Designing Out Crime

Design and Access Statements - How to use them to Prevent Crime
A Design and Access Statement is a report accompanying and supporting a planning application that should seek to explain and justify the proposal in a structured way. It must accompany all applications for both outline and full planning permission (unless they relate to a material change in use of land and buildings, engineering or mining works, or householder developments).

It enables those responsible for the design of new developments to demonstrate their approach to designing out opportunities for crime within their planning proposals. Failure to do so may result in the local planning authority not validating the application or they may need to seek further information, either of which will cause a delay in determining the application. A successful statement will make the planning authority aware of the crime and disorder problems in the area of the application and importantly, show precisely what measures you are taking to alleviate these.

Please click here to download and make use of the booklet. It’s a tool that will help you create your design and access statement and assist you fulfill your obligation to reduce crime by design.

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Designing Out Crime Conference
12th September, 2008

West Yorkshire Police's Local Policing Department hosted a Designing Out Crime Conference in Bradford on Friday 12 September 2008 which attracted over 200 delegates from all over West Yorkshire.

The Conference, a first of its kind for West Yorkshire Police, included a wide range of presentations which explored the principles of designing out crime.

Present in the audience were University Lecturers, Architects, Local Authority Planning Officers, Project Managers, Developers and several Councillors.  Click here for more information about the Designing Out Crime Conference.
 

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The built environment in which we all live, work, socialise or simply move through, has a significant part to play in how safe we feel and how easy, or otherwise, crime is to commit. Understanding how the criminal may take advantage of these opportunities and then causing them to be designed out of future developments is the role of the Architectural Liaison Officer (ALO).

West Yorkshire Police employ dedicated and highly skilled group of officers who work with all five local planning authorities of West Yorkshire and who consult them concerning designing out crime.

The Architectural Liaison Officer will visit the proposed site, conduct a crime risk assessment, meet members of the development team to provide advice and submit a formal response back to the planning authority in which detailed comment and observation is made. Planning conditions are likely to be asked for to ensure that the scheme progresses in accordance with recognised and effective designing out crime principles.

In some circumstances West Yorkshire Police may object to a planning application on the basis that it has not adequately addressed crime prevention, that it is contrary to adopted planning policy or because we have significant concerns about the implications of a proposal on community safety.

It is vitally important therefore to make contact with the relevant ALO at the earliest opportunity concerning designing out crime. The incorporation of such measures during the design stage prevents delays to programme delivery which will reduce costs but which will also lead to a safer and more secure development improving its sustainability over the long-term.

Please make use of the details below to make contact with a member of the ALO team.

Bradford:
Lewis Mackenzie 01274 376273
lewis.mackenzie1@westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

Calderdale:
Keith Williams 01422 318066
keith.williams@westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

Kirklees:
Gerry Gallagher 01484 223264
gerald.gallagher@westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

Leeds:
Nicholas Cox 0113 2477820
nicholas.cox@westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

Wakefield:
Alan Hosker 01924 306606
alan.hosker@westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk