Design and Access Statements

Writing Design and Access Statements for Listed Building Consent Applications

A Design and Access Statement is a short report to accompany and support an application for Listed Building Consent. Its purpose is to illustrate the process that has led to the development of the application and explain and justify the proposed works in a structured way. Where a Planning application is submitted in parallel to the Listed Building Consent application, a single combined Statement should address the requirements of both.

The Statement should explain how the following aspects of the proposal have been considered in terms of design and access:

1. Scale- how big the building/ structure will be, the height, the width and the length
2. Layout- the arrangement of buildings, parts of buildings, structures and spaces on the site.
3. Appearance- what the building will look like, architectural style, materials, detailing etc

The length of the Statement will depend upon the extent and impact of the works proposed; you should consider this carefully in the light of the available guidance. The most useful Statements are those which are appropriate in length to the complexity of the proposal.

Statements for more complex applications are likely to include written elements together with sketches, drawings and photographs of the site and its surroundings. They will not only explain the submitted proposal, but also tell the story of how particular solutions have been arrived at and how potentially conflicting issues have been identified and balanced in reaching the design solution. This can even include rejected ideas and sketches which can be useful to justify selected options.

Government advice on Design and Access Statements is found in Circular 01/2006, which can be downloaded from http://www.communities.gov.uk

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) has also issued advice on the process of producing Design and Access Statements. This can be downloaded from http://www.cabe.org.uk

The Design Component

The Design element of a Statement accompanying and application for Listed Building Consent should follow the broad approach of those submitted for planning permissions. However, particular attention will need to be paid to the architectural and historic context of the proposal- this should be evaluated in terms of the criteria found in Paragraph 3.5 of PPG 15, 'Planning and the Historic Environment', which can be downloaded from http://www.communities.gov.uk

It is summarised below:

1. the importance of the building, its intrinsic architectural and historic interest and rarity, in both national and local terms; it may be by a particular architect, an example of a particular building technology, associated with a particular historic event. It may be a typical example of its genre or exhibit informative phases of change and transition.
2. the particular physical features of the building which justify its inclusion in the list (interior and exterior): these may include its design, plan , materials, decoration, surviving historic fabric or location. It should be remembered that List descriptions are not exhaustive so the value of other features which are not mentioned should not be ignored.
3. the building's setting and its contribution to the local scene, which may be very important, eg. where it forms an element in a group, park, garden or other townscape or landscape, or where it shares particular architectural forms or details with other buildings nearby;
4. the extent to which the proposed works would bring substantial benefits for the community, in particular by contributing to the economic regeneration of the area or the enhancement of its environment (including other Listed buildings).

There is no set format for the Design component; for minor applications, all that may be necessary may be an assessment of the amount of the historic fabric affected and how steps have been taken to minimise its loss or mitigate its impact. For applications with greater impact, a fuller analysis of the architectural merits of the whole may be required, with an evaluation of changes to the building which have taken place over time, their relative importance, the relationship between one part of the Listed complex with another, the importance of any historic landscape setting and so forth. This could require historical research, architectural research, desk survey, on-site observations, limited exploratory work and building archaeology.

The Access Component

Statements should explain, where relevant, how proposals will ensure that all users will have equal and convenient access to buildings and spaces, and the public transport network. The Statement should address the need for flexibility of the development and how it may adapt to changing needs.

The Statement should include a brief explanation of the applicant's policy and approach to access, with particular reference to the inclusion of disabled people. It should clearly set out how the duties imposed by the Disability Discrimination Act have been balanced against the architectural and historic interest of the Listed Building as judged by the aspects set out in Paragraph 3.5 of PPG 15. It will describe how advice on design and accessibility and technical issues will be, or have been followed, and may refer to guidance on access to historic buildings produced by English Heritage.