Workshop puts design score proposal through its paces

Planning, 5 December 2008

Planners are sometimes accused of coming from other planets while design terminology has been described as a language with no earthly comparison. It was therefore particularly apt that the CABE workshop on Building for Life (BfL) and design and access statements for West Midlands Planning Aid coincidentally shared Coventry city centre with Daleks in advance of a Doctor Who exhibition next year.

Design is a key planning consideration, but the assessment of quality is fraught with subjectivity. BfL provides a 20-point scoring system that attempts to deal with design in a holistic way. The approach aims to make the process more transparent while ensuring that proposals deliver wider sustainability objectives. The scoring is intended to be used by local authority planners at the pre-application stage to make improvements prior to submission.

The workshop was particularly relevant for Planning Aid volunteers in the West Midlands because the emerging regional spatial strategy not only proposes using BfL to assess housing schemes but also sets out a target that these are expected to achieve.

After a brief introduction, participants were soon putting the scoring system to the test in assessing Coventry's Phoenix regeneration project and a scheme for Stratford-upon- Avon cattle market on issues such as design and construction, character and community.

The BfL system helped to focus thoughts about the strengths and weaknesses of the developments, and its potential as a method of engaging communities at pre-application stage was apparent. It also became clear that information was needed on all scoring criteria to fully assess a proposal and that effective application will depend on the input of trained BfL assessors in local planning authorities.

Design and access statements have been required for some time but are they ensuring quality? The participants felt that they have great potential, although in practice their quality is variable and they are regarded by some as a tick-box exercise.

Concern was also raised about the confusion from having two design-based initiatives - design and access statements and the BfL criteria - to assess proposals and in particular how this could discourage community engagement. Perhaps planners need to consider aligning the two. This could improve both the quality of design and encourage wider community engagement.

- Sandra Newton is West Midlands Planning Aid acting regional manager.