Designing out crime in Derbyshire Protocol for liaison between local planning authorities and The Derbyshire Constabulary The Derbyshire Constabulary working in partnership with: Amber Valley Borough Council Bolsover District Council Chesterfield Borough Council Derbyshire County Council Derby City Council Derbyshire Dales District Council Erewash Borough Council High Peak Borough Council North East Derbyshire District Council South Derbyshire District Council Peak District National Park Authority May 2006 Designing out Crime Our Aim is: To take every opportunity to improve community safety and security by designing out crime using the planning and design process thereby enhancing the quality of life for residents and visitors to Derbyshire. Foreword Planning and design have a key role in ensuring that all new developments are safe and secure. By pooling the resources and expertise of the Derbyshire Constabulary and County, City, Peak Park, District and Borough Councils we will ensure that crime and disorder issues are fully considered when formulating planning policy and making planning decisions. This protocol has been produced to build on existing working relationships by formalising the liaison between Planners and the Police. It will provide a useful working document which will help to improve our overall performance and effectiveness. Lynn Harris Superintendent Head of Community Safety Derbyshire Constabulary 2 Introduction National Community Safety Plan 2006/2009 Legislative and Policy Background Creating Safer Environments A strong legislative and policy framework exists Specifically in 2006/7 the for considering community safety as part of the Government will ensure the planning and design process. appropriate policy and guidance is in Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 place to help local authorities to places a statutory duty on the Police and Local make places safer by designing out Authorities to exercise their functions with regard crime in all new residential, industrial, to the likely effect on levels of crime and disorder. retail and commercial development This means that Local Planning Authorities must as well as in parks, open spaces consider these issues when making planning and car parks. decisions. Scope of Protocol National policy in Planning Policy Statement 1 This protocol seeks to establish a (PPS1) makes it clear that crime prevention formal working relationship between should be a material consideration in determining the County, City, District and planning applications. It also states that key Borough Councils, Peak District objectives should include ensuring that National Park and Derbyshire developments ‘create safe and accessible Constabulary to ensure that the environments where crime and disorder or fear of principles of Crime Prevention crime does not undermine quality of life or through Environmental Design community cohesion’. (CPTED) are reflected in planning The Government Office East Midlands Regional decisions. It is intended to cover all Special Strategy RSS8 makes it clear that aspects of the planning process and reducing crime and supporting community safety is divided into the following sections. are priorities. It is therefore important that Section 1 designing out crime is included in Local Pre Application Discussion Development Frameworks. Section 2 ‘Safer Places – the Planning System and Registration and Determination Crime Prevention’, reinforces the principle of Section 3 designing out crime and disorder in achieving high Post decision quality and inclusive design. Section 4 Policy Formulation and Review Section 5 Highway and Environmental Improvement Schemes 3 The Role of Police Crime Prevention Section 1 Design Advisors (CPDA’s) Pre Application Discussion The police will assist councils by providing expert I advice following consultation with Planning Early Consultation and liaison on Officers and developers, agents and architects. development proposals is Currently this is provided by a pool of CPDA’s beneficial in helping to resolve based within Safer Derbyshire and the Derby City problems and conflicts before Partnership. Names and contacts details are formal applications are provided in Appendix 2. submitted. I Development Control Case Specifically CPDA’s will: Officers should contact CPDA’s I Provide written comments on planning on receiving an inquiry to applications/ pre applications which discuss proposals for larger have a crime and disorder implication developments, where design is I Advise on the use of planning likely to impact upon crime and conditions especially where this is disorder relevant to the granting of public I Local authority planners will also entertainment licences etc ensure developers and I Provide a crime profile for the area promoters of developments are under consideration informed to liaise with Police I Advise on the Secured by Design CPDA’s at the outset of scheme accreditation projects. I I Provide expert witnesses at Planning CPDA’s will respond with enquiries where safety and security comments within 14 days were a reason for refusal I Liaise with other agencies such as the Housing Corporation. I Provide input on planning policy documents and development briefs. Implementation, Monitoring and Review This protocol forms part of the case officers’ manual. Monitoring procedures will be set up to enable the effectiveness of the protocol to be evaluated. The document will be reviewed annually and amended where agreed to be necessary. 4 Section 2 Section 3 Planning Application Registration Post Decision and Determination I Development Control Case I CPDA’s will have access to weekly planning Officers will consult CPDA’s applications lists. Where relevant or where applicants submit minor appropriate CPDA’s will contact the case amendments to approved officer to discuss specific applications within applications which have two weeks of receiving application details implications on crime and I Case Officers should consult CPDA’s directly disorder. Where necessary, on development proposals falling within the case officers will also liaise with categories listed in Appendix 1 within one CPDA’s when discharging week of the application being registered conditions. I If the applicant then submits amended plans Section 4 the case officer should refer these to the CPDA Forward Planning I Local authorities will consult I CPDA’s will provide a written response within Police when modifying the 21 days of being consulted Local Development Framework, I If the case officer is minded to recommend planning and design briefs or approval of an application against the advice other planning policy of the CPDA then the case officer should documents or when formulating contact the CPDA to allow further discussion new policy guidance to resolve any conflicts. The CPDA will then I C.P.D.A’s will respond within the have the opportunity to make stated consultation timescale. representations regarding unresolved issues on cases determined by the planning Section 5 committee I The police will provide written evidence and Highway and Environmental Improvement Schemes technical advice for planning appeals, on I The County Council will consult refused planning applications or on appeals the Police Crime Prevention lodged, against conditions imposed on a Design Advisors with regard to consent major highway and I The police will also provide expert evidence environmental improvement to planning inquiries, where safety and schemes ( including those not security issues are to be discussed necessarily related to planning applications) where necessary and appropriate. 5 Conclusion Appendix 1 Planning Policy Statement 1, the Categories of development requiring overarching PPS setting out the consultation with the Police Government’s planning objectives, has at 1 Housing Developments comprising its heart the need to plan for safe and 10 or more units of accommodation sustainable communities. 2 Major commercial office, industrial, Tackling crime and the fear of crime is a retail or leisure schemes. priority for all Derbyshire Local Authorities. 3 New or enlarged schools (D.C.C.) 4 Proposals that include areas of open This protocol is recognition of how space/landscaping proposed as part important the planning and design process of the development. Parks, linkage is to reducing current and future crime and footpaths and open spaces. the fear of crime. 5 Developments involving communal off By working together in this way we can street car parking provision. have a significant effect on the 6 Proposals involving transport developments of the future ensuring that interchanges or other highway Derbyshire is a Safer Place. infrastructure improvements such as cycle lanes and new improved footpaths. (D.C.C.) 7 All applications for new class A3, A4, A5 food and drink uses. This category includes hot food takeaway shops, cafes, restaurants, café bars, late night refreshment houses and public houses. 8 Change of use to new build leisure and entertainment establishments (class D2) 9 Where the intended users/occupants of a development are particularly vulnerable and require higher standards of security or personal safety. Any application may be considered if deemed to be subject to a crime risk issue. 6 Appendix 2 List of Contacts District Crime Prevention Derby City Council Design Advisors South Derbyshire District Council PC187 Alan Wroughton Bolsover District Council Crime Prevention Team Chesterfield Borough Council Cotton Lane Police Station North East Derbyshire District