'Bold Type’ B Policies - that is: the policy without the supporting text.
See the Bristol Local Plan link for the full text.
Chapter 4: The Built Environment
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B1 Design Criteria and Development
B1 In determining Applications, account will be taken of the following design issues:–
- (i) The local context
- (ii) Accessibility
- (iii) Safety and security
- (iv) Layout and form
- (v) Building exteriors and elevations
- (vi) Landscape treatment and environmental works
- (vii) Environmental impact
B2 Local Context
B2 Development should be designed with regard to the local context.
Proposals which would cause unacceptable harm to the character and / or appearance of an
area, or to the visual impact of historic buildings, views or landmarks, will not be
permitted. In determining Applications account will be taken of the following:–
- (i) The existing landforms and natural features
- (ii) The scale and proportion of existing buildings, building lines and heights
within the street scene
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(iii) The detailed design of the existing buildings where ancillary buildings,
extensions and alterations are proposed
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(iv) The retention and enhancement of existing urban spaces, traditional local
materials and townscape or historical features which contribute to the character of an area. The creation of townscape features should be considered in relation to their surroundings.
B3 Accessibility
B3
- (I) Development should incorporate the retention or provision of important routes
and linkages which contribute to the permeability of an area.
Development which results in the unacceptable loss of existing links will not be permitted.
- (II) Material alterations to publicly accessible buildings and new site layouts will
be permitted where they accommodate access and facilities for disabled people.
In determining Applications, account wil l be taken of the relationship of the proposed development with car parking and public transport facilities, clear delineation of routes and unencumbered entrances and circulation. In the case of refurbishments, access for disabled people should be provided unless practical considerations dictate otherwise.
B4 Safety and Security
B4 Developments should aim to provide safe and secure environments. In determining applications account will be taken of the following:–
- (i) Traffic conflicts between vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists
- (ii) Surface treatments and the location of street furniture
- (iii) Safe and secure public routes which seek to minimise both actual and
perceived opportunities for criminal activity
B5 Layout and Form
B5 The layout and form of development should seek to reinforce or create attractive and distinctive identity, and establish a scale appropriate to its locality and use. In determining Applications, account will be taken of the following:–
B6 Building Exteriors and Elevations
B6 Building exteriors and elevations which are designed to a high standard and provide visual interest, particularly adjacent to public routes, will be welcomed. In determining Applications, account will be taken of the following:–
- (i) The impact of development from both distant and close views
- (ii) Existing skylines and the creation of new skylines
- (iii) The appropriate use of materials.
B7 Landscape Treatments and Environmental Works
B7 Where buildings require the creation or improvement of a setting in order to assimilate them into a street or wider context, developments will be required to include a suitable landscape treatment which:–
- (i) Is planned as an integral part of the development
- (ii) Reflects the character of the locality and surrounding buildings and the way in which the area will be used
- (iii) Retains and / or replaces existing amenity and habitat features including trees.
B8 Development: Criteria for New Housing
B8 In determining Applications for residential developments, account will be taken of the following:–
- (i) The effects of the proposed development upon the townscape, character and identity of the area within which it would be located
- (ii) Environmental considerations, including energy conservation and the effects of pollution
- (iii) Highway considerations
- (iv) The provision and visual impact of parking
- (v) Privacy and overlooking
- (vi) Safety and security
- (vii) The provision of public open space
- (viii) Access and facilities for disabled people
- (ix) The need for and provision of landscape treatments
- (x) Building design and materials
- (xi) The servicing of dwellings
B9 Development: House Extensions and Alterations
B9 House extensions and alterations will be permitted provided they:–
- (i) Respect the form, siting, materials, details and character of the original property and its curtilage
- (ii) Respect the characteristics of the wider area, particularly where the property forms part of a semi-detached pair, a terrace or a formal street pattern
- (iii)Would not cause unacceptable harm to the amenities of neighbouring occupiers
- (iv) Retain adequate car parking within the site
B10 Development: Shopfronts Guidelines
B10 Shopfronts that harm the appearance of an area through inappropriate design or the use of unsympathetic security measures will not be permitted.
In determining Applications, account will be taken of the following:–
- (i) The scale, proportion and overall design of a shopfront with regard to the building of which it forms a part
- (ii) Any contribution and visual impact on the surrounding townscape and the street scene
- (iii) Safe and convenient access for all people, including disabled people
- (iv) The retention or provision of independent ground floor front access to the upper floors, except where a safe and convenient rear or side access is available or is provided as part of the development
B11 Advertisements: Illuminated Signs
B11 The introduction or replacement of illuminated signs will be permitted where:–
- (i) The design adopts a scale, detail and siting appropriate to the character and detail of the buildings
- (ii) The design or siting does not constitute a traffic hazard
B12 Advertisements: Hoardings
B12 Outdoor advertisement hoardings will be permitted where they:–
- (i) Are well designed, together with additional landscape treatment where appropriate, and respect the scale and character of the surrounding area, and the architectural composition of any building to which they might be attached
- (ii) Do not have an unacceptable impact on visual amenity or public safety
- (iii) Are located in commercial or mixed use areas.
B13 Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings: General Principles
B13 Development should preserve Listed Buildings, their features and settings, and preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the city’s designated Conservation Areas, as defined on the Proposals Map.
Development which conflicts with these objectives will not be permitted.
B14 Designation of Conservation Areas
B14 In assessing an area for Conservation Area status the following factors will be taken into account:–
- (i) The desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the area
- (ii) The level of architectural or historic interest
- (iii) The quality and special character of the area within its local and regional context
- (iv) The degree of threat to the character or appearance of the area
- (v) The amount of alteration and development, detrimental to the character or appearance of the area, that has occurred
- (vi) Other controls on development such as planning restrictions and other designations.
B15 Streets and Open Space
B15
- (I) Townscape and landscape features that contribute to the character or appearance of streets and open spaces within Conservation Areas should be preserved or enhanced
- (II) Development will not be permitted where it would unacceptably harm landscapes, open spaces and gardens that contribute to the character of the area
- (III) The introduction of car parking into areas historically used as gardens and forecourts will not be permitted where it erodes either the character of the street and/or the setting of historic buildings.
B16 New Buildings
B16 In a group of historic buildings, where a formal and unified design forms an essential part of the character, new buildings which reproduce the appearance of these architectural elements that contribute to the overall design of the group will be permitted.
In determining Applications for new buildings within formal groups, account will be taken of the following:–
- (i) The height in relation to surrounding properties. Where existing heights are varied, new development should remain within the range of heights of historic neighbouring properties
- (ii) The rhythm, scale and proportion of neighbouring properties
- (iii) Established building lines, where they form an essential part of the character of the area
- (iv) The provision of a suitably designed means of enclosure, reflecting the character and traditions of the area, where it helps to assimilate new buildings into the Conservation Area
- (v) Roof forms complementing those that contribute to the character of the area
- (vi) The use of materials that respect, retain and strengthen those that are predominant and form a fundamental component of the character of the area
- (vii) The incorporation of locally distinctive patterns and features used on historic building façades which give a special identity to Bristol
- (viii) The scale, proportion and hierarchy of windows that complement the historic context and are in balance with the design as a whole
B17 Extensions to Buildings
B17 Extensions to buildings that contribute to the character of a Conservation Area should not dominate the original building by virtue of their scale, materials or location.
Large, unsightly or bulky extensions which would conflict with the form, or harm the appearance of the building and would fail to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Conservation Area, will not be permitted.
B18 Alterations to Traditional Buildings
B18 Alterations to buildings, requiring planning permission, that contribute to the character of a Conservation Area will be permitted where:–
- (i) Traditional materials are retained, repaired and where necessary replaced, and not covered with paints or cladding which would be harmful to the appearance of the Conservation Area
- (ii) The original form, pitch, cladding and ornament of the roof is retained. Where this is not possible, replacement materials should approximate to the original as closely as possible in terms of size, texture, quality, colour and weathering properties
- (iii) New dormers respect the appropriate scale and form of the period involved and are in balance with the external appearance of the property
- (iv) Chimney stacks and pots are retained, repaired or rebuilt where they are a significant feature of the property. This is applicable even if they are no longer functionally necessary
- (v) Prominent original windows are retained and repaired. Where this is not possible, replacement windows should be constructed to match the original in terms of style, proportions, colour and materials. Proposed new window openings should not disturb a balanced or composed elevation and should respect the size, proportion, material and decoration of existing windows
- (vi) Modern additions, such as security devices or communications equipment, are sensitively located to minimise their impact on the historic environment
B19 Listed Buildings: Alterations
B19 Applications for planning permission involving material alterations to a Listed Building or its curtilage that fail to preserve the building, its features or setting will not be permitted.
B20 Listed Buildings: Urgent Repairs and Demolition
B20 Applications for planning permission which involve the demolition of Listed Buildings will not be permitted without clear and convincing evidence that:–
- (i) All reasonable efforts have been made to sustain an existing use or find new uses, including preservation through some form of charitable or community use
- (ii) Redevelopment would produce substantial benefits for the community which would decisively outweigh the loss resulting from demolition
In all cases demolition should be assessed on the importance and condition of the building, and minimised with the aim of retaining those parts of the building that are of particular historical or architectural interest including interiors.
B21 Demolition: Listed Buildings and Buildings in Conservation Areas
B21 Applications for planning permission which would involve the demolition of buildings, walls and other minor structures which make a positive contribution to the character of a Conservation Area will not be permitted unless there are overriding environmental, economic or practical reasons.
Consent will only be granted where there is a valid permission for a detailed redevelopment scheme.
B22 Sites of Archaeological Significance
B22
- (I) There will be a presumption in favour of preserving any archaeological features or sites of national importance, whether scheduled or not
- (II) Development which could adversely affect sites, structures, landscapes or buildings of archaeological interest and their settings will require an assessment of the archaeological resource through a desk-top study, and where appropriate a field evaluation.
Where there is evidence of archaeological remains, development will not be permitted except where it can be demonstrated that the archaeological features of the site will be satisfactorily preserved in situ, or a suitable strategy has been put forward to mitigate the impact of development proposals upon important archaeological remains and their settings;
or, if this is not possible and the sites are not scheduled or of national importance, provision for adequately recording the site prior to destruction is made, preferably by negotiating a planning agreement to ensure that access, time and financial resources are available to allow essential recording and publication to take place.
