Conservation and design guidance for East Dorset

The Design and Conservation Section of the planning service provides expertise and advice on a range of specialist topics including historic buildings, civic design, townscape and other environmental improvements, building design and landscape architecture.

We have prepared environmental improvement schemes on Victoria Road in Ferndown, Station Road in West Moors and Verwood Town Centre. We also prepare Development Briefs that establish detailed planning and design frameworks for new developments. They highlight the opportunities and constraints of particular sites, from town centres to edge of town and village locations, and provide guidance on the form which development should take.

Landscape character assessment

The Landscape Character Assessment (pdf, 3Mb) (opens in a new window) identifies the unique character areas and associated characteristic features within East Dorset. It helps to inform the planning authority when considering proposals for development and also provides an evidence base for emerging landscape policies in the Local Development Framework and, in due course, as a basis for more specific Supplementary Planning Documents.

The assessment has been prepared with Dorset County Council as part of a county-wide initiative aimed at improving understanding and appreciation of the varied Dorset landscape. It uses a standard approach based upon current national guidance from Natural England in order to achieve consistency across the county and across England as a whole. After a period of public consultation the document was approved for publication by the council's Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting on 29 October 2008.

East Dorset Countryside Design Summary

The East Dorset Countryside Design Summary (CDS) was published in 1997. It provides important design guidance for anyone intending to build in the countryside or villages of east Dorset. It aims to safeguard local character and promote higher standards of building design. The document highlights the diverse character and distinctiveness of buildings and settlements and how they relate to their landscape settings. It also includes design criteria that need to be taken into account and advises on local materials and building traditions. The Countryside Design Summary has been adopted as supplementary planning guidance, and may be taken into account in deciding planning applications. Copies can be seen at the council offices, and are on sale (£10 including postage and packaging). Alternatively, the text and a reference map are available to download from this page.

Landscaping and planting

We provide landscape advice for applicants and their agents and have published guidance for landscaping new residential areas. The Landscape Design Guide (pdf, 1Mb) (opens in a new window) has been adopted as supplementary planning guidance. Hard copies can be obtained from the Design and Conservation Section.

We also undertake landscape character assessments, ranging from individual sites to large geographical areas.

We design and implement landscape schemes on public land and also promotes tree planting throughout the district through a 'Community Tree Planting Scheme'. Please contact the Design and Conservation Team for more details.

Special Character Areas

A number of residential areas within the district known as Special Character Areas, have been identified in the Local Plan as having a distinctive character and sense of place. These established areas have a mature quality and identity that sets them apart from the urban environment as a whole.

Unlike Listed buildings and Conservation Areas - Planning constraints (redirect to 384644), which are subject to national statutory legislation, planning control within Special Character Areas is determined by the policies contained in the Local Plan.

We have published supplementary planning guidance for each Special Character Area (pdf, 300kb) (opens in a new window) to provide design frameworks to ensure that the district's distinctive residential areas can be maintained whilst at the same time addressing Development Plan policy and government density objectives.

Supplementary Design Criteria- CABE 'Building for Life'

East Dorset District Council adopted the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) (opens in a new window) 'Building for Life' criteria as Supplementary Planning Guidance in May 2009. This is a national standard comprising 20 criteria for well-designed homes and neighbourhoods which planning applications are expected to demonstrate if they are to meet approval by the authority. The criteria are supplementary to the East Dorset Local Plan design policies.

The 'Building for Life' criteria can be viewed on the CABE website (opens in a new window) .