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Design access statements

The requirement to produce Design and Access Statements to accompany most planning applications came into force (on 10 August 2006) as a result of Section 3 of DCLG Circular 01/06 : Guidance on Changes to the Development Control System - available from this page of the DCLG website.

Significant background explanatory clauses include:

• "60. A design and access statement is a short report accompanying and supporting a planning application to illustrate the process that has led to the development proposal, and to explain and justify the proposal in a structured way."
• "63. Design and access statements help to ensure development proposals are based on a thoughtful design process and a sustainable approach to access; they allow the applicant to explain and justify their proposals; and they help all those assessing the application to understand the design and access rationale that underpins them. Statements should improve the quality of proposals."

In principle all planning applications, except householder and change of use applications, will require such statements. Refer to clause 69 for more details.

Although many architects have been producing design and access statements for some time, Circular 01/06 sets out the range of topics that must be adequately covered:

The Design Component

• The amount of development.
• The layout of buildings, routes, and open spaces.
• The scale (height, width, length, etc.)
• The landscaping (private and public spaces).
• The appearance (materials, colour, texture, etc.).

The Access Component

• How equal and convenient access for all users to buildings, spaces, and the public transport network will be provided.
• How relevant policies in local development documents have been taken into account.
• How access for the emergency services will be provided.

CABE guidance

CABE's 'Design and access statements: how to write, read and use them' is available in full at http://www.cabe.org.uk/default.aspx?contentitemid=1334

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