SUSTAINABLE BUILDING AN OPEN AND SHUT CASE


Operations Manager of Police initiative ecured by Design, reviews the key factors that need to be considered in reducing risk and ensuring legislative compliance. Domestic burglary costs the nation more than £2.9 billion annually and can have a damaging impact on communities, as well as adversely affecting property values and popularity. Dealing with the impact of crime is a costly issue for local authority housing providers, both in terms of asset management and property maintenance. In addition, the presence of crime hotspots within social housing developments can result in a reluctance to locate within certain areas or an increase in transfer requests, leading to an increase in void properties.


P


Designing out crime The extent to which residential design can impact upon crime is well evidenced. Communities can be made safer by reviewing the design and layout of schemes from inception and by planning-in physical security measures to deter opportunist thieves.


Secured by Design (SBD) is a national


Police initiative that works with the design, construction and security sectors to incorporate security features which are ‘designed in’ and ‘invisible’, enabling residents to become more secure and comfortable.


Housing developments built or refurbished to SBD principles and using Police Approved products have been proven to benefit from up to 75% less burglary, 25% less vehicle crime and 25% less criminal damage than similar developments without security principles employed.


The principles developed by SBD


address the need and importance for a safe environment that is secured in four ways: Surveillance: The physical design of the development should offer maximum opportunities for natural surveillance by residents without compromising the need for privacy. Access/Egress: Developments should include a minimum number of access and exit points which could otherwise provide escape routes and offer opportunities for potential offenders. Territoriality: The establishment of


clear boundaries with a separation between


hysical security is a key issue for social housing specialists, with doors and windows particularly vulnerable to attack. Jon Cole, National


communal and private spaces, with each having a well-defined purpose and role. Physical Security: Establishing good standards of physical security for each property and its boundaries. Doors and windows, which include roof-lights, are the most used access points by burglars, with locks being the key focus for forced entries.


New legislation


The importance of physical security in preventing crime has been validated by the introduction of Part Q of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 2010, also known as Approved Document Q (ADQ). ADQ, which came into effect this October, addresses specific physical security requirements in relation to new homes, including those resulting from a change in use of existing buildings into homes. The new legislation lays down minimum guidelines for resistance to attack for: doors at the entrance to a building, garage doors where there is a connecting door to the dwelling, ground floor, basement, other easily accessible windows and any easily accessible roof-lights.


Sourcing the right products


The new Building Regulation has highlighted the importance of sourcing the appropriate products for a particular application, which may require additional elements relating to their use or an understanding of possible conflicting parts of the Building Regulations; such as fire safety, as outlined in Approved Document B. It is also imperative that tested products have been assessed for their fitness for purpose. For example, doorsets tested and approved for individual homes should not be substituted as entrances in communal dwellings, which are subjected to much heavier use. In addition, testing relies on the product that is being installed to match precisely the configurations presented during testing. In the case of doors and windows, modifying


the specification of any one aspect, such as the locks, handles and even the fixings, could compromise the product’s security. SBD operates


a Product Licensing Scheme where membership is awarded to companies producing security products that pass standards and tests nominated by the Police service. For many years SBD has required that doors and windows are not only tested by the product manufacturer, but that certification from a UKAS accredited independent third-party certification authority is also in place. This process exceeds the guidelines for Approved Document Q and ensures products are consistently produced to the required standard and will continue to meet the standard in use.


Easing the burden of compliance


SBD’s new National Building Approval scheme allows housing providers and developers to gain ‘type approval’ of their new housing stock before any development or refurbishment scheme is planned or built. This approval is acceptable to Local Authority Building Control and can be used to discharge regulatory compliance, streamlining the procurement process.


Collaborating for success A collaborative approach to housing development, involving housing providers, designers, specifiers and community groups is essential in creating safer environments. Fundamental to the effective protection of residents is the elimination of simple vulnerabilities through improved product standards and better design, which can achieve significant reductions in crime.


For more information:


Visit www.securedbydesign.com or email marketing@acpo-sbd.co.uk


The benefits of designing out crime:


A study commissioned by the Glasgow Housing Association on the impact of SBD door and window installation within GHA housing stock found attempted housebreaking had been decreased by 59% and theft by housebreaking by 18%.


Following the installation of SBD standard windows in Nottingham City Homes, burglary was reduced by 42% with an estimated saving of £241,800 in one year alone.


PSS MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 9


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40