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Village Design Statements

An Introduction to Village Design Statements

Local communities have a unique appreciation and understanding of their built surroundings and a Village Design Statement is based on this knowledge. It is a document compiled and produced by a community to outline and influence the way the statutory planning system operates locally. If approved as a Supplementary Planning Document, a Village Design Statement will provide a context for new development, based on an identification and analysis of local character. A Village Design Statement describes the qualities and characteristics that people value in their village and surroundings. They might focus on issues such as size, shape, scale and materials

However, new design should not just copy the past. Design should demonstrate an awareness of past tradition while embracing new technology which makes new buildings more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly than ever before. Nor are Village Design Statements about whether development should take place. Change in any living, working community is inevitable. Village Design Statements are geared to managing that change, whether it is a major new development or just cumulative, small-scale additions and alterations.

Many communities in East Devon are involved in the production of  Village Design Statements (VDSs). Indeed they have become so popular that several towns are also producing a larger scale version, the Town Design Statement, to which the information on this page is equally applicable. The production of these documents gives people a constructive means by which they may become involved in the planning system and influence the way in which development is carried out.

_{Examples of VDS adopted for development control purposes}

17 Village Design Statements have been adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance to the adopted East Devon Local Plan and will be taken into account in determining planning applications across the District.

 Click here to access the All Saints Village Design Statement and Parish Plan (10234KB - 03 December 2009 - PDF Help)

 Click here to download the Aylesbeare Village Design Statement and Parish Plan (14968KB - 03 December 2009 - PDF Help)

 Click here to access the Beer Village Design Statement (8517KB - 27 November 2009 - PDF Help)

 Click here to access the Bishops Clyst Village Design Statement and Parish Plan (1133KB - 03 December 2009 - PDF Help)

 Click here to access the Brampford Speke Village Design Statement (13297KB - 03 December 2009 - PDF Help)

 Click here to access the Broadhembury Parish Plan and Village Design Statement (31874KB - 24 February 2011 - PDF Help)

 Click here to access Budleigh Salterton Town Design Statement (17101KB - 27 November 2009 - PDF Help)

 Click here to access the Exmouth Avenues Design Statement (14331KB - 27 November 2009 - PDF Help)

 Click here to access the Kilmington Village Design Statement (14734KB - 25 November 2011 - PDF Help)

 Click here to access the Lympstone Village Design Statement (649KB - 27 November 2009 - PDF Help)

 Click here to download the Membury Village Design Statement (3916KB - 27 November 2009 - PDF Help)

 Click here to access Otterton Village Design Statement (6167KB - 27 November 2009 - PDF Help)

 Click here to download the Seaton Town Design Statement (10805KB - 18 March 2009 - PDF Help)

 Click here to access the Tipton St John Village Design Statement (3055KB - 27 November 2009 - PDF Help)

 Click here to access the Uplyme Village Design Statement and Parish Plan (7419KB - 04 December 2009 - PDF Help)

 Click here to access the West Hill Village Design Statement (12417KB - 27 November 2009 - PDF Help)

 Click here to access the Woodbury Village Design Statement (9989KB - 04 December 2009 - PDF Help)

 Click here to access the Yarcombe and Marsh Village Design Statement and Parish Plan (14111KB - 03 December 2009 - PDF Help)

Help is at Hand!

The production of a VDS can be a daunting prospect, and some communities do not feel that they have the necessary expertise to carry out the task. The Countryside Agency and Community Council of Devon can offer practical advice and have helped many local groups to carry out community planning initiatives. Our planning policy and design staff are also able to help to assist in the preparation of VDS

By providing maps and aerial photographs for use in public exhibitions
By offering advice on the process
By commenting on the draft VDS
By assisting in the adoption of the VDS as supplementary planning guidance
and, perhaps most importantly, By putting groups in touch with each other so that they can learn from each others experience:

If you would like to produce a Village Design Statement, would like copies of the adopted Village Design Statements or would like to discuss the initiative further please contact Frank Woolston, Senior Planning Officer, on 01395 516551 ext 2282 or email fwoolston@eastdevon.gov.uk

_{Guidance booklets are available from the District Council}

The Countryside Agency Guidance booklets are no longer available from them but can be downloaded from the following links:

 Making Local Character Count (1 (1106KB - 20 October 2004 - PDF Help)) (PDF 1 MB)
 Making Local Character Count (2) (534KB - 20 October 2004 - PDF Help) (PDF 534 KB)
 Town Design Statements- A Gude to Good Practice (484KB - 20 October 2004 - PDF Help) (PDF 484 KB)

The following text is intended to provide a brief introduction to the Village Design Statement process.

What is a Village Design Statement?
What does a Village Design Statement cover?
Can a VDS be carried out with other projects?
Who will use it and how?
How is it produced?
How long will it take to produce?
How much will it cost?

What is a Village Design Statement?

Village Design Statements were initiated by the Countryside Agency in 1992 in order to provide local communities with a means of involvement in the development process. A VDS is based on the unique appreciation and understanding that communities have of their own place. It describes the qualities that residents value in their village and its surroundings. Around 250 English communities have completed Design Statements to date.

A Village Design Statement sets out clear and simple guidance for the design of all development in a village, based on its character. It is an advisory document produced by the village community, not by the planning authority, although the District Council is keen to offer support and guidance to those undertaking the process. A VDS will not stop change from happening, but it can help effect how any new building fits in to the village. VDSs are intended to influence the operation of the statutory planning system, so that new development is in harmony with its setting and makes a positive contribution to the immediate environment.

What does a VDS cover?

• It describes the distinctive character of a village and its surrounding countryside;

• It shows how character can be identified at three levels:
- the landscape setting of the village,
- the shape of the settlement,
- the nature of the buildings themselves;

• A VDS sets down design principles based on the distinctive local character;

• Production of a Statement fosters working in partnership with the local authority, engenders understanding of current planning policies, and offers the chance to influence future policies.

Can the Village Design Statement be carried out with other projects?

The District Council welcomes the combination of Village Design Statements and other community projects such as Village Appraisals or Parish Plans. Combining several projects is often much more cost and time effective than undertaking them in isolation and the production of a single questionnaire rather than several avoids local residents suffering from 'consultation fatigue'. If a Parish Plan and Village Design Statement are to be undertaken at the same time, simply expand the questions to form a single survey and consider holding public meetings and consultation events which address both (related) subjects. One local parish took this concept a stage further recently and, as well as combining questions relating to a Parish Plan and Village Design Statement in a survey, a form was included so that residents could join various voluntary projects. As a result volunteer numbers more than doubled and now almost 15% of the village are involved in community projects.!

Asking a wide range of relevant questions has other benefits too- survey data can be used to support funding bids and, where a need for a particular facility or service can be proven, the planning system may be able to secure it, for instance affordable housing.

If you would like to take this approach further please contact Claire Rodway (see above) to discuss it as innovative ideas are constantly being put forward and communities can benefit greatly from sharing such ideas.

Who will use it and how?

A Village Design Statement is unlike any other planning document. It gives planning advice directly applicable to the statutory planning system and is entirely community based. Design Statements have been completed by villages in all parts of England - from Cumbria to Cornwall, and from Shropshire to Suffolk- and they are widely accepted as very effective planning tools. They are of value to residents, planners, designers and developers and should be used as the basis for formulating development proposals/making planning applications, to guide those carrying out development which does not require planning permission and in making planning decisions.

How is it produced?

^{Participants in a public consultation exercise}

There should be broad involvement of local interests so that the finished design statement is a representative document, and one that presents ideas for stimulating and sustaining community involvement in planning issues. It is important that the parish council, plus planning authority councillors and officers are drawn in to the VDS process and that every member of the community has the opportunity to have their say. Preparing a Village Design Statement doesn’t demand design or planning knowledge - the only requirement is an interest in the future well-being of your village. But it will need time, energy, imagination and determination!

An effective Village Design Statement:

• is developed, researched, written and edited by local people;
• reflects the representative views of a community;
• involves a wide cross-section of residents in its production;
• describes the visual character of the village;
• demonstrates how local character and distinctiveness can be protected and enhanced in new development;
• is compatible with the statutory planning system and its local application;
• should be accepted as supplementary planning guidance (and thereby influence developers and decisions on individual planning applications);
• is relevant to all forms and scale of development, and
• is about managing change in the village, not preventing it.

Every VDS is produced differently but the following text very briefly illustrates a typical VDS process:

1. Public meeting held to introduce VDS concept
   (often this will be organised by the Parish Council)
2. Interested persons form VDS Group
   (often local residents/representatives of Parish Council/Local organisations)
3. Survey carried out to establish what aspects of the built/natural environment are particularly valued by the community
   This could take the form of a public exhibition, action day where photographs are taken, questionnaire, or a combnation!
4. Draft VDS produced, based on survey results, and sent to Parish Council and District Council to ensure conformity with policy
5. Further public consultation and any subsequent revisions sent to Parish Council and District Council
6. Final draft of VDS submitted to appropriate District Council Committees for adoption as SPG
7. VDS used in the determination of planning applications

A detailed explanation and guide to each stage of the production process is available from Claire Rodway, details above.

How long will it take to produce?

A VDS can be produced in as little as 6 months but most groups take at least a year as the document will be based on extensive public consultation and is likely to rely heavily on voluntary time.

How much will it cost to produce?

The cost of producing a Village Design Statement will depend very much on the type of document and the consultation process followed. Countryside Agency funding is no longer available for VDSs and most groups will need to fund the production and printing costs themselves.

The main expense faced by VDS groups is to cover printing. Most groups apply to the Parish Council for funding to commence the process and to cover the initial costs of hiring halls for exhibitions, producing questionnaires and providing refreshments, which can often be done surprisingly cheaply. The cost of printing questionnaires and Design Statements is often prohibitive, particularly if lengthy full colour documents are sent to every household, and can rarely be met in full by the Parish Council. Costs can be greatly reduced by printing all documents in black and white (perhaps with a colour cover) and by distributing a single page leaflet summarising the VDS recommendations to every household so that full copies only need to be produced for those who actually request them. Some groups make a small charge for their documents, which helps to cover production costs. To reduce the number of printed copies required, the District Council will provide copies of any adopted Design Statements upon request and they will be available to download from this webpage.

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Page last updated on 25 May 2012