Policy D5 — Inclusive design

Policy D5 Inclusive design A Boroughs, in preparing their Development Plans, should support the creation of inclusive neighbourhoods by embedding inclusive design, and collaborating with local communities in the development of planning policies that affect them. B Development proposal should achieve the highest standards of accessible and inclusive design. They should: 1) be designed taking into account London’s diverse population 2) provide high quality people focused spaces that are designed to facilitate social interaction and inclusion 3) be convenient and welcoming with no disabling barriers, providing independent access without additional undue effort, separation or special treatment 4) be able to be entered, used and exited safely, easily and with dignity for all 5) be designed to incorporate safe and dignified emergency evacuation for all building users. In all developments where lifts are installed, as a minimum at least one lift per core (or more subject to capacity assessments) should be a suitably sized fire evacuation lift suitable to be used to evacuate people who require level access from the building. C Design and Access Statements, submitted as part of development proposals, should include an inclusive design statement. 3.5.1 The built environment includes the internal and external parts of buildings, as well as the spaces in between them. Despite recent progress in building a more accessible city, too many Londoners still experience barriers to living independent and dignified lives, due to the way the built environment has been designed and constructed or how it is managed. An inclusive design approach helps to ensure the diverse needs of all Londoners are integrated into Development Plans and proposals from the outset. This is essential to ensuring that the built environment is safe, accessible and convenient, and enables everyone to access the opportunities London has to offer. 3.5.2 Inclusive design is indivisible from good design . It is therefore essential to consider inclusive design and the development’s contribution to the creation of inclusive neighbourhoods at the earliest possible stage in the development process – from initial conception through to completion and, where relevant, the occupation and on-going management and maintenance of the development. 3.5.3 Inclusive design principles should be discussed with boroughs in advance of an application being submitted, to ensure that these principles are understood and incorporated into the original design concept. To demonstrate this, and to inform decision making, speed up the process and bring about better-quality development, an inclusive design statement is required as part of the Design and Access Statement. The inclusive design statement should: explain the design concept and illustrate how an inclusive design approach has been incorporated into this detail what best practice standards and design guidance documents have been applied in terms of inclusive design show that the potential impacts of the proposal on people and communities who share a protected characteristic and who will be affected by it have been considered set out how access and inclusion will be maintained and managed, including fire evacuation procedures detail engagement with relevant user groups, such as disabled or older people’s organisations, or other equality groups. 3.5.4 The detail contained in the Design and Access Statements, including the inclusive design statement, should be proportionate to the scale and type of development. 3.5.5 The social factors that influence inclusion have a direct impact on well-being and are an important component in achieving more inclusive communities. Many factors that influence potential barriers to inclusion can be mitigated by ensuring the involvement of local communities in the planning policies and decisions that will affect them. 3.5.6 Inclusive design creates spaces and places that can facilitate social integration, enabling people to lead more interconnected lives . Development proposals should help to create inclusive neighbourhoods that cumulatively form a network in which people can live and work in a safe, healthy, supportive and inclusive environment. An inclusive neighbourhood approach will ensure that people are able to easily access services, facilities and amenities that are relevant to them and enable them to safely and easily move around by active travel modes through high-quality, people-focused spaces, while enjoying barrier-free access to surrounding areas and the wider city. 3.5.7 Links to the wider neighbourhood should be carefully considered, including networks of legible, logical, safe and navigable pedestrian routes, dropped kerbs and crossing points with associated tactile paving. 3.5.8 Where security measures are required in the external environment, the design and positioning of these should not adversely impact access and inclusion. 3.5.9 Entrances into buildings should be easily identifiable and should allow everyone to use them independently without additional effort, separation or special treatment. High and low level obstructions in buildings and in the public realm should be eliminated. The internal environment of developments should meet the highest standards in terms of access and inclusion, creating buildings which meet the needs of the existing and future population. 3.5.10 Buildings should be designed and built to accommodate robust emergency evacuation procedures for all building users, including those who require level access. All building users should be able to evacuate from a building with dignity and by as independent means as possible. Emergency carry down or carry up mechanical devices or similar interventions that rely on manual handling are not considered to be appropriate, for reasons of user dignity and independence. The installation of lifts which can be used for evacuation purposes (accompanied by a management plan) provide a dignified and morLondon Plan Policy D5 · official source →