional
Notwithstanding the requirement for each requirements, and may also be subject to
authority to demonstrate need and viability before negotiation. It must be formally adopted in the
imposing an optional requirement, developers Local Plan, but need not be confirmed as a
may consider the demands to be unachievable in planning condition. It will be assessed under the
practice, or challengeable on viability grounds, planning process although LPAs may choose to
and seek to negotiate lower requirements than enlist the help of Building Control, particularly
those set out in the Local Plan, on a site-by-site when asked to grant ‘type approval’ whereby
basis. This is more likely to apply to accessibility, generic house plans are assessed and approved
where, for example, either the topography of once, and can be rolled out across the country
a particular site, or the housing typologies without requiring further local approval.
proposed, may make it impractical to provide step
free access to the private entrance (‘the front
door’) – now a requirement for both Category 2
and Category 3 dwellings.
In order to apply to a specific project, optional
requirements must be imposed as planning
conditions attached to an approval notice. Without
this further step, dwellings need only meet

174
 Appendices
Adopting and assessing the new ‘optional requirements’ for accessibility

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Local Developer LPA confirms Developer BCB considers LPA
Planning negotiates the optional informs drawings discharges
Authority with LPA to requirement Building and inspects condition
(LPA) ensure policy (number of Control Body on site (as (or when not
Planning
publishes is appropriate Cat. 2 and (BCB) of any usual) and certified as
application
its policy to the specific Cat. 3 homes) optional notifies LPA compliant,
submitted
for optional development by imposing requirements re compliance serves
requirements a planning that have been with the enforcement
in the Local condition applied condition notice on
Plan after EIP developer)

Pre-planning Post-planning

Transitional arrangements optional requirements and planning conditions

still imposed. As there is only one national
The government is urging LPAs to update their
space standard, any previously adopted space
Local Plans by 2017, and these should include
standard has been allowed to be passported in
their approved policies in each of these areas.
the same way.
Full transition could therefore take some time,
but for planning purposes, all technical standards Under the review, LPAs were permitted to
that existed prior to the review fell away on passport existing local standards for energy but
1 October 2015. required to remove references to the Code (now
only in use as a legacy document for projects
To ensure that existing policies in the ‘surviving
that started prior to the review). They were
areas’ were not lost during transition, a system
asked not to exceed Code 4 equivalent for energy
of ‘passporting’ was introduced. This allows
and barred from retaining other technical Code
previous standards to be automatically converted
elements such as the home office, additional
to the ‘nearest equivalent new standard’ (or
soundproofing, daylighting or greywater
optional requirement) without further need or
recycling. The Government’s subsequent decision
viability testing. In the case of accessibility, each
to pull back on Zero Carbon casts fresh doubt on
LPA has also been permitted to carry forward its
what local authorities can demand in relation to
previous percentage requirements for Lifetime
energy performance.
Homes and wheelchair housing. The Local
Plan must still be amended to refer to the new

175
The impact of the Housing
Standards Review
The full impact of the HSR will not be known
for some time. In May 2015, the GLA published
Minor Alterations to the London Plan (MALP), a
Draft Interim Housing SPG 2015, and a Transition
Statement to reflect the changes resulting from
the HSR. The final set of standards has yet to be
finalised, pending the outcome of an Examination
in Public.
Nationally, it could take some LPAs many months,
or even years, to clarify their position, and longer
still, to understand the overall impact on housing
quality. Until Local Plans have been updated,
new housing has been built to the new rules,
and substantial data has been collected, it will
be impossible to know which local areas have
benefitted and which have suffered – and where
the balance lies.
Standards that have a solely ‘design’ remit
(no ‘technical’ content) are unaffected by the
review and can still be imposed as planning
requirements. These include documents such
as Building for Life. Others cover both design and
technical aspects. The clearest example of this
is Secured by Design: New Homes 2014, owned and
assessed by the Association of Police Officers
(ACPO). Going forward, LPAs can continue to
impose Section 1: The Development – Layout &
Design (Planning Issues) but may not require
compliance with Section 2: Security of Dwelling
as this relates to the technical performance of
the dwelling.
As designers will testify, the line between ‘design’
and ‘technical’ is not always easy to draw. In the
absence of definitive advice from government,
the tables on the next page attempt to clarify the
status of the most widely used housing-related
standards and regulations.

What it means for other published

housing standards and regulations
Other government and industry-produced
standards (as distinct from regulations) that
relate to the technical performance of dwellings
(including communal areas associated with
flats) are now officially ‘barred’ for planning
purposes. However, only those owned, or part
owned, by government have been withdrawn. The
remainder can continue to exist as good practice
standards for clients and practitioners to use at
their discretion.

176
 Appendices
Technical standards and regulations that are relevant to new dwellings and fell
within the overall remit of the review

Standards withdrawn prior to 1 October 2015

Document title Body responsible
Design and Quality Standards HCA
Housing Quality Indicators HCA
Code for Sustainable Homes BRE/DCLG

Standards that cannot be imposed through the planning system beyond 1 October 2015
Document title Body responsible
Secured by Design: New Homes 2014 (Section 2) ACPO
Lifetime Homes Standard Habinteg Housing Association
Wheelchair Housing Design Guide Habinteg Housing Association
2011 Site layout planning for daylight and sunlight; BRE
a guide to good practice (part only)
London Housing Design Guide 2011
(technical aspects) GLA
And all other standards (outside of regulation) affecting the technical performance of dwellings
including the following:
• daylight
• overheating and ventilation
• air quality
• sound-proofing
• materials (other than aesthetic aspects or general considerations such as durability)

177
Building regulations that remain in force, or came into force, from 1 October 2015 (defined and
managed by the Government but outside of the planning system)

Building Regulations/Approved Documents (AD) comprising:

AD A Structural Safety
AD B Fire Safety
AD C Resistance to Contaminants and Moisture
AD D Toxic Substances
AD E Resistance to Sound
AD F Ventilation
AD G Sanitation, Hot Water Safety and Water Efficiency
AD H Drainage and Waste Disposal
AD J Heat Producing Appliances
AD K Protection from Falling
AD L Conservation of Fuel and Power
AD M Access to and use of Buildings
AD P Electrical Safety
AD Q Security: Dwellings
AD 7 Workmanship and Materials

New regulations and standards that are nationally defined but locally applied through the planning
process (defined and managed by the Government but invoked by LPAs)
Optional requirement M4(2) Accessible and Adaptable Dwellings (part of AD M)
Optional requirement M4(3) Wheelchair User Dwellings (part of AD M)
Optional requirement for Water Efficiency (part of AD G)
Nationally Described Space Standard

Notes:
Aspects of the regulations shown in red fall within the remit of this document.
The optional requirements and standards shown in yellow fall within the remit of this document.

178
 Appendices
Non-technical standards (not regulations) that are relevant to new dwellings but
did not fall within the remit of the review and are unaffected by it
Standards that can continue to be imposed through the planning system beyond 1 October 2015
Document title Body responsible
Building for Life 12 Design for Homes/HBF/DC Cabe
Manual for Streets 2 Department for Transport
Car parking: what works where? English Partnerships
Secured by Design: New Dwellings 2014 – Section 1 ACPO
2011 Site layout planning for daylight and sunlight; BRE
a guide to good practice (part only)
London Housing Design Guide (design aspects) GLA
London Housing SPG 2015 (design aspects) GLA
And other design guides and planning policies with no technical remit relating to the dwelling
covering areas such as the following:
n urban design principles

n roads and paths

n building typology, form, scale and layout

n character and appearance

n open space (public, communal and/or private)

n density, tenure and dwelling mix

n sunlight, orientation and aspect

n car parking

n cycle storage

179
Appendix K: Metrics and measurement
1. Density
(GLA calculation methodology from the London
Housing SPG 2012)
Through the London Plan (LP), the GLA uses ‘net
residential site area’ when calculating density29.
The SPG describes the approach that should
be taken:
This relates to
the ‘red line’ planning application
site boundary and excludes adjoining footways,
carriageways, paths, rivers, canals, railway corridors
and other existing open spaces. 
It includes the proposed
homes, non-residential uses in mixed-use buildings,
ancillary uses, car and cycle parking areas and proposed
internal access roads. It generally includes proposed on-
site open spaces (including publicly accessible spaces),
gardens and children’s play areas. However, counting very
large, on-site, publicly accessible open spaces, such as
some of those proposed for some London Plan Opportunity
Areas, could serve to artificially lower density calculations
and applicants proposing particularly large spaces (relative
to the size of the site) should seek to agree a bespoke
method of calculating density in discussion with boroughs,
and where appropriate, GLA officers. It is important that
calculation of density does not penalise developers
in
providing adequate public amenity and open space. The LP
expresses density both in terms of dwellings and, to take
better account of the needs of different types of household,
habitable rooms per hectare’.
29 RICS 6th edition ‘Code for Measuring Practice: a guide for surveyors and valuers’
180
The diagram on the next page (reproduced from
Superdensity: the Sequel) shows how net site area
should be measured and how this compares with
gross site area.
Mixed use buildings are subject to additional
guidance in the SPG as follows:
In calculating density in vertically mixed schemes
(i.e. where housing is on top of non-residential uses),
the size of the site should be reduced by an amount that is
equivalent to the proportion of total floorspace allocated
to non-residential uses (both below and above ground,
measured as GIA) before calculating residential density in
the normal way’.
A worked example is also provided:
Maccreanor Lavington worked example for
calculating residential density on mixed
use schemes:
Net Site Area: 1.6ha Residential GIA: 25,200sqm including
75 basement car parking spaces (78%) Non-residential GIA:
7,000sqm (22%) Number of dwellings: 250
Dwelling Mix (unit): 1-bed – 87 (35%) 2-bed – 120 (48%)
3-bed – 30 (12%) 4-bed – 13 (5%) Number of Habitable
Rooms: 719
Density calculation based on 78% of the net site area
(reducing the site area by 22% – the proportion of proposed
non-residential floorspace), giving a site area for density
purposes of 1.25ha.
Density: 2003 u/ha (575hr/ha)’

2. Gross Internal (Floor) Area (GIA)
(GLA definition/methodology from the London
Housing Design Guide, Interim version 2012)
The Gross Internal Floor Area (GIA) is the area
of a building measured to the internal face of the
perimeter walls at each floor level. Measurements should
be in accordance with the RICS Guidance Note (Code of
Measuring Practice 6th Edition). The GIA includes the floor
area of habitable and non-habitable rooms plus circulation,
plus are taken up by internal partitions. It does not include
the area of external private amenity space’.
Based on the RICS Code again, the document
goes on to explain what should, and should not,
be included in the GIA of a dwelling but a much
30 The internal face of a perimeter wall is the finished surface of the wall. For a detached house, the perimeter walls are the
external walls that enclose the dwelling, and for other houses or apartments they are the external walls and party walls.
Appendices
simpler methodology was defined in the course
of the Housing Standards Review and this is the
definition included below.
3. Gross Internal (Floor) Area (GIA) of
a dwelling
(As defined in the Nationally Described
Space Standard)
The GIA of a dwelling is defined as the total floorspace
measured between the internal faces of perimeter walls 30
that enclose the dwelling. This includes partitions,
structural elements, cupboards, ducts, flights of stairs
and voids above stairs. The Gross Internal Area should be
measured and denoted in square meters (m2).’
Net site area
Gross site area
181
Glossary
Acronyms used with in the text
ACPO Association of Chief Police Officers
AD Approved Document (of the Building Regulations)
AI Approved Inspector
ASHP air source heat pump
BC Building Control
BCO building control officer
BIM building information modelling
BRE Building Research Establishment
BS British Standard
BSRIA Building Services Research and Information
Association
CCTV closed circuit television monitoring
CDM Construction Design and Management
(legislation)
CfSH Code for Sustainable Homes
CGI computer generated image
CHP communal heat and power
CIBSE Chartered Institute of Building Surveyors
CITB Construction Industry Technical Board
CO2 carbon dioxide
D&B Design and Build (contract)
dB decibel
DCLG Department for Communities and Local
Government
DER dwelling emission rate
DFEE dwelling fabric energy efficiency
DHN district heat network
DPH dwellings per hectare
EPC Energy Performance Certificate
ERs Employer’s Requirements
ESCo energy services company
FEE fabric energy efficiency
FFL finished floor level
FIT Feed in Tariff
GI green infrastructure
GIA gross internal (floor) area
GLA Greater London Authority
GSHP ground source heat pump
HCA Homes and Communities Agency
HIU heat interface unit
HQI Housing Quality Indicators
LABC Local Authority Building Control (association)
LADs liquidated and ascertained damages
LED light emitting diode
L/K/D living, kitchen, dining (space)
LP London Plan
LPA local planning authority
LTH Lifetime Homes (standard)
LZC low (and) zero carbon (technology)
MALP Minor Amendments (to the) London Plan
MMC Modern Methods of Construction
MVHR mechanical ventilation with heat recovery
NAHP National Affordable Housing Programme
NHBC National House Building Council
NHF National Housing Federation
NOx nitrogen oxides
NPPF National Planning Policy Framework
O&M Operating and Maintenance (manual)
PAS Publicly Available Specification
PRS private rental sector
PTAL public transport accessibility level
PV photovoltaic
RIBA Royal Institute of British Architects
SAP Standard Assessment Procedure
SBD Secured by Design
SO Shared Ownership
SPG Supplementary Planning Guidance
SuDs sustainable (urban) drainage (system)
SVP soil (and) vent pipe
TER target emissions rate
TFEE target fabric energy efficiency
TPO Tree Preservation Order
UKGBC United Kingdom Green Building Council
UKPN United Kingdom Power Network
VAT Value Added Tax
VOC volatile organic compound
WHDG Wheelchair Housing Design Guide
ZC Zero Carbon

182
Words and phrases used within
the text
Note that where possible, definitions have been
obtained from reputable published sources
and these have been attributed. In other cases,
including where definitions tend to vary, words
and phrases have been defined according to their
specific meaning within this document. These are
unattributed.
Access: this term refers to the methods by which
people with a range of needs (such as disabled
people, people with children, people whose first
language is not English) find out about and use
services and information. For disabled people,
access means the freedom to participate in the
economy, in how a place is planned, and in the
social and cultural life of the community. (LP).
Accessibility: the ability of people to move
around an area and to reach places and facilities,
including the elderly, disabled and those with
young children.
Active frontage: the edge, wall or facade of
a building or space which is well used and
offers opportunity for ‘passive surveillance’ or
overlooking (e.g. street facades or elevations with
numerous entrances, windows and balconies etc.
which overlook the street).
Affordable housing: social rented, affordable
rented and intermediate housing, provided to
eligible households whose needs are not met
by the market. Eligibility is determined with
regard to local incomes and local house prices.
Affordable housing should include provisions to
remain at an affordable price for future eligible
households or for the subsidy to be recycled for
alternative affordable housing provision.
Social rented housing is owned by local
authorities and private registered providers
(as defined in section 80 of the Housing and
Regeneration Act 2008), for which guideline
target rents are determined through the
national rent regime. It may also be owned by
other persons and provided under equivalent
rental arrangements to the above, as agreed
with the local authority or with the Homes and
Communities Agency.
Affordable rented housing is let by local
authorities or private registered providers of
social housing to households who are eligible for
social rented housing. Affordable rent is subject
to rent controls that require a rent of no more
than 80% of the local market rent (including
service charges, where applicable).
Intermediate housing is homes for sale and
rent provided at a cost above social rent, but
below market levels subject to the criteria in
the affordable housing definition above. These
can include shared equity (shared ownership
and equity loans), other low cost homes for sale
and intermediate rent, but not affordable rented
housing.
Homes that do not meet the above definition of
affordable housing, such as ‘low cost market’
housing, may not be considered as affordable
housing for planning purposes. (NPPF).
183
Affordable rented housing: See affordable
housing.
Air quality: Linked to air pollution, whereby good
air quality has low pollution levels and therefore
low airborne particulates or other harmful
materials.
Air source heat pumps (ASHP): transfers heat
collected from the outside air to inside the
building or vice versa.
Airtightness: a general descriptive term for
the resistance of the building envelope to
infiltration with ventilators closed. The greater
the airtightness at a given pressure difference
across the envelope, the lower the infiltration.
(AD F:2010).
Air permeability: the physical property used to
measure airtightness of the building fabric. It is
defined as air leakage rate per hour per square
metre of envelope area at the test reference
pressure differential of 50 pascals (50N/m2).
Therefore the unit of measurement is m3/h.
m2 @50Pa. Air tightness tests are carried out
either on all dwellings or sample dwellings post-
construction. (AD L1A:2013).
Albedo: the surface reflectivity of the sun’s
radiation, whereby light coloured surfaces reflect
more heat than dark coloured surfaces. (LP).
Amenity: element of a location or neighbourhood
that helps to make it attractive or enjoyable for
residents and visitors. (LP).
Ancillary spaces: spaces that serve main spaces:
corridors, store rooms, plant rooms and so on.
(CABE).
Average Daylight Factor (ADF): ratio of total
daylight flux incident on the working plane to
the area of the working plane, expressed as a
percentage of outdoor illuminance on horizontal
plane due to an unobstructed CIE standard
overcast sky. Thus a 1% ADF would mean that
the average indoor illuminance would be one
hundredth the outdoor unobstructed illuminance.
(BRE).
Background ventilator: a small ventilation
opening designed to provide controllable whole
building ventilation. (AD F:2010).
Biodiversity: this refers to the variety of
plants and animals and other living things in a
particular area or region. It encompasses habitat
diversity, species diversity and genetic diversity.
Biodiversity has value in its own right and has
social and economic value for human society. (LP).
Biomass: the total dry organic matter or
stored energy of plant matter. As a fuel it
includes energy crops and sewage as well as
arboricultural forestry and agricultural residues.
(LP).
Blue roof: blue roofs are a relatively new SuDs
strategy and are designed to retain water above
the waterproofing membrane, either temporarily
or permanently.
Brief (project/development): the brief sets
out the vision for a development. It is grounded
firmly in the economic, social, environmental
and planning context. Apart from its aspirational
qualities, the brief must include site constraints
and opportunities, infrastructure including

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energy and transport access and planning
policies. It should also set out the proposed uses,
densities and other design requirements. (LP).
Brownfield land: both land and premises are
included in this term, which refers to a site that
has previously been used or developed and is not
currently fully in use, although it may be partially
occupied or utilised. It may also be vacant,
derelict or contaminated. This excludes open
spaces and land where the remains of previous
use have blended into the landscape, or have
been overtaken by nature conservation value or
amenity use and cannot be regarded as requiring
development. (LP).
Brown roof: roof which has a layer of soil or other
material which provides a habitat or growing
medium for plants or wildlife. (LP).
Building envelope: the structure and elements
that enclose the internal space: the walls, floor
and roof construction. (CABE).
Building Regulations: Building Regulations
apply in England and Wales and promote and
enforce standards for most aspects of a building’s
construction, including structure, fire safety,
sound insulation, drainage, ventilation, electrical
safety, water, energy efficiency and the needs
of all people, including those with disabilities, in
accessing and moving around buildings.
Building services: a collective term for the
systems required for the safe, comfortable and
efficient operation of the built environment. This
includes energy supply and distribution, heating,
air-conditioning, ventilation, refrigeration,
lighting, lifts, escalators, ICT networks, security,
alarms, fire detection and fire protection. (BSRIA).
Car club: these are schemes such as city car
clubs and car pools, which facilitate vehicle
sharing. (LP).
Capital costs: costs incurred on the purchase of
land, buildings, construction and equipment to be
used in the production of goods or the delivery of
services. (CABE).
Carbon dioxide (CO2): a naturally occurring gas
comprising 0.04% of the atmosphere. The burning
of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide fixed by
plants many millions of years ago, and this has
increased its concentration in the atmosphere by
some 12% over the past century. It contributes
about 60% of the potential global warming effect
of man-made emissions of greenhouse gases.
(LP).
CDM regulations: the Construction (Design
Management) Regulations 2007 help to improve
health and safety, and manage risks on site.
(CABE).
Client team: the in-house team responsible for
delivering the project for the client, and liaising
with project partners. (CABE).
Climate change adaptation: adjustments to
natural or human systems in response to actual
or expected climatic factors or their effects,
including from changes in rainfall and rising
temperatures, which moderate harm or exploit
beneficial opportunities. (NPPF).
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Climate change mitigation: action to reduce the
impact of human activity on the climate system,
primarily through reducing greenhouse gas
emissions. (NPPF).
Code for Sustainable Homes (the Code or
CfSH): the now withdrawn national standard for
the sustainable design and construction of new
homes in England. It measured sustainability
against nine categories, rating the ‘whole home’.
The code uses a one to six-star rating, setting
minimum standards for energy and water use at
each level. (CABE).
Combined heat and power (CHP): the generation
of electricity and heat simultaneously in a
single process to improve primary energy
efficiency compared to the separate generation
of electricity (e.g. from power stations) and heat
(from local boilers). (CIBSE).
Comfort cooling: a true air-conditioning system
provides full control of air temperature, humidity,
freshness and cleanliness. Systems that do not
provide full control of humidity are known as
comfort cooling systems. (BSRIA).
Commissioning: the advancement of a fixed
building service after all or part of the system
has been installed, replaced or altered. The
system is taken from a state of static completion
to working order. Testing and adjusting, as
necessary, ensure that the whole system uses
no more fuel and power that is reasonable in the
circumstances, without compromising the need
to comply with health and safety requirements.
(AD L1A:2013).
186
Communal heating: the distribution of thermal
energy in the form of steam, hot water, or chilled
liquids from a central source in a building which
is occupied by more than one final customer, for
the use of space heating, process heating, cooling
or hot water. It is not necessary for the heat
supply to be within the building, only that a single
building is making use of the heat. (Gov).
Communities and Local Government (CLG):
the Government department responsible for
planning, local government, housing and regional
development. (LP).
Community Infrastructure Levy: a levy allowing
local authorities to raise funds from owners or
developers of land undertaking new building
projects in their area. (NPPF).
Consultant team: the group of professionals you
need to produce a project: architects, structural
engineers, quantity surveyors and potentially
many other specialists. (CABE).
Contractor: the industry term for a builder. There
can be a main contractor, and sub-contractors,
and specialist sub-contractors, depending on
your procurement route. (CABE).
Core: the shared parts inside a building which
provide access from a common entrance to the
front doors of private dwellings, including lift
and stairs where these are part of the shared
circulation.
Curtilage: all the space (and buildings) used by,
and under the control of, a single household;
typically from the front garden wall to the rear
garden fence: see also in-curtilage.
Defects liability period: a period, usually 12
months, set in the building contract, during which
the contractor must put right any failures that
have come to light. (CABE)
Defensible space: space which is clearly owned
and maintained by an identifiable individual or
household (or a landlord).
Density: typically the numbers of dwellings per
hectare that a scheme or building provides (dph);
density may also be expressed in terms of the
number of habitable rooms or bedspaces per
hectare.
Design and Access statement: a statement that
accompanies a planning application to explain
the design principles and concepts that have
informed the development and how access issues
have been dealt with. The access element of the
statement should demonstrate how the principles
of inclusive design, including the specific needs
of disabled people, have been integrated into the
proposed development and how inclusion will be
maintained and managed. (LP).
Design and Build: a method of construction
where the constructor or building contractor
is partly or entirely responsible for design
development and quality as well as the delivery of
the building. (BSRIA).
Design champion: a person at senior level in an
organisation who promotes the benefits of good
design, and supports and challenges colleagues
to maintain design quality in their activities.
(CABE).
Design development: the iterative process of
agreeing how the project will be laid out and put
together, getting more and more detailed as time
goes on. (CABE).
Design review: service giving expert advice on
the design quality of projects, which has been
provided by CABE at a national level, and by
others at regional and local level. (CABE).
Design team: the group of consultants that
develop the design. This isn’t just the architect, it
includes cost consultants, structural engineers,
services engineers and potentially many types of
specialists – landscape, sustainability and so on.
(CABE).
Desire lines: normally the shortest or most
convenient route between two or more
destinations.
Detailed design: the documents that describe the
design in detail – materials, services, structure
and all the various products that they are made
of. (CABE).
Development: this refers to development in
its widest sense, including buildings, and in
streets, spaces and places. It also refers to both
redevelopment, including refurbishment, as well
as new development. (LP).
Disabled people: a disabled person is someone
who has an impairment, experiences externally
imposed barriers and self-identifies as a disabled
person. (LP).
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District heat network: the distribution of thermal
energy in the form of steam, hot water or chilled
liquids from a central source of production
through a network to multiple buildings or sites
for the use of space heating or process heating,
cooling or hot water. (Gov).
Diversity: the differences in the values, attitudes,
cultural perspective, beliefs, ethnic background,
sexuality, skills, knowledge and life experiences
of each individual
in any group of people
constitute the diversity of that group. This term
refers to differences between people and is used
to highlight individual need. (LP).
Dual aspect: a home (or room) with windows
on two or more walls that allows for views,
daylight (and usually ventilation) in more than one
direction.
Dwelling Emission Rate (DER): the DER is the
estimated CO2 emissions per m2 per year (KgCO2 /
m2 /year) for the dwelling as designed. It accounts
for energy used in heating, fixed cooling, hot
water and lighting which is used to demonstrate
compliance with AD L1A. (CfSH).
Dwelling Fabric Energy Efficiency (DFEE): see
Fabric Energy Efficiency (FEE).
Ecological networks: these link sites of
biodiversity importance. (LP).
Embodied energy: embodied energy is the
amount of resources consumed to produce a
material. Production includes the growing or
mining and processing of the natural resources
and the manufacturing, transport and delivery of
the material. (LP).
188
Employer’s Requirements (ERs): what the brief
is called in some procurement routes. (CABE).
Energy Centre: The location for central heat and/
or power plant. (CIBSE).
Energy efficiency: this is about making the
best or most efficient use of energy in order
to achieve a given output of goods or services,
and of comfort and convenience. This does not
necessitate the use of less energy, in which
respect it differs from the concept of energy
conservation. (LP).
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): this is a
certificate that confirms the energy rating of the
dwelling from A to G, where A is the most efficient
and G is the least efficient. The better the rating,
the more energy efficient the dwelling is, and the
lower the fuel bills are likely to be. The energy
performance of the building is shown as a carbon
dioxide (CO2) based index. EPCs are generated
using approved software by accredited energy
assessors: see Standard Assessment Procedure.
(CfSH).
Energy service company (ESCo): a company
offering a total energy supply service that takes
responsibility for provision, financing, operation
and maintenance of energy facilities. (CIBSE).
Export to grid: whereby excess electricity
generated by renewables is fed back into the
national electrical grid.
Extract ventilation: the removal of air directly
from a space or spaces to outside. Extract
ventilation may be by natural means (e.g. by
passive stack ventilation) or by mechanical
means (e.g. by an extract fan or central system). Green infrastructure (GI): the multifunctional,
(AD F:2010). interdependent network of open and green
spaces and green features (e.g. green roofs). It
Fabric Energy Efficiency (FEE): energy demand
includes the Blue Ribbon Network but excludes
for space heating and cooling expressed in
the hard-surfaced public realm. This network
kilowatt-hours of energy demand per square
lies within the urban environment and the
metre per year (kWh/m2 /year). This is used to
urban fringe, connecting to the surrounding
demonstrate compliance with AD L1A. (CfSH).
countryside. It provides multiple benefits for
Fabric first (approach): Maximising the people and wildlife including: flood management;
performance of the components and materials urban cooling; improving physical and mental
that make up the building fabric itself, before health; green transport links (walking and cycling
considering the use of mechanical or electrical routes); ecological connectivity; and food growing.
building services systems. Green and open spaces of all sizes can be part of
green infrastructure provided they contribute to
Families: households with at least one child
the functioning of the network as a whole. (LP).
under 18: see also family home and larger family
home. Greening: the improvement of the appearance,
function and wildlife value of the urban
Family home: for the purposes of this handbook,
environment through soft landscaping. It can also
this is defined as having 3 or 4 bedspaces – see
result in cooler local temperatures. (LP).
also larger family home.
Greywater harvesting: collection and re-use of
Feed-in Tariff: feed-in Tariffs were introduced
waste water (bathing washing, laundry) for toilet
in April 2010 as the main financial incentive to
flushing, irrigation, and other non-potable uses.
encourage uptake of renewable electricity-
(BSRIA).
generating technologies. (Energy Savings Trust).
General needs housing: housing of any tenure
Fuel cell: electro-chemical device that produces
designed for people without ‘special needs’.
electricity and heat on-site (BSRIA).
Ground source heat pumps (GSHP): transfers
Fuel poverty: being unable to afford to keep one’s
heat collected from the ground to inside the
home adequately heated.
building or vice versa.
Green roof/wall: planting on a roof or wall to
G-value: the fraction of incident solar radiation
provide climate change, amenity, food growing
transmitted by a window, expressed as a number
and recreational benefits. For further information
between 1 and 0, whereby 1 indicates maximum
please see:
solar heat gain and 0 no solar heat gain. Solar
www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/living-
control glass has a low G-value, typically 0.4
roofs.pdf (LP).
or lower.

189
Habitable room: living, dining, kitchen/dining*
or bedroom (*sometimes habitable rooms
are defined by floor area by local authorities
usually for density calculation purposes e.g. only
kitchen/diners of 12m2 or larger are regarded as
habitable rooms).
Heat interface unit (HIU): an integrated solution
for delivering and recording the heat consumed
by an individual dwelling served from a district
heating scheme. The HIU consists of a pre-
fabricated assembly of components that form
the interface between the heat network and the
dwelling’s heating system. It may include a plate
heat exchanger for the production of hot water
and a heat exchanger to separate the two circuits
together with control valves and a heat meter.
(CIBSE).
Heat meter: device which measures the heat
delivered, typically from a district heating
systems to a consumer. (CIBSE).
High density: above 80 dwellings per hectare
(dph) or 250 habitable rooms per hectare.
High rise: residential buildings of 9 storeys
and above.
Home user guide: a guide for occupants of the
dwelling that contains necessary details about
the everyday use of the home in a form that is
easy for users to understand. (CfSH).
‘Hyperdensity’: above 350 dwellings per hectare.
(Superdensity: the Sequel).
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Inclusive design: inclusive design creates an
environment where everyone can access and
benefit from the full range of opportunities
available to members of society. It aims to
remove barriers that create undue effort,
separation or special treatment, and enables
everyone to participate equally in mainstream
activities independently, with choice and dignity.
(LP).
In-curtilage: any element (usually a parking
space) that is within the curtilage (or plot) of a
dwelling – see also curtilage.
Indoor air quality: attributes of the respirable
atmosphere inside a building including gaseous
composition, humidity, temperature and
contaminants. (BSRIA).
Infiltration: the uncontrolled exchange of air
between inside a building and outside through
cracks, porosity and other unintentional
openings in a building, caused by pressure
difference effects of the wind and/or stack effect.
(AD F:2010).
Landlord supply: the electricity supply for
the landlord areas such as corridors and
communal spaces.
Larger family home: for the purposes of this
handbook, this is defined as a home with 5 or
more bedspaces: see also family home.
Lifecycle costing: the costs over the 30-60 year
lifetime of the building or project. This includes
running and maintenance costs and the costs for
people working there. (CABE).
Lifetime Homes (LTH): a standard owned by
Habinteg Housing Association that defines 16
criteria to make homes accessible and adaptable
(superseded by regulation M4 (2): or Category 2:
of Part M Volume 1 (dwellings)).
Light transmittance: the amount of natural
light received through a window, the higher the
percentage or decimal, the more natural light
received.
Linear views (as part of a townscape view):
linear views are narrow views to a defined object
from an urban space of a building or group of
buildings within a townscape setting. (LP).
Local Planning Authority (LPA): the public
authority whose duty it is to carry out specific
planning functions for a particular area. All
references to local planning authority apply to
the district council, London Borough Council,
County Council, Broads Authority, National Park
Authority and the Greater London Authority, to
the extent appropriate to their responsibilities.
(NPPF).
Local Plan: the plan for the future development
of the local area, drawn up by the local planning
authority in consultation with the community. In
law this is described as the development plan
documents adopted under the Planning and
Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. Current core
strategies or other planning policies, which
under the regulations would be considered to be
development plan documents, form part of the
Local Plan. The term includes old policies which
have been saved under the 2004 Act. (NPPF).
Low-emissivity glass (Low-e): a coating applied
to glass to reduce its emissivity and therefore the
amount of heat lost through the window pane.
Low and zero carbon technologies (LZC):
includes renewable technologies like
photovoltaics, solar water heating, biomass but
also includes low carbon technologies like CHP
and heat pumps. (CIBSE).
Low density: below 40 dwellings per hectare, or
120 habitable rooms per hectare.
Low rise: up to and including 4 storey residential
buildings.
Massing: the volume and shape of the building, in
‘blocks’, rather than what it looks like. (CABE).
Mechanical ventilation: airflow system driven by
electrically powered fans, supplying air and/or
extracting air from a building.
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery
(MVHR): in a mechanical ventilation air handling
unit heat recovery can be used to transfer heat
from extracted air to the supply air. During
summer heat bypass should be used to prevent
heat being transferred back into a building.
Medium density: 40 to 80 dwellings per hectare
or 120 to 250 habitable rooms per hectare.
Medium rise: 5 to 8 storey residential buildings.
Mixed tenure (housing): a development which
provides homes for householders from at least
two different tenure groups (mixed tenure core
means households from at least two tenure
groups living in the same ‘block’ i.e. sharing
access and circulation areas).
191
Mixed use development: development for a
variety of activities on single sites or across wider
areas such as town centres. (LP).
Modern methods of construction (MMC): modern
methods of construction is a collective term used
to describe a number of construction methods
that differ from conventional construction
methods such as brick and block. MMC can
include the following techniques:
n off-site manufactured
n volumetric, off-site manufactured
n panellised, off-site manufactured
n hybrid, off-site manufactured
n sub-assemblies and components, and non
off-site manufactured modern methods of
construction. (NHBC).
Natural ventilation: natural airflow through fixed
vents, doors or openable windows and louvres,
due to differences in thermal and pressure
gradients. (BSRIA).
Neighbourhood plan: a plan prepared by a Parish
Council or Neighbourhood Forum for a particular
neighbourhood area (made under the Planning
and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004). (NPPF).
Net/gross area: the relationship, usually
expressed as a percentage, between the net and
gross areas of a building i.e. (net area divided by
gross area) x 100.
192
Open space: all land that is predominantly
undeveloped other than by buildings or structures
that are ancillary to the open space use. The
definition covers the broad range of types of open
space, whether in public or private ownership and
whether public access is unrestricted, limited or
restricted. (LP).
Opportunity areas: (specifically relating to GLA
London Plan) London’s principal opportunities
for accommodating large scale development to
provide substantial numbers of new employment
and housing, each typically more than 5,000 jobs
and/or 2,500 homes, with a mixed and intensive
use of land
and assisted by good public transport
accessibility. (LP).
Overheating: overheating is a widely used term
but it is not precisely defined or understood.
It implies that building occupants feel
uncomfortably hot and that this discomfort is
caused by the indoor environment. Generally
this is taken to mean that the temperature in the
building is too high for comfort. (CIBSE).
Passive design principles: things that are in-built
to your project – for example natural ventilation
and daylight, and the shape, form, materials and
orientation of the building. (CABE).
Passive stack ventilation/stack effect: a
ventilation system using ducts from terminals
in the ceilings of rooms to terminals on the roof
that extract air to outside by a combination of the
natural stack effect and the pressure effects of
wind passing over the roof of the building. Stack
effect is the pressure differential between inside
and outside a building caused by differences in
the density of the air due to an indoor/outdoor Private (space): space, which may be indoor
temperature difference. (AD F:2010). or outdoor, used by, and under the control of
an individual or a single household. Effectively
Passive surveillance: naturally occurring
the space between the garden gate and rear
overlooking (usually from the home to the
boundary fence in houses and the space beyond
public realm), facilitated by windows, doors and
the front door and out onto the balcony for flats.
balconies.
Private wire arrangement: an arrangement
Performance gap: the difference between the
where electricity generated on or in the vicinity of
calculated predicted (design stage) energy
the site is fed directly to dwellings by dedicated
consumption and carbon emissions of a building
power supplies. This is not permitted for
and its performance in use.
individual residential units in the UK without
Photovoltaics (PV): the direct conversion of solar direct power purchase agreements.
radiation into electricity by the interaction of light
Procurement: the acquisition of appropriate
with electrons in a semiconductor device or cell.
goods and/or services. There are various routes
(LP).
to procure. (CABE).
Planning condition: a condition imposed on a
Project team/project delivery team: the group
grant of planning permission (in accordance with
of consultants and contractors delivering the
the Town and Country Planning Act 1990) or a
project for the client. In some situations these are
condition included in a Local Development Order
integrated, in others they are separate. (CABE).
or Neighbourhood Development Order. (NPPF).
Public realm: space between, and within,
Pollution: anything that affects the quality of
buildings that is publicly accessible, including
land, air, water or soils, which might lead to an
streets, squares, forecourts, parks and open
adverse impact on human health, the natural
spaces. (LP).
environment or general amenity. Pollution can
arise from a range of emissions, including smoke, Public (space): space (usually outdoor) which is
fumes, gases, dust, steam, odour, noise and light. accessible to any member of the general public.
(NPPF).
Public transport accessibility levels (PTALs):
Private housing: homes provided for market or detailed and accurate measure of the accessibility
outright sale. of a point to the public transport network in
London, taking into account walk access time and
Private rented sector (PRS): all non-owner-
service availability. PTALs reflect:
occupied self-contained dwellings that are being
rented out as housing (not including forms of n walking time from the point-of interest to the
affordable housing). (LP). public transport access points

193
n the reliability of the service modes available
n the number of services available within the
catchment
n the level of service at the public transport
access points – i.e. average waiting time.
PTALs do not consider:
n the speed or utility of accessible services
n crowding, including the ability to board
services; or, ease of interchange. (LP).
Purge ventilation: manually controlled
ventilation of rooms or spaces at a relatively high
rate to rapidly dilute pollutants and/or water
vapour. Purge ventilation may be provided by
natural means (e.g. an openable window) or by
mechanical means (e.g. a fan). (AD F:2010).
Rainwater harvesting: collecting water from
roofs via traditional guttering and through down
pipes to a storage tank. It can then be used for a
variety of uses such as watering gardens. (LP).
Renewable energy: energy derived from a source
that is continually replenished, such as wind,
wave, solar, hydroelectric and energy from plant
material, but not fossil fuels or nuclear energy.
Although not strictly renewable, geothermal
energy is generally included. (LP).
Retrofit: the addition of new technology or
features to existing buildings in order to
make
them more efficient and to reduce their
environmental impacts. (LP).
194
Right to Light: a legal right which one property
may acquire over the land of another. If a
building or wall is erected on this land which
reduces the light in the obstructed property to
below sufficient levels, then the right to light
is infringed. The owner or the tenant of the
obstructed property may seek legal redress, for
the removal of the obstruction and/or damages.
(BRE).
Section 106 agreements: these agreements
confer planning obligations on persons with
an
interest in land in order to achieve the
implementation of relevant planning policies
as authorised by Section 106 of the Town and
Country Planning Act 1990. (LP).
Shared space (also referred to as communal
space): space, which may be indoor or outdoor,
used by a specific group of people, not usually
including members of the general public (typically
entrance lobbies, cores and courtyards).
Shared Ownership: see affordable housing.
Sign-off: agreeing a particular aspect is finalised
and defined, and won’t be revisited. This process
can be referred to as gateways and milestones
within a project’s funding. Changes made after
design has been signed off are likely to result in
extra time and cost. (CABE).
Social rented housing: see affordable housing.
Solar gain: heat gains in a building, typically
through a window, from the sun’s thermal energy.
Solar panels: see photovoltaics or solar thermal.
Solar shading: a shading device such as an
internal or external blind, shutter, louvre, brise
soleil or curtain etc. that reduces the amount of
solar gain a building receives.
Solar thermal panels: panels that collect heat
from the sun’s rays to provide hot water.
Special needs housing: housing that includes
special features designed for particular people or
groups of people who require special features in
the home environment.
Stakeholder: people and groups who are affected
by, or have a financial or practical interest in, the
outcome of your project. (CABE).
Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP):
the Government’s approved methodology for
assessing the energy performance of new
dwellings for AD L1A. The procedure accounts
for energy used in space heating and cooling,
hot water provision, fixed lighting and auxiliary
equipment. The indicators of energy performance
are energy consumption per unit floor area,
energy cost rating (SAP rating), environmental
impact rating based on CO2 emissions (EI rating)
and dwelling CO2 emission rate (DER). They are
used in the production of energy performance
certificates (EPCs) and to demonstrate
compliance with AD L1A. (CfSH).
‘Superdensity’: above 150 dwellings per hectare
(dph) or 500 habitable rooms per hectare
(Superdensity).
Surface water: rainwater lying on the surface or
within surface water drains/sewers. (LP).
Sustainable communities: places where people
want to live and work, now and in the future; that
meet
the diverse needs of existing and
future
residents, are sensitive to their environment and
contribute to a high quality of life. They are safe
and inclusive, well planned, built and run, and
offer equality of opportunity and good services for
all. (LP).
Sustainable development: this covers
development that meets
the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs. The
Government has set out five ‘guiding principles’
of sustainable development: living within the
planet’s environmental limits; ensuring a strong,
healthy and just society; achieving a sustainable
economy; promoting good governance; and using
sound science responsibly. (LP).
Sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDs):
an alternative approach from the traditional
ways of managing runoff from buildings and
hardstanding. They can reduce the total amount,
flow and rate of surface water that runs directly
to rivers through stormwater systems. (LP).
Soil (and) vent pipes (SVP): pipework for the
removal of sewage waste from a building whilst
regulating the air pressure in the pipes through
vents at roof level.
Target Emissions Rate (TER): the target emission
rate is the maximum allowable CO2 emissions per
m2 (KgCO2/m2 /year) arising from energy used
in heating, cooling, hot water and lighting which
would demonstrate compliance with AD L1A.
(CfSH).
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Target Fabric Energy Efficiency (TFEE): see Volatile organic compounds (VOC): emissions
Fabric Energy Efficiency (FEE). from furnishings and some structural materials
which may have a deleterious effect on
Thermal bridge: informal term given to any
occupants. VOCs are commonly found in the
part of the building envelope where there is an
solvents of glues and non-water-based paints and
increased heat flow compared with adjacent
varnishes, and in some preservative treatments.
parts. (BRE: Reducing Thermal bridging at junctions
(CfSH).
when designing and installing solid wall insulation)
‘Wheelchair accessible’ dwelling: Category
Thermal mass: the ability of a material to store
3 dwelling constructed to be suitable for
heat, ideally in step with a building’s daily heating
immediate occupation by a wheelchair user
and cooling cycle – example materials include
housing where the planning authority specifies
concrete and masonry products.
that optional requirement M(4)(2)(b) applies.
Trickle vents: thin air vents, usually cut into the (AD M Volume 1: Dwellings, 2015)
head of window frames, used for background
‘Wheelchair adaptable’ dwelling: Category
ventilation in homes.
3 dwelling constructed with the potential to
Urban heat island: an urban area significantly be adapted for occupation by a wheelchair
warmer than the surrounding countryside. This user where the planning authority specifies
is a manmade issue due to dark coloured hard that optional requirement M(4)(2)(a) applies.
surfaces absorbing heat. London is an example of (AD M Volume 1: Dwellings, 2015).
an urban heat island.
Wind turbines: convert wind energy to electrical
U-value: or thermal transmittance of a building power using a wind turbine (BSRIA).
element or component, is a measure of its ability
Winter gardens: a glazed enclosed balcony with
to conduct heat from a warmer environment
or without openable panes that shelters residents
to a cooler environment. It is expressed as:
from the elements.
the quantity of heat (in Watts) that will flow
through one square metre of area divided by the Zero Carbon: a term applied to a building’s use,
difference in temperature (in degrees K) between with zero net energy consumption, and zero
the internal and external environment, and thus carbon emissions annually. There are many
the unit is W/m2.K. (BRE). issues about definition, primarily around whether
on-site or off-site measures can be taken into
Value engineering: the process of improving
account. (CABE).
the ‘value’ of the project, in relation to function.
Design quality often needs to be defined as a
value in this process, or else it can be sidelined
as not a basic function. (CABE).

196
References and further reading
Note that this list is not exhaustive and excludes National disability authority: Building for everyone,
references to the Approved Documents of the 2002
Building Regulations. It includes references to http://universaldesign.ie/Built-Environment/
some documents which are no longer in current Building-for-Everyone/#figBfE11EntireSeriesBooks
use but which may provide useful background.
Older Persons’ Housing design; A European Good
Practice Guide, 2007
Accessibility www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/housing/
general-housing/welhops-welfare-housing-
CABE: Design and access statements: How to
policies-senior-citizens-0
write, read and use them, 2007 http://webarchive.
nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110118095356/http:/
www.cabe.org.uk/files/design-and-access- Environment/sustainability
statements.pdf
British Standards: BS 8206:2008: Lighting for
CABE: The principles of inclusive design. Buildings, 2008
(They include you), 2006
BSRIA: The Illustrated Guide to Renewable
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
Technologies, 2008
uk/20110118095356/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/files/
https://www.bsria.co.uk/information-
the-principles-of-inclusive-design.pdf
membership/bookshop/publication/illustrated-
GLA: Wheelchair accessible housing: Draft best guide-to-renewable-technologies
practice guidance, 2007
BSRIA: The Illustrated Guide to Ventilation, 2009
https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/
https://www.bsria.co.uk/information-
gla_migrate_files_destination/archives/bpg-
membership/bookshop/publication/illustrated-
wheelchair-acc-housing.pdf
guide-to-ventilation
Habinteg Housing Association: Lifetime Homes,
BSRIA: The Illustrated Guide to Electrical Building
2011
Services 3rd edition, 2014
www.lifetimehomes.org.uk
https://www.bsria.co.uk/information-
Habinteg with Thorpe, S: The wheelchair housing membership/bookshop/publication/illustrated-
design guide. 2nd edition, 2006 guide-to-electrical-building-services-3rd-edition
www.brebookshop.com/samples/190679.pdf

197
BSRIA: The Illustrated Guide to Mechanical Building
Services 2nd edition, 2012
https://www.bsria.co.uk/information-
membership/bookshop/publication/illustrated-
guide-to-mechanical-building-services-2nd-
edition
BSRIA: the Soft Landings Framework, 2014
https://www.bsria.co.uk/services/design/soft-
landings/free-guidance
CABE: Sustainable design, climate change and the
built environment, 2007
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/files/
sustainable-design-and-climate-change.pdf
CIBSE/ADE: CP1 Heat Networks: Code of Practice
for the UK, 2015
www.cibse.org/Knowledge/CIBSE-other-
publications/CP1-Heat-Networks-Code-of-
Practice-for-the-UK
CIBSE: Guide A Environmental Design Guide, 2015
www.cibse.org/knowledge/cibse-guide/cibse-
guide-a-environmental-design-new-2015
CIBSE: TM52 The Limits of Thermal Comfort:
Avoiding Overheating, 2013
www.cibse.org/knowledge/cibse-tm/tm52-limits-
of-thermal-comfort-avoiding-overheatin
GLA: Sustainable Design and Construction SPG,
2014
https://www.london.gov.uk/file/18489/
download?token=wkL8tUqw
198
National Measurement & Regulation Office: Heat
Network (metering and billing) regulations, 2014
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/heat-networks
NHBC: Designing Homes for the 21st Century, 2013
www.zerocarbonhub.org/sites/default/files/
resources/reports/Designing_Homes_for_
the_21st_Century-Lessons_for_Low_Energy_
Design(NF50).pdf
NHBC: Overheating in New Homes, A review of the
evidence, 2012
www.zerocarbonhub.org/sites/default/files/
resources/reports/Overheating_in_New_
Homes-A_review_of_the_evidence_NF46.pdf
NHBC: Understanding Overheating – Where to start,
2012
www.zerocarbonhub.org/sites/default/files/
resources/reports/Understanding_Overheating-
Where_to_Start_NF44.pdf
NHBC: Sustainable Technologies, The Experience of
Housing Associations, 2015
www.bre.co.uk/filelibrary/nsc/Documents%20
Library/Not%20for%20Profits/NF63_
Sustainable_technologies_experience_of_HAs.
pdf
Sofie Pelsmakers: The Environmental Design
Pocketbook. 2nd edition, 2015
www.ribabookshops.com/book/the-
environmental-design-pocketbook/74334
P. Littlefair: BRE Guide to Site Layout Planning for
Daylight and Sunlight. 2nd edition, 2011
www.brebookshop.com/details.jsp?id=326792
Water Efficiency Calculator for New Dwellings, 2009
http://sites.wrcplc.co.uk/partgcalculator
Zero Carbon Hub: Overheating in homes, An
introduction for planners, designers and property
owners, (undated)
www.zerocarbonhub.org/sites/default/files/
resources/reports/Overheating_in_Homes-
Where_to_Start_Introduction_for_Planners_
Designers_and_Property_Owners.pdf
Health-related issues
CABE: Physical activity and the built environment,
2006
www.planethealthcymru.org/sitesplus/
documents/886/physical-activity-and-the-built-
environment1.pdf
Modern methods of construction
CABE: Design and modern methods of construction,
(undated)
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http://www.cabe.org.
uk/files/design-and-modern-methods-of-
construction.pdf
NHBC: A Guide to Modern Methods of Construction,
2006
www.nhbcfoundation.org/Publications/Guide/A-
guide-to-modern-methods-of-construction-NF1
Housing quality including
space standards
Building for Life standard: A better place to live,
2005
www.buildingforlife.org
Building for Life 12: Delivering great places to live,
2008
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/files/
delivering-great-places-to-live.pdf
CABE: Actions for housing growth: creating a legacy
of great places, 2007
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http://www.cabe.org.uk/
files/actions-for-housing-growth.pdf
CABE: Buildings and spaces: why design matters,
2006
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http://www.cabe.org.uk/
files/buildings-and-spaces.pdf
CABE: Creating excellent buildings: A guide for
clients, 2003
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/files/
creating-excellent-buildings.pdf
CABE: The cost of bad design, 2006
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/files/
the-cost-of-bad-design.pdf
CABE: Design champions, (undated)
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/files/
design-champions.pdf
199
CABE: Design reviewed urban housing: Lessons
learnt from projects reviewed by CABE’s expert
design panel, 2004
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/files/
design-review-ed-urban-housing.pdf
CABE: What home buyers want: Attitudes and
decision making among consumers, 2006
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http://www.cabe.org.uk/
files/what-home-buyers-want.pdf
GLA: Housing SPG, November 2012
https://www.london.gov.uk/file/5341/
download?token=GUwNl-wT
GLA: Housing SPG (Draft Interim), May 2015
https://www.london.gov.uk/file/22781/
download?token=d8iISRv4
GLA: The London Plan (Further Alterations to the
London Plan – FALP), March 2015
https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/
planning/london-plan/past-versions-and-
alterations-london-plan/further-alterations-
london#Stub-62953
Homes and Communities Agency: HQI: Housing
Quality Indicators form (version 4), 2007
(No longer in use)
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/
uploads/attachment_data/file/366634/721_hqi_
form_4_apr_08_update_20080820153028.pdf
200
Homes and Communities Agency: Design and
quality standards, 2007 (No longer in use)
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/
uploads/attachment_data/file/313392/design_
quality_standards.pdf
Homes and Communities Agency: Design and
quality strategy, 2007 (No longer in use)
www.rudi.net/files/paper/optional_file/Design_
and_quality_strategy.pdf
HTA, LBA, PRP and PTE with Design for Homes:
Recommendations for living at Superdensity. NHBC,
2007
www.designforhomes.org/wp-content/
uploads/2012/03/Superdensity2.pdf
National Housing Federation: Higher density
housing for families: a design and specification
guide, 2004
Order from www.housing.org.uk
National Housing Federation: Standards and
quality in development: a good practice guide
(2nd edition), (Drury, A. 2008)
www.hatc.co.uk/knowledge/publications/guide-
to-standards-quality-in-development
Security
ACPO: Secured by design – New Homes, 2014
www.securedbydesign.com/wp-content/
uploads/2014/02/SBD-NewHomes14-lowres.pdf
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Safer places:
The planning system and crime prevention, 2004
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/
uploads/attachment_data/file/7784/147627.pdf
Site appraisal/development potential
CABE and English Heritage: Guidance on tall
buildings, 2007
www.designcouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/
asset/document/guidance-on-tall-buildings_0.
pdf
English Partnerships: The Brownfield guide:
A practitioner’s guide to land reuse in England. 6
parts and 6 annexes, 2006
http://collections.europarchive.org/
tna/20100911035042/http:/englishpartnerships.
co.uk/landsupplypublications.htm
CABE: Creating successful masterplans: A guide for
clients, 2004
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/files/
creating-successful-masterplans.pdf
CABE: Community led spaces: A guide for local
authorities and community groups, 2010
http://locality.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/
Community-led-spaces_FINAL_Nov10.pdf
CABE and NHF: Decent homes need decent spaces,
2010.
www.designcouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/
asset/document/decent-homes-need-decent-
spaces.pdf
CABE: Decent parks? Decent behaviour?, 2005.
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http://www.cabe.org.uk/
files/decent-parks-decent-behaviour.pdf
CABE: Design reviewed urban housing: Lessons
learnt from projects reviewed by CABE’s expert
design panel, 2004
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/files/
design-review-ed-urban-housing.pdf
CABE. Green space strategies: A good practice
guide, 2006
https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/sites/default/
files/asset/document/open-space-strategies.pdf
CABE: Involving young people in the design and care
of urban spaces: What would you do with this space?
2004
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/files/
what-would-you-do-with-this-space.pdf
CABE: It’s our space: A guide for community groups
working to improve public space, 2007
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http://www.cabe.org.uk/
files/its-our-space.pdf
CABE: Making Contracts Work For Wildlife’, 2006
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http://www.cabe.org.uk/
files/making-contracts-work-for-wildlife.pdf
CABE: Managing green spaces: Seven ingredients
for success, 2010
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/files/
managing-green-spaces.pdf
201
CABE: Paved with gold: the real value of good street
design, 2007
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/files/
paved-with-gold.pdf
CABE: Start with the park: Creating sustainable
urban green spaces in areas of housing growth and
renewal, 2005
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http://www.cabe.org.uk/
files/start-with-the-park.pdf
CABE: This way to better streets: 10 case studies on
improving street design, 2007
https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/sites/default/
files/asset/document/10%3Dcase-studies-this-
way-to-better-streets.pdf
CABE: What its like to live there: The view of
residents on the design of new housing, 2005
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.
uk/20110118095356/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/files/
what-its-like-to-live-there.pdf
Department for Communities and Local
Government: Manual for streets, 2007
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/
system/uploads/attachment_data/file/341513/
pdfmanforstreets.pdf
English Partnerships: Car parking: What works
where? 2006
http://collections.europarchive.org/
tna/20100911035042/http://englishpartnerships.
co.uk/qualityandinnovationpublications.htm
202
English Partnerships and Housing Corporation:
Delivering quality places: Urban design compendium
2, (2007)
http://udc.homesandcommunities.co.uk/
urban-design-compendium?page_
id=5610&%3B%3Bpage=180
Frith, M., Harrison: S. Decent homes, decent
spaces. Neighbourhoods Green, 2005
www.neighbourhoodsgreen.org.uk/upload/
public/documents/webpage/dhds%20reduced.pdf
GLA: Shaping Neighbourhoods Play and Informal
Recreation SPG, 2012
https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/
planning/london-plan/past-versions-and-
alterations-london-plan/further-alterations-
london#Stub-62953
Institute of Highways Engineers: Home zone
design guidelines, 2002
www.theihe.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/
HomeZoneGudelinesv2.pdf
Llewellyn-Davies for English Partnerships:
The urban design compendium, 2000
http://collections.europarchive.org/
tna/20100911035042/http://englishpartnerships.
co.uk/qualityandinnovationpublications.htm
London Housing Federation: Think Big: Delivering
family homes for Londoners, (undated)
www.rudi.net/files/Thinkbig.summary.pdf
National Housing Federation: Edible estates:
A good practice guide to growing for social
landlords, 2014
www.neighbourhoodsgreen.org.uk/upload/
public/Edible%20Estates/Edible%20Estates.pdf
National Housing Federation: Greener
Neighbourhoods: A Good Practice Guide to Managing
Green Space, 2011
www.neighbourhoodsgreen.org.uk/upload/
public/documents/webpage/Greener-
neighbourhoods-weblinks-2110.pdf
National Housing Federation: No parking: Making
low or zero parking work on higher density housing
schemes, 2006
http://sampac.nl/EUKN2015/www.eukn.org/
dsresourcee523.pdf?objectid=149421
Natural England and Neighbourhoods Green:
A natural estate, 2007
www.neighbourhoodsgreen.org.uk/upload/
public/A%20natural%20estate.pdf
Play England: Design for play: A guide to creating
successful play spaces, 2008
www.playengland.org.uk/media/70684/design-
for-play.pdf
Play England: Managing risk in play provision:
Implementation guide, 2012
www.playengland.org.uk/media/172644/
managing-risk-in-play-provision.pdf

203
The National Housing Federation supports and promotes
the work that housing associations do and campaigns for
better housing and neighbourhoods.

Housing Standards Handbook

A good practice guide to design quality for affordable housing providers
Since Standards and quality in development was published in 2008, the world of
planning policy and housing standards has been apace with change, and following
the Housing Standards Review earlier this year we are pleased to present this new
handbook which reflects the latest standards and best practice.
The book considers the role that standards play in securing the quality of new build
housing. It includes aspects of housing regulation – particularly in subject areas
that have, until recently, been included in funding standards or local planning
policy documents – or both.
The guide is easy to navigate and each chapter breaks down the standards to show
whether standards are applied nationally or locally, along with some best practice
guidance. There is a checklist in the appendices containing all the standards
listed in the book, which provides a useful tool for use throughout the lifecycle of
a project.

Price £59.95 (members £44.95)

ISBN 978 0 86297 588 3
National Housing Federation
Lion Court, 25 Procter Street, London WC1V 6NY
Tel: 020 7067 1010 Email: info@housing.org.uk

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