Bedfordshire

Wixams WIXAMS VILLAGE 4 - DESIGN CODE - OCTOBER 2015 | 1 Wixams BEDFORDSHIRE VILLAGE 4 DETAILED DESIGN BRIEF AND CODE OCTOBER 2015 Wixams 2 | WIXAMS VILLAGE 4 - DESIGN CODE - OCTOBER 2015 DESK TOP PUBLISHING & GRAPHIC DESIGN BY BARTON WILLMORE This artwork was printed on paper using fibre sourced from sustainable plantation wood from suppliers who practice sustainable management of forests in line with strict international standards. Pulp used in its manufacture is also Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF). COPYRIGHT The contents of this document must not be copied or reproduced in whole of in part without the written consent of Barton Willmore Issue Date Oct 2015 LLP. Job Number 22676 Document Status FINAL All plans are reproduced from the Revision J Ordnance Survey Map with the Author Various permission of the Controller of HMSO. Crown copyright Reserved. Checked By TL Licence No. AR152684. Authorised By DS Wixams WIXAMS VILLAGE 4 - DESIGN CODE - OCTOBER 2015 | 3 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 5 1 Village 4 Location 6 2 Approved Strategic Documents 6 3 Purpose of the Design Code 8 4 Using this Document 9 OVERARCHING REGULATING INSTRUCTIONS 11 5 Regulating Plan 12 DETAILED DESIGN INSTRUCTIONS 15 6 Street Design Instructions 16 7 Key Frontage and Space Design Instructions 24 8 Public Realm Design Instructions 44 DESIGN CODE REVIEW PROCESS 51 9 Implementation and Review Process 52 Wixams 4 | WIXAMS VILLAGE 4 - DESIGN CODE - OCTOBER 2015 Wixams WIXAMS VILLAGE 4 - DESIGN CODE - OCTOBER 2015 | 5 INTRODUCTION 1. Village 4 Location 2. Approved Strategic Documents 3. Purpose of the Design Code 4 . Using this Document Wixams 6 | WIXAMS VILLAGE 4 - DESIGN CODE - OCTOBER 2015 1. VILLAGE 4 LOCATION 2. APPROVED STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS 1.1 The Wixams is a sustainable new settlement 2.1 The Elstow New Settlement Planning and 2.3 Copies of these documents can be found on of up to 4,500 new dwellings, incorporating a Development Brief was adopted in 1999 and the following websites: www.wixams.com; www. mixed use town centre supported by further established the key principles that would bedford.gov.uk; www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk. local centres, community, education and leisure underpin the new settlement. It also set out 2.4 Developers and their design teams must facilities. Each of the villages are set within a the strategic documents that should cascade consider in detail the information provided high quality landscape setting. from the Development Brief to fulfil the within the above strategies. They should also ambitions and aspirations of all stakeholders. 1.2 The Wixams is located 3 miles south of have reference to the Central Bedfordshire These documents are identified in Figure 1 and Bedford and 14 miles east of Milton Keynes Council Design Guide and prevailing parking highlight where the current Design Code stage, and is centred around the former industrial standards as, in conjunction with this Code, and the subject of this Statement, fits into the and storage site known as the Elstow Storage these will provide the basis for the preparation overall process. Depot. The Site is bounded by the A6 to the of a fully compliant Reserved Matters Planning east and the B530 and the Midland Mainline to 2.2 Prior to the Design Code Stage, the following Application. the west, with the A6 providing the main point strategic guides and strategies have been of access. submitted and adopted: 1.3 The overall Master Plan consists of 4 villages, - Bedfordshire Towns and Villages Study; each separated by linear parkland. Village One - Strategic Design Guide; is the eastern most village adjacent to the A6 and is now at an advanced stage of construction. - Landscape Strategy; Village Four is located on the western edge - Sustainability and Energy Strategy; of The Wixams and separated from Village 3 and the ‘town centre’ by a Greenway. Figure 2 - Community and Leisure Facility Strategy. shows the location and extent of Village Four in relation to the overall Wixams Master Plan. The layout represented in the overall Wixams Master Plan has been superseded by the Regulating Plan instruction (Figure 3). Village Four comprises up to 800 units and includes the proposed Station, associated parking and employment land. PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT BRIEF (ADOPTED 1999) BEDFORDSHIRE TOWNS & VILLAGES STUDY (2001) STRATEGIC DESIGN GUIDE LANDSCAPE SUSTAINABILITY & COMMUNITY & LEISURE HIGHWAYS DESIGN GUIDE STRATEGY ENERGY STRATEGY FACILITIES STRATEGY DETAILED DESIGN BRIEFS AND CODES RESERVED MATTERS APPLICATIONS FIGURE 1 APPROVED STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS Wixams WIXAMS VILLAGE 4 - DESIGN CODE - OCTOBER 2015 | 7 FIGURE 2 ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIVE MASTER PLAN SHOWING VILLAGE FOUR IN RELATION TO THE WIDER WIXAMS SETTLEMENT Wixams 8 | WIXAMS VILLAGE 4 - DESIGN CODE - OCTOBER 2015 3. PURPOSE OF THE DESIGN CODE 3.1 The Government places great importance 3.3 The purpose of this Design Code is twofold. on the design of the built environment in the It is designed to fulfil the objectives of the NPPF National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), and compliance with Conditions 10, 11 and 12 with good design being identified as a key of the outline consent (Application Reference: aspect of sustainable development. The NPPF 11/01380/M73 (BBC) and CB/11/02182 (CBC)) identifies design codes as a tool which local in helping to deliver high quality inclusive design planning authorities should use to help deliver without unnecessary prescription or detail, high quality inclusive design. However, it also particularly relating to the design of individual recognises that design policies should avoid buildings. The Code will therefore focus on unnecessary prescription or detail and should instructing matters in relation to scale, density, concentrate on: massing, height, landscape, layout, access and materials. It is also designed to meet the ‘GUIDING THE OVERALL process requirements of the original Planning and Development Brief, thereby ensuring that SCALE, DENSITY, MASSING, the fundamental and guiding principles on which HEIGHT, LANDSCAPE, the settlement is based are not lost at the LAYOUT, MATERIAL detailed design stage. AND ACCESS OF 3.4 The Code does not seek to repeat strategies NEW DEVELOPMENT and principles contained within previously IN RELATION TO approved documents (identified in Section 2) but developers or designers acting on behalf NEIGHBOURING BUILDINGS of individual house builders looking to submit AND THE LOCAL AREA reserved matters applications for Village Four MORE GENERALLY.’ should be familiar with the content of these documents to inform the proposed design approach. 3.2 Although the visual appearance and the architecture of individual buildings are identified as important factors, securing high quality and inclusive design goes beyond aesthetic considerations (paragraph 61). Wixams WIXAMS VILLAGE 4 - DESIGN CODE - OCTOBER 2015 | 9 4. USING THIS DOCUMENT 4.1 This Code will be used as a reference 4.3 The Code has been structured to reflect the 4.6 Proceed to the Detailed Design Instructions document by the Local Authority, master way in which designers are likely to approach and having been through 5 above, consider the developer (Gallagher Estates) individual the design of individual parcels. As such, the following in order: developers and their design teams and will help Code is ordered in the following way: A series - Section 6 Street Design Instructions: identify ensure the coordinated design and delivery of of overarching regulating instructions (Section 5) the coded streets within and adjacent Village Four. summarised in the Regulating Plan; and Detailed to the parcel and understand the design Design Instructions (Sections 6 – 8) relating to 4.2 The Code has been carefully constructed as requirements of each and how this fits into street design, frontage design and public realm a short, concise and accessible document that the wider movement network; design. is easy to use by those involved in working up - Section 7 Frontage Design Instructions: and assessing reserved matters applications. 4.4 An individual developer and their design team identify the coded frontages within and The information contained within is specifically should therefore use the Code in the following adjacent to the parcel and understand the focused on providing instructions and a clear way: design requirements of each and how this set of rules which are mandatory and avoids 4.5 Start with the Overarching Regulating relates to the surrounding context; unspecific guidance, aspirational imagery or Instructions and use the Regulating Plan (Section references which are ambiguous and can be - Section 8 Public Realm Design Instructions: 5) to: interpreted in a variety of different ways. based on the relevant street design - Identify where within Village Four the parcel instructions identified in Section 6 of land subject to the reserved matters understand the relevant palette of paving application is located; materials, boundary treatments and tree species. - How this parcel of land relates to key streets, frontages, densities and uses, including affordable housing parcels. OVERARCHING REGULATING INSTRUCTIONS STAGE 1 S5 REGULATING PLAN DETAILED DESIGN INSTRUCTIONS S6 STREET DESIGN INSTRUCTIONS STAGE 2 S7 FRONTAGE DESIGN INSTRUCTIONS S8 PUBLIC REALM DESIGN INSTRUCTIONS Wixams 10 | WIXAMS VILLAGE 4 - DESIGN CODE - OCTOBER 2015 Wixams WIXAMS VILLAGE 4 - DESIGN CODE - OCTOBER 2015 | 11 OVERARCHING REGULATING INSTRUCTIONS 5. Regulating Plan Wixams 12 | WIXAMS VILLAGE 4 - DESIGN CODE - OCTOBER 2015 5. REGULATING PLAN 5.1 The Regulating

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