What is urban design?

Urban design is "the art of making places. It involves the design of buildings, groups of buildings, spaces and landscapes, in villages, towns and cities, to create successful development." (definition from the Planning Portal)

"Urban design is the process of shaping the physical setting for life in cities, towns and villages. It is the art of making places. It involves the design of buildings, groups of buildings, spaces and landscapes, and establishing the processes that make successful development possible." (definition from the Urban Design Guide)

Good design is at the heart of the government’s drive towards an urban and rural renaissance. Government advice as set out in Planning Policy Statement 1 is that; “Good design ensures attractive, usable, durable and adaptable places and is a  key element in achieving sustainable development. Design which fails to take the opportunities available for improving the character and quality of an area should not be accepted. Good design is indivisible from good planning”.

There is a range of government led guidance on implementing good urban design including Manual for Streets, The Urban Design Compendium and Secured by Design.  More information on design can be also found at CABE 's website. www.cabe.org.uk. During 2011 the work of this organisation was replaced by The Design Council.

What is landscape architecture?

Landscape architecture is the art, planning, design, management, preservation and rehabilitation of the land and the design of human-made places. These themes are closely related to design, which, as above, is key to the government's commitments to improve our environment.

"People, place and the public realm are the core of landscape architecture with professionals working to provide the best possible environments for people to live and enjoy. In so doing our environment, lifestyle, society, the economy and more are directly affected by landscape architects."(definition from the Landscape Institute).

Landscape architecture also covers a range of nature conservation issues and historical landscape projects.

Why is good design important to the borough?

Creating an attractive environment is a key element in the regeneration of the borough. It contributes towards a good quality of life for the residents, it promotes confidence in investors and helps to attract visitors.

The council uses its professional knowledge and other guidance to promote good design throughout the borough.  The Borough Design Guide SPD, adopted in December 2011, supplements Policy CS16 of the Havant Borough Core Strategy and aims to raise the standard of design across the borough. It sets out the council’s design expectations with regard to new development  and helps to identify and define the distinctive character and qualities of the borough that should be respectfully improved and enhanced through development.

What improvements have been made in the borough?

The council has completed a range of enhancement projects in the borough over recent years including public art, stream restoration, woodland footpaths and town centre paving and street furniture improvements. To see examples of these environmental enhancements please follow this link.

It also comments on urban design and landscape aspects of planning applications, ensuring that new developments are of a high quality design and enhance the local environment and borough as a whole.

I am a developer, what advice can I get from the council for a planning application?

The council engages in pre-application discussions to help improve the quality of any proposed development. It has also commissioned a Public Realm Design Framework with guidance on local character styles and palettes of materials that are appropriate in the public realm. It has adopted a borough-wide urban design guide which has more information and guidance on the whole form of design of new spaces and places including buildings.  Link to Borough Design Guide SPD. 

Additionally, the Hampshire Local Government Landscape Group (HLGLG) has produced a landscape checklist which is a "guide to submission requirements for external development works" in the Hampshire districts. It details what is expected of developers to submit to the council to meet relevant landscape conditions.

The Landscape Checklist can be viewed by using this link (PDF 3.13MB) please note large files may take some time to download.

What landscape advice can you give me?

The advice can be sought through the council's Development Management Team for pre-application discussion about proposed hard and soft landscape works and any impact on nature conservation which may be relevant to the proposed development.

How do you support conservation and heritage areas in the borough?

The council has a conservation planner working to conserve and enhance our heritage conservation areas. To see the designated conservation areas please use the link to the interactive proposals map.  Conservation areas are protected by Core Strategy Policy CS11 Protecting and enhancing the special environment and heritage of Havant Borough and are monitored and are currently being appraised with a view to improvements that could be made to conserve our heritage further. The council has undertaken environmental enhancements in many conservation areas including St Faiths Square, Homewell and the Pallant in Havant Town Centre and also St Peters Square, North Street and Bridgefoot Path enhancements in Emsworth.

What help can I get with tree advice?

Tree advice is normally dealt with by either the TPO officer in the Development Management Team or by the Open Spaces Team if part of a development proposal. The council looks at the importance of trees within the context of the landscape character area as part of development proposals, but the main advice comes from the development management.

What current schemes are in the borough?

New improvement schemes are being worked upon all the time including making bids for funding for the future. To see examples of these environmental enhancements please follow this link.

What is the council doing about improving biodiversity in the borough?

Our nature conservation policies and national policies help us to protect our local wildlife, preserve and improve the biodiversity of our borough. The Core Strategy is designed to do this, in particular Policy CS11 Protecting and enhancing the special environment and heritage of Havant Borough, plus working in partnership with  HCC , HBIC, Chichester Harbour Conservancy and many other statutory and non-statutory bodies all of whom work towards the protection and enhancements of our local natural assets. You can view the Hampshire County Council Corporate Biodiversity Action Plan here.

What is a SINC ?

A SINC is a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation which is of local value for biodiversity. There are over 70 SINC s in the borough including ancient woodland, unimproved meadow, wetland and saltmarsh.

There are criteria to define those sites which are considered to be of particular importance for nature conservation within Hampshire. These sites are in addition to the statutorily designated sites. To find out more about the designated SINC s in the borough please view the link to the interactive proposals map. SINCs are designated and monitored by the Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre (HBIC) which is part funded by all Hampshire authorities and HCC . To learn more about SINC criteria use the link below (external site) http://www3.hants.gov.uk/biodiversity/sincs/important-sites-sinc-criteria.htm

How can I find out about my local environment?

Havant Borough Council commissioned a Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) in 2006/7 as part of the Local Development Framework. The LCA is an evidence base background document for the Local Development Framework ( LDF ). This study is part of an initiative to foster a better understanding of the variety of historic, landscape, ecological, social, economic and cultural factors that have created the distinctive character of the borough. 

How do I contact the team?

Contact Us:

Telephone: 023 9244 6539

Office hours: 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday

Email: policy.design@havant.gov.uk

Visit: Public Service Plaza, Civic Centre Road, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 2AX