Central Bedfordshire Design Guide SPD

There is insufficient focus and provision for rural areas within this design guide. As an example, section 7.4 states that off carriageway cycle tracks and bridleways should be .... and lit. Having lit routes is not appropriate in rural areas and many villages, especially in areas with Dark Night Skies. In rural areas, it may be preferred and more efficient to have foot/cycle/equestrian routes well away from the road, for reasons of convenience, tranquility and user safety (especially where roads are often national speed limit).

Section 7.21 does not contain provision for rural areas and small villages, especially in areas of Dark Night Skies. It may not be appropriate to have rural and small village areas "well lit", especially in areas of Dark Night Skies. Appropriate provision needs to me made for sensitive (or no) lighting in these areas.

(1) The document overly prescribes for urban and suburban areas without sufficient allowance or provision for rural and small village locations. This is likely to lead to inappropriate standards and guidelines being applied in rural and small village locations, which could ultimately lead to the urbanisation of these areas.
(2) Greater provision needs to be included for taking account of other local (e.g. town and parish) design guidance, such as that included in neighbourhood plans, local design codes, etc.

(1) The document overly focuses on urban and suburban areas without sufficient allowance or provision for rural and small village locations. This is likely to lead to inappropriate standards and guidelines being applied in rural and small village locations, which could ultimately lead to the urbanisation of these areas.
(2) Greater provision needs to be included for taking account of other local (e.g. town and parish) design guidance, such as that included in neighbourhood plans, local design codes, etc.
(3) Where the existing variation and mix of the existing built form is an attractive and valued feature of the local area (e.g. in a small hamlet or village), then provision needs to be included to ensure that new development sensitively enhances this varation, e.g. through using similar levels of variation to the existing street scene and buildings, taking the opportunity to include elements of existing detailing features and also sensitively adding new detailing features.

8.6.6 This provision is welcome. I would encourage the addition of the words 'small villages' to the sentence, e.g.: "Mixed native hedgerows with trees are typical upon settlement edges, as well as in small villages and in rural areas"

8. There is no provision included here for watercourses, ponds, etc. Watercourses and ponds are critical elements of nature and biodiversity and appropriate provision must be made for them.

8.9 Provision needs to be included to ensure that opportunities are taken to reinforce the rural character and local distinctiveness of small villages and rural areas by retaining, expanding and enhancing hedgerows, trees and woodlands; where possible gaps in existing or preexisting woodlands and hedgerows should be filled with suitable species, especially where these woodlands and hedgerows have historically existed but been removed in more recent times due to things such as intensive farming methods or urbanisation. This is particularly important where heritage tree and hedgerow features do, or have previously existed, such as at parish boundaries, estate boundaries, following the Enclosure Acts, or as belts of trees to protect against soil erosion.

8.10 This needs to include the provision for creating nature areas, nature corridors and, where possible, joining existing habitat areas to ensure that species can permiate, and that species 'islands' are reduced, thus increasing biodiversity.

11.7 For developments in rural areas and small villages the requirement should be for boundary treatments to be formed solely of suitable native species hedges or post and rail fencing underplanted with suitable native species hedging (prickly or spikey species should be used where security is required); high walls and brick walls (unless enhancing or supplementing existing local features) and close-boarded fencing should be avoided in rural areas and small villages. Boundary treatments in rural areas and small villages should be permeable to wildlife, including insects, ground-birds and mammels such as hedgehogs and badgers.

6 Provision needs to be included to accomodate the equipment required for sustainable forms of heating. Ground sourced heat pumps can be more efficient and create less noise than air-sourced heat pumps, but can be costly and difficult to retrofit, so should be considered as part of any initial design. Provision needs to ensure that the noise generated by air sourced heat pumps does not cause disturbance or nuisance, especially in rural and small village locations, and especially as the equipment ages. I would strongly recommend the inclusion of a specific subsection in section 6 that deals with good design around sustainable energy sources and clean heating systems.

6.24 The provisions around solar (photovoltaic or PV) power are inadequate. Where possible and sensitive to do so, roofs should be designed and orientated so as to be suitable to easily accomodate clean energy schemes, even where these are not fitted at the initial build phase.

Dear Central Bedfordshire Council,

I have reviewed your draft Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) that is currently out for consultation.

I have made a number of specific comments through the online tool, however, whilst the document has a great deal of good work in it, I have two important and general points that I believe apply to all or most of the document:

(1) The whole document seems to have a very urban and suburban focus to it. There are very few specific provisions suitable for rural areas and small villages, and quite a few of the provisions, if they were applied in rural areas and small villages, would have the effect of urbanising these areas. As a couple of examples: (i) the document proposes 'mandatory' provision of lighting for cycleways and bridleways (this is likely to be inappropriate in rural areas and small villages, especially those areas with Dark Night Skies); (ii) boundary treatments seem to focus on walls, railings and fences (though it does include hedges, but does not point out that walls, railings and fences may be inappropriate in rural areas and small villages).

(2) The document does not give enough weight and support to existing (and current) town/parish/neighbourhood design codes, design guides, etc. such as the Sutton Design Code and/or those included in Neighbourhood Plans.

As you would expect, I have provided feedback through the consultation, both in general terms and also to some of the specific points I have identified, but my feeling is that the document doesn't just need a few tweaks, but that it needs a thorough review (or even a separate, similar document) with the focus upon provision in rural areas and small villages, otherwise, as it stands, I believe this Design Guide is likely to lead to the urbanisation of our rural areas and small villages.