Character Assessments

How to get involved

As part of the evidence-gathering process, Datchet's Neighbourhood Plan team organised a series of Character Assessment Walks throughout 2018. Very many thanks to all the residents who took part. No-one knows an area better than the people who live there and your help has been invaluable. On Sunday 27 January 2019, from 11.30am-4.00pm, there will be a presentation of these assessments and their findings in the Village Hall, Allen Way. Please come along and tell us what we've got right and what we've missed.

The draft assessments

Here are the first drafts of the character assessments for key routes through the village. You will notice that they are quite long and detailed; they create a snapshot of the village in 2018. We intend to use them as 'evidence' from which to extract relevant information for various topics in the Neighbourhood Plan. Please note, these are drafts, not the finished versions. We welcome your input and help to correct any omissions or inaccuracies.
Please click on the green links below to see pdfs of the assessments.

Why do we need character assessments?

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. 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.

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