From 10 August 2006 developers must provide a Design and Access Statement with all planning applications, including residential conversions. The only exceptions are householders’ applications outside Conservation Areas and Areas of Outstanding Natural
Beauty, changes of use (where no works are involved), and engineering or mining operation applications.
We will not accept applications without an appropriate Design and Access Statement.
This will be a material consideration in considering a planning application.
You can find more detailed guidance notes on the design aspects of a Design and Access
Statement in the South Oxfordshire District Council Design Statements guidance notes.
The Statement explains the proposal in relation to its context. A good understanding of the context is essential to raise the quality of the design, access and sustainability of a proposal. The Statement must show how the proposal has addressed the nature of its surroundings and how it will improve the environment.
The Statement will be a single document covering design and access. It should be succinct, written in Plain English and well-illustrated.
We advise you to follow a three-stage process when producing your statement.
Assess the physical, social, economic and planning background for the site and its context.
Evaluate the constraints & opportunities thrown up in the first stage. Develop design and access principles that define the proposal’s character.
Show how the proposal reflects the assessment and evaluation stages.
January 2007

This is an assessment of the site's wider and immediate context in terms of physical, social and economic characteristics and the relevant planning policies and guidance. It will probably include a desk survey as well as on-site analysis. The necessary issues that you should cover at this stage will relate to:
• the development you wish to carry out; and
• the impact that it may have on its neighbourhood.
This is an examination of the information you collected at Stage 1. It will show how the principles and the concepts behind the proposal relate to the assessment of the context.
The statement will identify the principles behind the access proposals and explain how you will integrate these into the design. A successful evaluation will show how you have resolved potential conflicts. You should include professional advice that has informed the design process at this stage.
The statement will show how the design relates to the principles and concepts set out in
Stage 2. A statement should not justify a predetermined design through subsequent site assessment and evaluation.
The statement must show how the proposals have complied with policies in:
• the South Oxfordshire Local Plan;
• the Design Guide and supplementary guidance documents;
• BS 8300;
• Part M of the Building Regulations; and
• the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
We have listed the issues that you should consider later in this guidance note.
The statement should summarise any consultation that you have carried out or have planned with regard to the design and accessibility of the proposal.
Amount of development: e.g. units, floor-space, their location and accessibility in relation to each other and context.
Layout:
• how you have provided built form, routes and open spaces and their orientation;
• the layout should respect the pattern and character of the context: design out crime: maximise accessibility.
January 2007

Scale: height, width and depth of built form.
Landscaping: provide site survey information and how the treatment of open spaces enhances the development and its context. Explain hard and soft landscaping and future maintenance.
Appearance: explain the principles behind the intended appearance and how you have considered accessibility.
Sustainability: Information on energy, water and materials efficient use in the design.
Proposals should minimise the impact on the environment and the Statement should explain mitigation measures.
Site access: describe how you have designed the proposal to allow all individuals easy access to buildings, open spaces and the public transport network.
Levels: details of how you have applied an ‘inclusive’ design approach to create a stepfree proposal.
Fixtures and fittings: description and location of internal design features that enable ease of use by people with disabilities.
Escape: details of how in an emergency all people will be able to evacuate quickly.
Crime: you need to demonstrate how you have considered crime prevention measures.
South Oxfordshire District Council www.southoxon.gov.uk
The Planning Portal www.planningportal.gov.uk
CABE (Commission for Architecture in the Built Environment) www.cabe.org.uk
Directgov – Public services all in one place www.direct.gov.uk/DisabledPeople/fs/en
January 2007