This article sets out a full annotated Design and Access Statement (DAS) example for a mixed-use development in a conservation area, with commentary on what each section must cover and the common mistakes to avoid. The project used in this example is a three-storey mixed-use building comprising ground floor commercial space (Use Class E) and four residential units above, on a site within a Victorian conservation area in the London Borough of Southwark.
For a primer on when a DAS is required and what the six sections must cover, see What is a Design and Access Statement?
This section describes the application site as it currently exists — its location, boundaries, existing buildings or structures, topography, trees, and any relevant designations. It sets the context for the design response that follows.
1.1 The application site is located at 14 Rye Lane, Peckham, London SE15 4NB, within the London Borough of Southwark. The site has an area of approximately 185 square metres and a frontage of 7.2 metres onto Rye Lane. It currently comprises a single-storey retail unit of Use Class E, constructed circa 1965 in concrete blockwork with a flat asphalt roof.
1.2 The existing building makes no positive contribution to the character or appearance of the Peckham and Nunhead Conservation Area, within which the site falls. Its low scale and utilitarian material palette are out of keeping with the prevailing Victorian built form of Rye Lane, which is characterised by three- and four-storey brick terraces with active ground floor frontages.
1.3 The site is bounded to the north by a four-storey Victorian terrace at Nos. 12–14a Rye Lane and to the south by a recently completed three-storey mixed-use development. A vehicular access lane runs along the eastern boundary. There are no trees or significant vegetation on the site. The site is not subject to flood risk and falls within Flood Zone 1.
What planners look for: Be specific about the existing building's condition and contribution (or lack of it) to the conservation area. Vague descriptions like "the site currently contains a commercial building" are insufficient — describe the materials, scale, date, and townscape value.
This is one of the most important sections and one of the most commonly inadequate. It must address access for all users — not just vehicles and pedestrians, but specifically people with disabilities. It must reference the Equality Act 2010 and NPPF paragraph 110.
2.1 The proposed development has been designed to ensure that safe, convenient, and inclusive access is provided for all users, in accordance with NPPF 2023 paragraph 110 and the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, which places a statutory duty on service providers and employers to make reasonable adjustments to avoid placing disabled people at a substantial disadvantage.
2.2 Pedestrian access to the ground floor commercial unit is provided via a level-threshold entrance from Rye Lane, with automatic sliding doors of minimum clear width 900mm, suitable for wheelchair users and people with pushchairs. A separate residential entrance is located to the north elevation, with an audio-visual entry system and level threshold.
2.3 A passenger lift serves all residential floors, ensuring step-free access to all units. The lift car complies with the minimum dimensions of BS EN 81-70. All internal corridors are of a minimum clear width of 1,200mm.
2.4 No on-site car parking is proposed. The site has a Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) of 6a and is located 250 metres from Peckham Rye railway station. Secure cycle storage for eight cycles is provided at ground floor rear, exceeding the minimum standards of London Plan 2021 Policy T5. Two accessible parking bays for Blue Badge holders are provided on the adjacent Rye Lane carriageway, in agreement with the Highway Authority.
2.5 Refuse storage is located at ground floor rear, accessed from the service lane, with a maximum carry distance to the collection point of 12 metres, in accordance with Southwark's waste management requirements.
Common mistake: Omitting disabled access entirely, or mentioning it in a single sentence without specifics. The Equality Act 2010 duty and NPPF para 110 must be cited by name, and the access provisions for wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments must be described in detail.
This section explains how the building and its associated spaces are arranged on the site — the relationship between building, boundary, public realm, servicing, and amenity space.
3.1 The proposed building occupies the full width of the site at ground floor level, maintaining the established building line of Rye Lane and providing an active frontage to the street. The ground floor commercial unit has a net internal area of approximately 65 square metres, with a glazed shopfront extending across the full 7.2 metre frontage.
3.2 Four residential units are arranged over the first, second, and third floors. Two units per floor are provided at first and second floor levels, with a single larger unit occupying the third floor. Each unit has its primary outlook to the front and rear, avoiding direct overlooking of neighbouring properties.
3.3 A communal roof terrace of approximately 30 square metres is provided at third floor level to the rear, accessible from the third floor unit and providing amenity space in accordance with London Plan Policy D6. Privacy screening of 1.8 metres is provided to the perimeter to avoid overlooking of the adjacent rear gardens.
This section must demonstrate that the scale and appearance of the proposed development responds appropriately to its context, with reference to NPPF paragraphs 124, 130, and 135.
4.1 The proposed building rises to three storeys with a parapet height of 10.8 metres, consistent with the three-storey development immediately to the south at Nos. 10–12 Rye Lane and slightly lower than the four-storey Victorian terrace at Nos. 16–24. The parapet line has been set to respond to both neighbours, creating a stepped roofline that reflects the natural variation of the Victorian streetscene, in accordance with NPPF 2023 paragraphs 124, 130, and 135, which require development to be visually attractive and sympathetic to local character.
4.2 The principal elevation is finished in hand-made buff stock brick, selected to complement the warm yellow stock brick of the conservation area's Victorian buildings. The ground floor shopfront is of an aluminium framing system in a dark bronze finish, consistent with the character guidance in the Peckham and Nunhead Conservation Area Appraisal (2019). Timber sash windows are proposed to the upper floors in a pattern that echoes the vertical rhythm of the adjacent Victorian terrace.
4.3 The third floor is set back 1.0 metre from the principal elevation and is finished in a contrasting dark zinc cladding, ensuring that it reads as a subordinate addition rather than a dominant presence in the streetscene. This approach is consistent with London Plan 2021 Policy D4 (delivering good design) and the advice of the conservation area appraisal regarding roof extensions.
Where the proposal includes external landscaping, hard or soft, this section describes it. For urban infill sites with no external ground-level space, a brief explanation that the section is not applicable is acceptable — but a communal roof terrace or green roof should still be described here.
5.1 Given the urban nature of the site and the requirement to maintain the active frontage to Rye Lane, no ground-level external amenity space is provided. Amenity provision takes the form of the communal roof terrace described in Section 3 above.
5.2 A green roof of approximately 20 square metres is proposed to the flat roof area at second floor level, planted with a sedum mix appropriate to the urban context. This will provide biodiversity net gain, contribute to urban cooling, and assist with surface water attenuation.
Where the site affects a heritage asset — within or adjacent to a conservation area, listed building, or registered park — this section must assess the impact in accordance with NPPF Chapter 16 and, where applicable, the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
6.1 The application site falls within the Peckham and Nunhead Conservation Area, designated by the London Borough of Southwark. Section 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 requires special attention to be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the conservation area.
6.2 The character of this part of Rye Lane is defined by its Victorian commercial terraces, active ground floor frontages, consistent building line, and varied but coherent roofline. The existing single-storey building on the site is a neutral or slightly negative element in the streetscene, contributing nothing to the conservation area's significance.
6.3 The proposed development responds positively to the character of the conservation area through its building line, scale, use of traditional materials, and vertical window rhythm. The replacement of the existing low-quality building with a structure of appropriate scale and material quality is assessed as an enhancement of the character and appearance of the conservation area within the meaning of section 72. No harm to the significance of the conservation area is identified.
Key point: If your scheme causes less than substantial harm to a heritage asset, say so — and address the public benefits test in NPPF paragraph 201. Claiming "no harm" when there is some harm is a common reason for heritage objections.
Planabl generates a complete six-section DAS from your project details — covering all six sections with the right policy references for your LPA and site type.
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