DSE has been appointed as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide urban design and heritage consultancy to Runnymede Borough Council over the next twelve months, thanks to funding from the Government.
DSE is now working with the Council to support the Development Management team through monthly design surgeries, to provide bespoke design advice on the Longcross Garden Village development and to deliver training for members and officers on the subject of good design, including designing within historic environments.
Following a competitive tender process, this advisory work is being led by Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design who will be producing a Design Supplementary Planning Document, supported by DSE as well as Purcell, who will be providing Heritage consultancy. Runnymede Borough Council commented on the team’s strength and on our personable approach and we are certainly enjoying working with a council where there is a strong team spirit and aspiration to achieve the highest quality design, as well as working collaboratively with our fellow consultants.
Longcross, one of the government’s Garden Villages, will provide approximately 1,700 homes with associated community facilities and open space and is a significant development on the site of the former Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. It presents an opportunity to create a 21st century garden village with a distinctive identity that responds to the character of the surrounding Surrey villages and to the unique character and history of the setting. DSE is helping to clarify the vision for the garden village and is advising on the proposed design in a series of bespoke workshops.
Feedback from the Planning Officers following the first design surgery was positive; ‘much appreciated and good to bounce ideas/concerns with a neutral panel. Very helpful and look forward to more discussions in future’. DSE is also looking forward to getting to know the team over the coming months and we particularly enjoy the opportunity to work closely with planning officers through the design surgery process.
To discuss DSE’s design surgery service or design support to major projects contact David Tittle, Head of Design Advice david@designsoutheast.org or 01634 401166.
