Heath Town estate new council homes secure SBD Gold Award

The development of 40 homes on Hobgate Road and one site on Tithe Croft, off Chervil Rise, has received the SBD Gold Award, which acknowledges the measures taken to reduce the opportunity for crime and anti-social behaviour by improved layout, environmental design and the use of Police Preferred Specification products.

To gain the award council officers worked with West Midlands Police Designing Out Crime Officers, who are part of the national network of police officers and staff who specialise in designing out crime. They advise and collaborate with architects, developers and local authority planners long before construction begins – and continue to provide advice and guidance until a development is complete. 

The new council homes – the first on the estate in 54 years – have been built by contractor Equans. They form part of a major transformation of the estate, which has seen an extensive demolition programme of vacant buildings, existing residential blocks undergo major improvements by Wolverhampton Homes, and the creation of three new play areas and a football pitch. 

Through a Local Lettings Plan developed with the Heath Town Tenants and Residents Association, the majority of homes have been allocated to existing council tenants, including those with a local connection to Heath Town. 

It is the first phase of a total of more than 150 new homes to be built on the estate over the coming years, with the council set to develop other sites. 

The Heathfield Park Neighbourhood Plan was also one of the main drivers for the remodelling of the estate, with residents, consulted through the neighbourhood planning process, prioritising new affordable family homes as well as play areas and improved security. 

Councillor Steve Evans, City of Wolverhampton Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for City Housing, said: “One of our key priorities is to increase the number of good homes in well-connected neighbourhoods across the city. 

“Part of that is about providing access to a safe and secure home for residents and this SBD Gold award is testament to the work we are doing in this area with the support of the police. 

“It is heartening to see how the regeneration of Heath Town is changing the lives of families for the better. 

“The transformation of the estate over the last few years has been built on the strong sense of community here and we have delivered improvements and new homes the residents can be proud of.” 

West Midlands Police Force Designing Out Crime & Crime Reduction Manager, Mark Silvester, said: “The Secured by Design Gold award for the first phase of the Heath Town redevelopment demonstrates great partnership working between City of Wolverhampton Council, Wolverhampton Homes and West Midlands Police. 

“Building new homes to Secured by Design’s high standards will contribute to safe and secure communities for years to come. We are proud to be involved in these projects across Wolverhampton.”

Secured by Design’s Ruari Robertson said: “I am delighted that this development has achieved our coveted Gold Award. It clearly demonstrates the successful and dedicated partnership working, between all the relevant parties, to ensure that the safety and security of residents is of paramount consideration”. 

Other works already completed as part of the redevelopment include the demolition of walkways and garages in the Hobgate Road area of the estate and the refurbishment of the ground and lower ground floors of Ling House to provide new office, meeting and activity space for Hope Family Centre. 

Secured by Design - 35 Years of Designing Out Crime and Protecting Communities

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. It celebrates its 35^th anniversary in 2024. 

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 the aforementioned 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. 

To date, over one million homes and commercial properties have been built to SBD standards with reductions in crime of up to 87%. A number of local authorities have even gone so far as to introduce SBD standards as a planning requirement.

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. 

National Building Approval

SBD’s National Building Approval (NBA) scheme makes it easier for companies and organisations commissioning new build developments or major refurbishment work to meet SBD’s police security standards or achieve Building Regulation compliance for security in England, Scotland and Wales, whichever is appropriate. The scheme can apply to any building sector.

NBA is for developers, builders and contractors, as well as organisations like local authorities, housing associations and social landlords. Many of SBD member companies are household name residential developers, with one of the largest local authorities in Europe becoming the first local authority to join the scheme in 2018.

Architects & Town Planners

Architects and Town Planners can request a RIBA approved professional development session on crime prevention and designing out crime from SBD.

The presentation content includes relevant legislation, policy and guidance; an overview of property crime trends; an evaluation of why crime occurs and an introduction to SBD.  

Further information on Secured by Design can be found here.