When considering the floor space / density the review will encompass the overall site area and nature of the local area to ensure that local density requirements are fully taken into account. Building sizes and spacing will be carefully designed to provide a balance between site usage and adequate space around the facilities.

The building designs are reviewed to ensure that the design and the orientation of the buildings takes sunlight and solar gain into account. The designs will also optimise the available views.

Pedestrian and road access on the site and to individual buildings will also be carefully designed to optimise the performance of the development with pavings to selected areas to limit the discharge of pollutants.

Extensive landscaping and planting to the perimeter of the site and each building will form a major feature of the development and encourage a habitat for birds and insects.

Bicycle storage is provided to encourage the use of cycles as part of a sustainable transport plan with the resultant savings in CO2 emissions.

Buildings are designed to be in scale with the surrounding features and the height of buildings relate to their internal and external function and form.

The appearance of the site as a whole will reflect the selected design approach in terms of development scale, material selected, building orientation and landscaping. Also the building's appearance and character will be consistent with the Churchmanor design philosophy:

• The building's orientation will be carefully considered.
• The elevations will where appropriate contain areas of glazing to give a light internal environment reducing artificial lighting requirements.
• Neutral colouring is used to act as a foil to the landscaped surroundings.
• Creating a good quality, long life, minimum maintenance building envelope.
• Ancillary buildings, including energy centres, stores, bin enclosures will be provided as required.

These design principles will be developed after a full assessment of the site, context and in consultation with the interested parties.

The aim of the landscape design is to create an attractive and environmentally friendly scheme, with distinctive feature planting to identify the pedestrian and vehicular entrances to the plot.

Boundary treatments will consist of planting to reflect the location and environment. Native species will be used throughout the design. The scheme and its landscaping will reinforce the boundary to the plots and help to reduce the visual mass of the buildings.

At the pedestrian and vehicular plot entrances there will be a break in the trees to the plot frontage. Low groundcover planting will be planted at the entrance providing a visual sense of arrival.

The planting will introduce dynamic colour, form and texture into the external environment of the building. It includes deciduous species with winter interest, evergreen species and some restrained herbaceous planting for summer interest. This will provide a dynamic landscape that will provide visual interest all year round.

The native hedges and trees will provide food and shelter for our native fauna.

Where appropriate native planting will also be specified as part of the planting mix for "on plot" ground cover planting.

The introduction of bird boxes and wall vegetation provides a habitat for birds and insects.