Public Presentation of the EDS
ERA AGM
Monday 26 January 2009
7.30 p.m.
Emsworth Community Centre
Speaker
Ann Davies
EDS co-ordinator
Published by the Emsworth Residents Association © ERA 2008
Download the EDS
A Design Statement records the distinctive character of a village/small town and its relationship with the surrounding environment. It defines design principles or guidelines which have the objective of maintaining or enhancing this distinctive character.
The Design Statement process is initiated, managed and undertaken by members of the community and funding has to be raised.
The Design Statement is submitted to and approved by the local planning authority.
Change is inevitable, but the objective of a Design Statement is to help channel this change constructively, giving guidance on what is considered important by the community to those involved in planning and development decisions. It should also provide an source of information for members of the community when they wish to comment on proposals.
There has been significant change in planning processes since the EDS project started five years ago and as a result the permitted role and scope of a Design Statement has changed, not least in its status and 'authority'. For Havant Borough Council (HBC) to adopt the EDS as a material consideration for Development Control purposes within the Planning Department some content needed to be removed and Design Points needed to be redrafted as Design Considerations. Much of the excluded material relates to planning policy requirements, which are now matters for the Local Development Framework (LDF), which will replace the Local Plan (LP).
The purpose of the EDS is to contribute to the protection and wherever possible the enhancement of the human, economic, structural and environmental qualities identified by the project so that Emsworth continues to be a thriving community in an attractive setting.
Given the wealth of character that can be found throughout Emsworth it is considered essential to consider more than the historic core. In many cases it has proved possible to specify individual Design Considerations in such a way that they should be applicable throughout Emsworth. Though it is not possible to focus in detail on individual features, properties or streets in the same way as would be the case for smaller communities, it is believed that the range of photos should provide a good introduction to Emsworth's character. Particular care has been taken to ensure that the end result reflects important and widely held views of the community and not just those of the core group.
At some time soon or in the future you may want to comment on a planning application by your neighbour, in your street or somewhere else in Emsworth that you are concerned about. Alternatively, you may be thinking of altering your house, building on your land or you may be a developer planning a project in Emsworth. In all these situations, the EDS can be important to you.
The EDS and its Supplement contain the views of residents of Emsworth about how they would like to see Emsworth develop in the future. The EDS has been approved by Havant Borough Council and is a document which can be referred to as "material consideration" when planning applications are considered. Presenting plans that are in conformity with what is set out in the EDS are more likely to be approved than those which are not.
Although not ratified by HBC, the supplement has gone through the same formal endorsement by the Emsworth community and as such has a valid role to play when views are being expressed on planning and related matters. Thus reference to this document when supporting or opposing applications will add to the strength of your case.
A copy of the EDS and its supplement will be provided free of charge to Emsworth residents, please contact David Jones, 23 Queen Street, Emsworth, Tel 01243 371499 for your copy.
If you only wish to briefly consult a paper copy of the EDS, there are several copies available for inspection in Emsworth Library.
The ERA is developing a guide to using the EDS and its Supplement. A first draft can be found HERE
The EDS is a large document with many pictures and we have divided it into sections for an easier download. At present downloads will only be satisfactory if you have a broadband connection.
There are also two compressed versions with the four sections combined together. The illustrations are of a lower quality in these versions.
The EDS is held on the website as PDF documents. You need Acrobat Reader to open these.
If Acrobat in not installed on your system you can download it here:
| Compressed version of sections 1 to 4 (no appendices) | 8MB |
| Even more compressed version, minimal quality pictures | 2.8MB |
| Appendices pages 35-36 | 30KB |
| Supplement | 568KB |