Design the key to safer homes and streets, says Barratt

We all want to live in places that are safe, secure and attractive – and today’s new home developments can help to encourage a sense of community and reduce the risk of crime.

That is the message from housebuilder Barratt, which says it is now giving higher priority than ever before to development layout when creating new places to live.

Barratt, which is currently building new homes at Brunel View in Plymouth, carefully plans to achieve the correct balance between privacy and community, cars and pedestrians. Not only does getting the right balance encourage neighbourliness. It also discourages crime and anti-social behaviour.

“Our aim is to create safe, secure and attractive communities where people aspire to live, and design has a crucial role to play in that,” said sales director Caroline Hill.

“We want to build friendly places to live, where people get to know their neighbours. Not only do thoughtful development layouts improve the quality of life for residents. They can also help to deter anti-social or even criminal behaviour.

“For example, developments should be planned in a way that gives just as much priority to pedestrians as cars. The buildings and layout should create a neighbourhood that is easy to get around, whether you’re on foot or behind the wheel.

“It helps surveillance if buildings overlook all public spaces, roads and footpaths. And good street lighting is also very important. Taken together, these tend to make both residents and visitors alike feel generally safer.”

Good design isn’t arrived at by accident. Barratt has its own Guide to Good Design which covers all aspects of site layout including exterior design, landscaping, roads, safety and security.

The company has also recently launched an in-house national design competition to further enhance the quality of its developments around the country.

Schemes are judged on a range of design criteria including:

• Do the buildings and layout make it easy to find your way around?
• Are the streets pedestrian, cycle and vehicle friendly?
• Are public spaces overlooked and do they feel safe?

“In recent years we have earned a reputation for the quality and design of our award-winning developments,” added Caroline. “Now we are aiming to raise the bar again.”

For further information about Brunel View, visit: barratthomes.co.uk