Designing Streets is a policy and guidance document published by the Scottish Government in March 2010. It provides guidance for practitioners in Scotland involved in the planning, design, provision, approval and adoption of all new streets, and modifications to existing ones.
Contents
Development of the Document
The document has been through two successive consultation drafts, the first based on the United Kingdom Department for Transport's Manual for Streets, which was published in 2007, and is applicable in England and Wales. A second draft was revised to take into account the Scottish character, and updated to reflect the publication of the latest edition of the UK Guide on Highway Risk and Liability Claims, with its recommendations vis-a-vis balanced decisions. A consultation draft was published by the Scottish Government on 27 January 2009. The Designing Streets in its final version was published 22 March 2010 contains formal Scottish Government policy, unlike Manual for Streets (DfT) which only has the status of guidance.
Policies in Designing Streets
- Street design must consider place before movement.
- Street design guidance, as set out in this document, can be a material consideration in determining planning applications and appeals.
- Street design should meet the six qualities of successful places, as set out in Designing Places.
- Distinctive
- Easy to get to
- Welcoming
- Adaptable
- Resource efficient
- Safe and pleasant
- Street design should be based on balanced decision-making and must adopt a multidisciplinary collaborative approach.
- Street design should run planning permission and Road Construction Consent (RCC) processes in parallel.
Content
The new policy replaces the existing Planning Advice Note 76: New Residential Streets. Its objectives are broadly the same as Manual for Streets, but it is intended to work in concert with Designing Places, the Scottish Government's policy on urban design.