Essex development achieves Secured by Design Gold Award

The Burnt Mills development in Harlow includes 172 one and two bedroom properties designed and constructed for rental. The development also includes ground floor commercial space, 150 cycle racks and 142 residents parking spaces - 23 of which have electric vehicle charging points - and communal roof gardens.

An Essex Police Designing Out Crime Officer (DOCO) worked with the developer from the pre-planning stage in 2017 to ensure that appropriate security measures commensurate to the local crime risk were incorporated into the development. This work included incorporating proven crime prevention measures in the layout and landscaping, such as to increase natural surveillance and create defensible space, as well as incorporating products that meet Secured by Design’s (SBD) Police Preferred Specification standard into the physical security of building to ensure they are sufficiently robust to resist physical attack by opportunistic burglars. These measures included external doors and accessible windows fitted with robust locking systems.  

Harlow Council recently announced its purchase of the development in a move to secure more Harlow social housing and affordable homes for Harlow people - all 172 homes will be available to anyone who lives in Harlow. Thirty percent of homes (52), which is three times more than the original planning approval, will be allocated to Harlow families on the Housing Needs Register at affordable rent levels (at least 20% below market rent). A further 120 homes will be available to Harlow residents at market rent levels.

The development has also been awarded the National House Building Council (NHBC) Pride in the Job Award in the High-rise Builder category.

Caroline Peters from Essex Police said: “Millbrook Studios development was part of the Harlow regeneration scheme and was my first large development as a DOCO. I worked closely with the architects to ensure the development could achieve the SBD Gold award. Originally the developer was only seeking Silver however, we worked together to easily achieve the higher standard.

“Hollybrook were very engaging and considered my recommendations and security provisions, they wanted the development to be safe and secure for the future residents.

“Harlow Council have recently purchased the development located in a very active part of the Town. It is encouraging Secured by Design has been implemented as this gives Essex Police that extra reassurance that residents of Harlow are safe in their homes.”

Ian Brown from Developers Hollybrook said “We are thrilled to announce that our Millbrook Studios development has been awarded the Secured by Design Gold award. This significant gateway regeneration project not only delivers much-needed housing for the Harlow community but also prioritises the safety of its residents by designing out the risk of crime. Hollybrook, in collaboration with Burwell Architects, worked diligently with the Designing Out Crime Officer to ensure the development exceeds the highest standards to provide safe secure homes.”

Announcing the purchase of the development earlier in the year, Councillor Dan Swords, Leader of Harlow Council, said: ““We have worked extremely hard to buy this private development for the benefit of Harlow residents. This is an impressive and modern development, which has been built to a very high standard and is located on a key gateway in and out of Harlow. The original development was always intended for the rental market with just over 9% being affordable housing. We will be increasing the amount of affordable housing to 30% with those homes allocated to Harlow families on our Housing Needs Register with the rest being available for Harlow residents to rent.” 

Improved security

Developers around the UK can achieve SBD awards for incorporating crime prevention measures and techniques into their developments in all kinds of building sectors, such as residential, education, health, transport, commercial, retail, sport and leisure. Indeed, SBD can be used as evidence to discharge third-party obligations under Part Q of Schedule 1 (Security) to the English Building Regulations, the Scottish Building Standard 4.13 (Security) and Welsh Building Regulations Part Q (Security – Dwellings). These awards are gained by working with police Designing Out Crime Officers (DOCOs), who advise architects, developers and local authority planners long before construction begins – and continue to provide advice and guidance until the development is complete.

Academic and other research shows that improving standards of security in brand new and refurbished properties, helps deter and reduce crime. Reducing crime and the fear of crime has direct links to better physical and mental well-being, such as with regard to high volume crimes like domestic abuse.   

The built environment influences the behaviour of people who work, live, socialise or simply pass through. SBD seeks to create environments where the law-abiding feel safe and secure whilst at the same time causing the criminal or anti-social to feel vulnerable to detection and thereby influence behaviour in a positive way. This continues to be a key objective for SBD.

Find out more about SBD Developers Awards here.

SBD Design Guides

SBD has produced a series of authoritative Design Guides to assist the building, design and construction industry to incorporate security into developments to comply with the Building Regulations in England, Scotland and Wales and meet the requirements of SBD.

These Design Guides, available to download for free at the SBD website, have been updated over the years to keep pace with changing patterns of criminal behaviour and advances in building design and new technology.

They are a valuable source of reference to architects, developers, self-builders, local authority planners and police officers and cover a range of building sectors, including residential, education, health, transport and commercial. 

Police Designing Out Crime Officers

DOCOs provide specialist crime reduction advice to the public, businesses and colleagues about premises or property security. They also work with building developers, architects, and council planning departments regarding new developments and refurbishments, to 'design out' crimes like burglary and anti-social behaviour (ASB) by providing advice on street lighting, building and street layout, entrances and exits - as well as preferred standards and specifications for doors, windows, and locks, under the Secured by Design initiative. 

DOCOs are able to deliver site specific interventions required to help design out crime in areas that suffer disproportionately from acquisitive crime, based on local crime pattern analysis, police, local authority and community engagement and the collective knowledge and experience of how criminals behave. 

DOCOs are specialist problem solvers, working every day to make a positive difference, changing lives for the better and helping people to be safe and secure in their homes.

Contact details for local DOCOs can be found here.