What Is a Design and Access Statement?
A Design and Access Statement (DAS) is a report that accompanies a planning application, explaining the design rationale and how access considerations have been addressed. It is required for:
- Major applications (10+ dwellings residential, or 1,000 sqm+ commercial floor space)
- Applications in a World Heritage Site, Conservation Area, or a National Park
- Applications for Listed Building Consent
For most standard householder applications (extensions, loft conversions), a DAS is not required — though some local authorities request a brief design rationale anyway.
What a Design and Access Statement Should Cover
Design
The design section should address:
Context: How does the proposal relate to the character of the surrounding area? What are the prevailing architectural styles, materials, scales, and building lines? How has the proposal been informed by this context?
Layout: How does the arrangement of buildings, spaces, and routes respond to the site and surroundings?
Scale: What is the scale of the proposed development relative to neighbouring buildings and the site?
Appearance: What materials, colours, textures, and architectural detailing are proposed? Why were these chosen?
Landscaping: How will the external spaces, planting, and hard landscaping be designed?
Access
The access section should explain:
- How people will approach and enter the building (pedestrian, cycling, vehicle)
- How the design addresses access for people with disabilities
- Movement routes within the site and building
- Emergency access
For most householder extensions, the access section is brief — but for larger developments or applications in areas with specific access requirements, it needs more depth.
Length and Format
A DAS should be as long as the project requires — no more, no less. For a house extension in a Conservation Area, 3–6 pages is typically appropriate. For a larger residential scheme, 20–40 pages may be needed.
Planning authorities do not award approval for longer or more beautifully designed DAS documents — they award approval for proposals that are well-designed and comply with policy. The DAS should support the drawings, not replace them.
Common Mistakes
Describing rather than justifying: A DAS that simply describes what is proposed (a two-storey rear extension with a flat roof) adds little value. A good DAS explains why the design was developed that way — what analysis of the context informed the choices.
Ignoring policy: A DAS should show awareness of the relevant planning policies (the London Plan, the Local Plan, supplementary design guidance) and explain how the proposal complies with them.
Overpromising: If the design is a compromise (for example, a smaller extension than originally intended), explaining this positively — how the design was refined to reduce impact — is more honest and more persuasive than claims that the proposal is optimal in every respect.
Conservation Area Applications
For applications in Conservation Areas, the DAS needs to address:
- The significance of the Conservation Area (its character, key views, important buildings)
- How the proposal preserves or enhances that character
- Why the materials and detailing are appropriate
- How the proposal avoids harm to the setting of listed buildings nearby
Planning authorities in London take Conservation Area character seriously — a DAS that dismisses heritage considerations will not help an application.
Who Should Write the DAS?
The Design and Access Statement is typically prepared by the architect or planning consultant. It should reflect genuine design thinking, not a formulaic template. Where a heritage specialist has been involved in a Conservation Area or listed building application, they may contribute to or prepare the heritage sections.
RCB Design & Build
RCB works with experienced planning architects and consultants who prepare Design and Access Statements as part of the planning application package. We ensure the DAS reflects genuine design analysis and supports the application effectively.