Active frontage

The design of frontages can add interest, life and vitality to the street and public realm. Frontages are considered active if they have:

• frequent doors and windows without blank walls
• articulated façades with bays and porches
• lively internal uses visible from the outside, or spilling onto the street
• concentrations of activity at particular points.

Biodiversity Net Gain

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) delivers measurable improvements for biodiversity by creating or enhancing habitats in association with development. Biodiversity Net Gain can be achieved on-site, off-site or through a combination of on-site and off-site measures. See the Natural Environment planning practice guidance for more detail.

Circular economy

A circular economy is an industrial system that is restorative or regenerative by intention and design. It replaces the linear economy and its ‘end of life’ concept with restoration, shifts towards the use of renewable energy, eliminates the use of toxic chemicals and aims for the elimination of waste through the design of materials, products, systems that can be repaired and reused.

Source: LETI Climate Emergency Design Guide

Conservation Area

Areas identified as being of special architectural or historic interest.

The London Borough of Bexley has 23 Conservation Areas, please check with development management to ascertain if your proposal is located within one.

Design and Access Statement

A report submitted to accompany and support a planning application that outlines the social, visual and physical impact of a proposed development, with reference to how the development sits within, and draws from, its context.

Defensible space

A buffer zone created between a development and the public realm to provide privacy to residents, particularly those in ground floor accommodation.

Dual aspect

A dual aspect dwelling is one with opening windows on two external walls, which may be on opposite sides of a dwelling or on adjacent sides of a dwelling where the external walls of the dwelling wrap around the corner of a building.

Source: Housing Design Standards LPG

Embodied carbon

The carbon emissions associated with the extraction and processing of materials and the energy and water consumption used by the factory in producing products and constructing the building. It also includes the ‘in-use’ stage (maintenance, replacement, and emissions associated with refrigerant leakage) and ‘end of life’ stage (demolition, disassembly, and disposal of any parts of product or building) and any transportation relating to the above

Source: LETI Climate Emergency Design Guide

Form factor

A design parameter defined as the efficiency of the shape of a building with regard to operational energy. It is measured as the ratio of the external surface area (i.e. the parts of the building exposed to outdoor conditions) to the internal floor area. The greater the ratio, the less efficient the building and the greater the energy demand. High form factors are between 2.0-3.0+ and are typically associated with semi- detached, detached and bungalow typologies, while lower form factors are between 0.8-1.5 and are associated with apartments and terrace typologies.

Green infrastructure

A network of multi-functional green space, urban and rural, which is capable of delivering a wide range of environmental and quality of life benefits for local communities.

Green roofs

A rooftop fully or partially covered with plants and/or vegetation.

Habitable room

A habitable room is one used, or intended to be used, for dwelling and domestic purposes.

The use of habitable room is subject to its context and applicants should refer to individual Building Regulation Approved documents for clarity.

Habitable windows

A window to a room used, or intended to be used, for dwelling and domestic purposes.

Host building

An existing building within a development site which is normally positioned in a street facing location.

Legibility

How easy it is for people to understand and find their way around a place and how memorable it is.

Listed building

A listed building, or structure, which has been placed on the statutory list (the National Heritage List for England - NHLE) which is maintained by Historic England.

Statutory listing covers 3 grades, being Grade I, Grade II* and Grade II. Grade I listed buildings are of exceptional interest; Grade II* are particularly important buildings which are of more than special interest; and, Grade II are of special interest. Most buildings and structures are Grade II, with examples which are of particular historic or architectural interest being graded higher.

Any works, generally speaking, which would involve the alteration or extension to a listed building would require the benefit of listed building consent.

Major project

Any application that involves:

• mineral extraction
• waste development
• residential development of between 10 or more dwellings
• residential development on a site area of 0.5 ha or more and the number of dwellings is unknown
• development of floorspace of 1000sqm or more
• development on sites over 1 ha

Massing

A building’s three dimensional shape, made up by its height, width, depth and form.

Operational carbon (kgCO2e)

The carbon dioxide and equivalent global warming potential (GWP) of other gases associated with the in-use operation of the building. This usually includes carbon emissions associated with heating, hot water, cooling, ventilation, and lighting systems, as well as those associated with cooking, equipment, and lifts (i.e. both regulated and unregulated energy uses).

Source: LETI Climate Emergency Design Guide

Plot ratio

The ratio of the building floor area of a building to the area of the building plot.

Private amenity space

This can take the form of gardens, roof terraces or balconies.

Protected garden area

The primary areas of use within a rear garden which should be afforded privacy from neighbouring gardens and properties.

Roofscape

A view of roofs, particularly in terms of its aesthetic appeal.

Spatial hierarchy

The relationships between buildings and the spaces between them created by the scale, layout and architectural expression of buildings and the spatial qualities of the public realm.

Standard window

Vertically aligned windows with clear glass.

Street scene

The appearance of all of the elements of a street, including the carriageway, footpath, cycle paths, street furniture, planting, trees, and the buildings or structures along its edges, particularly the composition of buildings on each side of the street.

Sustainable drainage systems

Features designed to reduce flood risk, which are built to receive surface water run-off, such as constructed wetlands, permeable surfaces, retention ponds, green roofs and swales.

Tenure neutral

Housing where no group of residents is disadvantaged as a result of the tenure of their homes. There is no segregation or difference in quality between tenures by siting, accessibility, environmental conditions, external facade or materials. Homes of all tenures are represented in equally attractive and beneficial locations, and there is no differentiation in the positions of entrances. Shared open or play spaces are accessible to all residents around them, regardless of tenure.

Source: National Design Guide

Whole life carbon

This includes embodied carbon, as defined above, and operational carbon. The purpose of using whole life carbon is to move towards a building or a product that generates the lowest carbon emissions over its whole life (sometimes referred as ‘cradle-to-grave’).

Source: LETI Climate Emergency Design Guide