Our legacy

Policy context

The Building for Life Partnership

Some examples: the good, the bad and the ugly

How Building for Life is being used

Presentation overview

Our legacy.

100 schemes in each audit:

By top 10 home builders

In average price band

Schemes of 20+ dwellings

Completed within last 3 years

Mix of size and locations

Post-occupancy survey

The CABE housing audit

very good 5%

good 13%

average 53%

poor 29%

293 schemes completed between 2001-2006

The national picture

Making the case for good design

FunctionalityDoes it work?

FirmnessWill it last?

DelightDoes it look good?

What is ‘good design’?

PPS 1:Sustainable development as the core principle underpinning planning

Manual for StreetsCollaborating on design across departments

PPS 3 & CSH:Housing

PPS 12:Integrating sustainability appraisals into the planning process

Best practice: the policy framework

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Best practice: the policy framework

Enter Building for Life

Led by:

CABE

Home Builders Federation (HBF)

In association with:

The Housing Corporation

English Partnerships

The Building for Life Partnership

Environment and Community Character Streets, parking & pedestrianisation Design and Construction

The 20 Criteria

Environment and Community Character Steets, parking & pedestrianisation Design and Construction

Use

Amount

Layout

Scale

Landscaping

Appearance

Use

Amount

Layout

Scale

Landscaping

Appearance

Use Amount Layout Scale Landscaping Appearance Access

The 20 Criteria

Community facilities

Appropriate accommodation mix

Appropriate tenure mix

Easy public transport access

Reduced environmental impact

Environment & Community

Scheme-specific design

Response to local setting

Distinctive identity

Easy orientation

Coherent building layout

Character

Priority of building layout over streets and car parking

Well integrated car parking

Pedestrian and cycle friendly streets

Connection to existing roads and paths

Eyes on the street for safety

Streets, Parking & Pedestrianisation

Well designed and managed public space

Architectural quality

Adaptation, conversion or extension

Advances in construction and technology

More than statutory minima

Design and Construction

Sense of place (but also cr. 12,13,16) Cr 8

Thinking it through:

Character

Appropriate street designCr 13

Thinking it through:

Streets, Parking & Pedestrianisation

Overlooked public space (but also cr. 12)Cr 15

Thinking it through:

Streets, Parking & Pedestrianisation

Well-designed public space (but also cr. 12,13)Cr 16

Thinking it through:

Design & Construction

Architectural quality (but also cr. 13,15,16)

Thinking it through:

Design and construction

Cr 17

Realising the vision

Promoting best practiceThe Building for Life awards

Silver Silver Gold

Pepys Estate

Deptford, London

Hyde HousingBPTW

Mealhouse BrowStockport,Manchester

Northern Counties HATADW

Great Bow Yard

Langport, Somerset

South West Eco HomesStride Treglown

Rostron Brow, Stockport

Adelaide Wharf, Hackney

City Point, Brighton

Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth

Royal Arsenal, Woolwich

The Sinclair Building, Sheffield

Annual Monitoring Returns

Housing audits

Standard Awards

Design Review

EP/HC

Pre-application assessment

Internal client review

Brief

Training

DESIGN

PLANNING

CONSTRUCTION

Points of engagement

English Partnerships: 14/20 on all EP Land

CLG Housing audit in the Thames Gateway:

2010: 50% good (14/20) or very good (16/20), nil poor (<10/20)

2015: 100% good or very good, nil poor

Housing Corporation: 12/20 for all grant supported housing

(10/20 for rural/street fronted infill schemes)

Planning authorities: Core strategy, SPD, planning discussions, monitoring

Quality targets & planning assessments

Assessment evidence guidance

Between 08/09 and 10/11 CABE is training at least 500 BfL assessors:

at least one embedded assessor working in every LPA in England

additional independent assessors working in a supporting role.

Accredited assessors work will be governed by a code of conduct covering issues such as monitoring, remuneration and conflicts of interest.

During the pre-planning stage, these Building for Life assessors will:

produce a full evaluation report and BfL score (x/20) for development proposals

support other assessors as a moderator

After completion, Building for Life assessors will:

feed in to assessments for annual monitoring returns indicator H6

Accredited Assessors:What you would be doing

Your work as an assessor will usually conclude with an evidenced evaluation report, which explains the score you have arrived at and lists the relevant evidence.

This report might be referred to by:

planning officers or by the planning committee

funders or landowners who have committed to a minimum standard

researchers, panel and final judges for the Building for Life awards

staff working on annual monitoring reports

All evaluation reports, including the score, must be logged by the BfL partnership.

CABE will carry out random spot checks of BfL evaluation reports for quality control:

at least 1 evaluation report per assessor per annum.

Accredited Assessors:What you would be doing

To gain accreditation, you should:

go to http://www.buildingforlife.org/assessors/tools

download the example Design and Access statement and the reporting template

assume the role of BfL assessor working in the local planning authority and complete an assessment report for the scheme

submit your report to enquiries@buildingforlife.org by February 28

The Building for Life team will

check your assessment against the target score

provide feedback on the way in which the score is evidenced

quantify the variance across assessors for future monitoring

send you a formal letter of accreditation and a code of conduct

Accredited Assessors:Homework for candidates!

Thank you

enquiries@buildingforlife.org

www.buildingforlife.orgAlso supported by English Partnerships, the Housing Corporation and The Civic Trust

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working in LPA (1 ½ day max.)

Review by BfL Moderator (½ day max.)

Feedback to applicant

Pre-planning discussion

Design iterations

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Initial engagement between LPA and developer

BfL in pre-planning and AMR

LPA advice to developer on the information required to provide BfL feedback

( List of Drawings + Design Statements etc. )

Pre-planning submission

Check pre-planning assessment against as built AMR H6