Character Assessments
What is a character assessment?
As part of the evidence-gathering process, Datchet's Neighbourhood Plan team, will be producing character assessments of Datchet with the help of local residents. A character assessment describes the distinct appearance and feel of a road or area. It describes the key physical features and characteristics that combine to give an area its local distinctiveness and unique identity.
Why do we need to do character assessments?
According to Planning Aid England, "Poorly designed development proposals are often the result of a lack of understanding or, or in some cases a disregard for, the character, feel and appearance of the local area. Such proposals can fail to conserve or enhance the unique qualities of the local area for which they are proposed and may harm or erode the existing character. Conversely, good design, that is both visually attractive and functional, stems from having an understanding of a development's setting and the character of the local area. This understanding can help to ensure that any new development proposals are of an appropriate design; one that respects and complements the existing local character." The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead prepared some general townscape and landscape character assessments of the Borough as evidence for the Borough Local Plan, see links below. Datchet Neighbourhood Plan's character assessments will provide another layer of detail to this information.
Who will use these assessments?
Character assessments can form part of a Neighbourhood Plan and can be used by developers and their architects to help them understand the local character of Datchet which, in turn, will help them design proposals which are in keeping with the feel and appearance of our village.
How to get involved
The Neighbourhood Plan team has been organising a series of Character Assessment Walks in Spring and Summer 2018. We've been distributing leaflets to various areas before the walk and publishing details on this website, on our Datchet Neighbourhood Plan Facebook page and also on Datchet Eye. For a list of dates and walks, please click here. Alternatively, perhaps you'd like to get your neighbours together to do your own Character Assessment of your street or area? Please use the 'Contact Us' or 'Get Involved' pages of this website to send us your details and we'll be in touch.
Find out more...
For information and advice on Character Assessments, from Planning Aid England, click on the following links:
How to prepare a character assessment
Background notes
Character assessment forms
To read RBWM's Landscape Character Assessments, click on the following links:
Part 1 Main Document
Part 1 Maps
Part 2 Strategy Guidelines
Borough Key Map
To read RBWM's Townscape Character Assessments, click on the following links:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Datchet Townscape map
How to prepare a character assessment
Background notes
Character assessment forms
To read RBWM's Landscape Character Assessments, click on the following links:
Part 1 Main Document
Part 1 Maps
Part 2 Strategy Guidelines
Borough Key Map
To read RBWM's Townscape Character Assessments, click on the following links:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Datchet Townscape map