Finchley residential development wins at SBD development awards

Located off the A406, the Basing Way Green development in Finchley is comprised of 46 properties with parking and cycle spaces, an external playground and communal blocks with a shared common space.

Receiving the ATLAS Medium Development Award for its approach to urban planning and security, demonstrating how strategic design can significantly curb crime and enhance community safety, the development’s success was in part due to the dedicated and knowledgeable involvement of Designing Out Crime Officer (DOCO) Steve Downing.

During the planning stage, the DOCO felt the play space was poorly positioned so as to be isolated, inadequately lit, and obscured by tree cover. Recognising the potential for increased crime and fear of crime in such an environment, Steve collaborated closely with the Local Planning Authority manager, architects and developers to propose vital changes. These included relocating the play space to the centre of the development to enhance lighting and surveillance, and adjusting parking spaces to improve visibility and security.

Despite the challenges posed by the history of crime in the Finchley Church End area, including 396 reported burglaries and over 2,000 instances of antisocial behaviour, vehicle crime, and criminal damage in the last three years, the development has achieved a remarkable turnaround. Since March 2023, there has been only one reported incident of ‘motor vehicle interference’, which was thwarted thanks to improved surveillance from the development's design.

The award acknowledges the development's success in integrating SBD principles, which were championed by the DOCO team. By ensuring that security measures were incorporated at every stage, from landscaping to the installation of security-rated doors and access controls from SBD member companies NEOS Protect, NorDan and CAME Entrotec, the development demonstrates the effectiveness of collaborative planning and highlights the importance of considered design in fostering safer communities.

The development also received the Secured by Design Silver Developers Award in August 2023.

Receiving the award, Metropolitan Police Designing Out Crime Officer Steve Downing said: “I was delighted to be able to award the developer with SBD accreditation for this site. There were a number of challenges from the original design prior to planning approval including the location of the play space, parking requirements, partial covenant of land, a very long and isolated public right of way to the side of the proposed site amongst others. 

“However, through collaborative working throughout with all parties including the local planning authority, development company (The Hill Group) and architects, this site has now helped to deliver increased levels of legitimate daily activity, increased levels of natural surveillance and physical security measures as a part of SBD that all helps to contribute towards a safer and more secure community for all to enjoy.”

Steve was presented with the award at Secured by Design’s ATLAS training event by Police Crime Prevention Initiatives CEO Guy Ferguson and South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lauren Poultney, the head of profession for police Designing Out Crime Officers.

What is Secured by Design?

Secured by Design (SBD) is the official police security initiative that works to improve the security of buildings and their immediate surroundings to provide safe places to live, work, shop and visit.
SBD’s product based accreditation scheme – the Police Preferred Specification - provides a recognised standard for all security products that can deter and reduce crime.

There are currently many hundreds of companies producing thousands of attack resistant crime prevention products, across 30 different crime categories, which have achieved Police Preferred Specification.

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.