Design and access statements

A Design and Access Statement (DAS) must accompany all planning applications, except for:

• Applications for a material change of use to land or buildings (not including operational development)
  
• Engineering and mining operations; and, 
  
• Householder development (except in a designated area such as a National Park; SSSI, AONB, World Heritage Site and the Broads).

It is considered that a formal statement should accompany the following types of minerals or waste planning applications:

• Ancillary development at a quarry e.g. a bagging plant
• A waste transfer station
• A materials recycling facility
• An in-vessel composting site
• A green waste windrow composting facility
• An in-vessel composting facility
• Development at a sewage treatment works requiring planning permission e.g. a new control building

A statement will not be required for:

• Mineral extraction e.g. a new site or an extension to an existing site
• Landfill - as this is a material change of use to land
• In addition a DAS will need to accompany any application for new schools and other county council buildings including the erection of temporary classrooms.

The DAS should be one statement containing a design element and an access element.  The design should include:

• The amount
• The layout
• The scale
• Landscaping
• The appearance of the development

The access part of the statement should demonstrate:

• The assessment of the site and surrounding development where relevant
• Involvement of consultees and the local community
• How all users will have equal and convenient access to buildings, spaces and the public transport network
• How the development can adapt to change
• What policy has been adopted
• Access for emergency services
• Relationship to the Strategic Highway Network
• Site parking and manoeuvring

Details of the statutory requirements and more detailed advice about preparing a Design and Access Statement are available in the following documents.