4 HIGH QUALITY ENVIRONMENT |
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Introduction
4.1 The high quality urban and rural
environment of
4.2 Maintaining and improving the quality
of our environment is therefore one of the most important aspects of the Local
Plan.
4.3 The Plan’s environmental policies and
proposals set standards for design
quality, particularly in our urban areas which will protect residential
amenity and ensure high quality of infill, conversion or vacant land
developments, alterations to existing properties, shop front designs,
telecommunications installations and advertisements.
4.4 The plan also gives clear advice on
how the environmental impact of proposed developments and in particular
potential changes to air quality, noise levels and traffic, will be assessed.
The plan also defines flood and other development risk areas and indicates how
these risks will be assessed through the planning process, for the benefit of
developers and the community alike.
4.5 The Council’s planning policy towards
the potential developments such as quarrying, land fill, recycling and
renewable energy which could have an impact on rural environmental quality, is
also clearly set out.
4.6 East Dunbartonshire’s towns, villages
and countryside are rich in history and the Plan contains policies to protect
the area’s historic environment
whether it be archaeological remains, Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas or
other areas of important townscape.
4.7 The area’s natural environment and in particular its biodiversity, also
requires to be protected and enhanced and the plan gives a commitment to
prepare and implement a Local Biodiversity Action Plan as well as continuing to
protect Sites of Special Scientific Interest, locally designated wildlife resources
and ecologically important woodlands.
4.8 The quality of
4.9 The plan is particularly concerned to
protect the landscape quality of the Campsie Fells and to promote the
designation of a
4.10 Public
art can create a sense of place in an urban area and greatly enhance the
experience and enjoyment of buildings and public spaces. Therefore the Council
will seek to encourage the provision of public art in association with new
development by the private sector, the Council or public agencies.
4.1 Design Quality |
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4.1.1 The Council will seek to achieve a high standard of design when new developments
or advertisements are proposed. To help the Council in assessing planning
applications, and to assist developers in interpreting the local plan policies,
a series of Guidance Notes have been produced as part of this Local Plan.
4.1.2 The Council also aims to encourage the
removal of the discrimination which many disabled people encounter in the built
environment. It will generally support
designs based on good practice which anticipate and overcome restrictions that
prevent disabled people making full use of premises and their surroundings.
4.1.3 The Scottish Executive has recently
published two documents on design “Designing
Places: A Policy Statement for
4.1.4 Designing
Places also highlights the importance of design guidance being set out in
development plans and the need to use masterplans and development briefs in
appropriate circumstances, as referred to elsewhere in this local plan.
4.1.5 Within generally residential areas, one
could expect to find a variety of uses.
Therefore as well as housing, one would find schools, churches, local shops,
the occasional business, parks and open spaces. The following policies are
designed to protect the character, amenity and environment of these areas
whilst allowing for a diversity of uses where these cause no harm to the
residential environment.
4.1.6 Parks and areas of open space, even where these are small, will particularly be
protected from adverse developments due to the important role that they play in
the character of an area. Even small areas contribute to the green networks of
the area which are important for the overall biodiversity of
4.1.7 It should be noted that some sites may
contain development constraints, such as water mains or gas pipes, and these
may also limit how a site can be developed.
4.1.8 The Council will assess all development
proposals in terms of both the appropriateness of the proposed use of the land
and of the quality of the design of the proposed built form.
DQ 1
Assessing Proposed Uses
Development
will be assessed with regard to the guiding principles of this plan (i.e.
development must be sustainable, compatible with the sequential approach and
accord with the aim of integrating land uses with transport), and the following
principles:
a. development
should enhance, and certainly not reduce the amenity and character of the
surrounding area, in particular, residential amenity will be strongly
protected,
b. Features
important for their ecology or landscape character within development sites should
where possible be retained and/or enhanced and managed appropriately. Development should not result in the loss of recreational land, amenity
space or areas with significant biodiversity or landscape value unless these
can be replaced elsewhere to the satisfaction of the Council. Where these areas form part of a green
network any adverse impact will be particularly resisted,
c. changes
of use and redevelopment should not result in the loss of business or
employment land or opportunities, and
d. the
Council encourages mixed use proposals where character and amenity are not
significantly adversely affected, and where it does not conflict with other
policies in this Plan. Limited business uses in residential properties are
encouraged, however this must not result in significant detrimental effect to
the area by way of traffic generation, noise or disturbance from the operation
(particularly early morning or late evening) or other factors (see Planning
Guidance Note 8).
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DQ 2 Design Quality The Council will expect high quality
design in all developments, and all development should be compatible with the
amenity and character of the area within which it is located. There will be a
presumption against development proposals which do not have regard to the
factors set out in policies DQ 2A-E below. |
DQ 2A General Principles
High
quality design of new developments and redevelopments will be expected, and in
assessing planning applications the Council will pay particular regard to the
following:
a. scale,
massing, materials, fenestration - especially on prominent frontages and at
corner sites. Developments should generally take recognition of, and reinforce
or complement the character of their surrounds,
b. within
historic environments (see Historic Environment policies and Guidance Note 9)
development must particularly reflect the existing or original character,
c. innovative
designs will be encouraged where there will be no adverse effects on a street
scene or the surrounding area,
d. roads
and parking standards should be met,
e. the
size and shape of any development plot, or garden ground remaining after
development, must be compatible with the surrounding area,
f. there
must be adequate infrastructure provision in respect of education, drainage,
including land drainage and effluent disposal arrangements (where there is a
deficiency in any respect, appropriate upgrading will require to be undertaken
as a condition of planning permission, through a Section 75 Agreement or prior
to permission being granted). In new developments, the provision of all
services, including telephone cabling, will generally be expected to be
underground,
g. the
Council will encourage sustainable development (including energy efficiency,
use of sustainably resourced materials, reduction of pollution including light
pollution and the use of renewable energy), where this is compatible with the
character and amenity of the area,
h. arrangements
for surface water drainage will require to be compatible with best available
advice on Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS), and
i. developments
should be designed having regard to the varying needs of different groups in
society and should afford ease of movement and access for all.
Planning applications should take account of the guidance provided by
the Council in the Planning Guidance Notes contained in Appendix 9 of this
plan. Guidance is contained on the following topics:
1. Shopfronts
and Canopies.
2. Advertisement
Control.
3. Daylight
and Intervisibility of Windows
4. Television
Satellite Antennae.
5. House
Plot Development.
6. Residential
layout and Redevelopment
7. House extensions and garages.
8. Working from home.
9. Built
Heritage
10. Open Space
11. Telecommunications Developments
12. Sustainable Development
13. Designing Out Crime
14. Landscape Character
15. Design of Converted Agricultural
Outbuildings
16. Affordable Housing – Supplementary
Guidance
DQ 2B
New Site Developments and Redevelopments
In
addition to the above points in Policy 2A, the following should be considered:
a. new
residential developments will be encouraged to combine a variety of forms of
housing, including villas, semi-detached, terraced and flatted dwellings,
b. all
new houses should where at all practical be designed to ‘varying needs
standards’ (barrier free) thus providing lifetime homes,
c. larger
sites, particularly on the urban edge, must take account of their landscape
character and setting,
d. open
space provision must be adequate and comply with the Council’s open space
standards (see Open Space policy OS 3) in terms of quantity, quality, function
and future maintenance,
e. high
density developments in accessible locations will be encouraged, providing that
suitable design, open space and parking standards are met (see policy TRANS 1),
f. backland
development i.e. development of a plot without a road frontage, will generally
not be acceptable, and
g. developments
should be designed taking into account safety, security and crime prevention,
both within the site itself, and with regard to views to and from public areas
and footpaths (see Guidance Note 13 - Designing out crime).
DQ 2C House Extensions
House
extensions where they cause no significant detriment to the building, the
neighbours or the vicinity will generally be acceptable. In addition to the
above points in Policy 2A, the following should be considered:
a. extensions
should not dominate the existing building by way of size, scale, proportions or
design,
b. side
extensions which do, or could result in the creation of an unbroken terrace
appearance on a street frontage will generally be unacceptable where this is
seen to have a detrimental impact on the street frontage,
c. extensions
should not have a significant adverse affect on the privacy of neighbours,
particularly in private rear gardens, and
d. two
storey flat roofed extensions, and multiple dormer window extensions which give
the appearance of a flat roof, will not be permitted,
4.1.10 In recognising the value of shopfronts to
the character of shopping areas, and in particular the town centres, the
Council wishes particularly to encourage improvements.
4.1.11 A pilot Grant Scheme has been tested as
part of the recent project to upgrade Bishopbriggs Town Centre. This has
assisted shopkeepers and shopowners with the costs involved in involvements and
has been successful in encouraging better shopfronts.
4.1.12 Improvements to the fabric of the shopfront
and decorative enhancements such as hanging baskets all add greatly to the
amenity of shopping environments. It is likely that this approach would be
similarly successful in other town centres.
DQ 2D Shopfronts
The
Council will support measures to improve the appearance of individual shops.
New shopfronts should incorporate a high quality design taking account of the
original design of the shopfront and the particular location. Guidance on
shopfront and advertisement design is contained in Guidance Notes 1 and 2.
As
resources permit, the Council will extend the Bishopbriggs town centre
shopfront Grant Scheme to other town centres.