Homes in Mayfield, Dalkeith gain Secured by Design’s top award

The SBD Gold Award was presented to Melville Housing Association for their development at Oak Place, Mayfield a growing suburb of Dalkeith on the outskirts of Edinburgh.

An SBD trained Designing Out Crime Officer (DOCO) worked with the design team and contractor Lovell Partnerships, from the planning stages through to construction to incorporate SBD crime prevention techniques and security into the development.

These measures included the built environment, such as creating natural surveillance from the properties over parking areas and access routes, through to the doors, windows and locks which meet Police Preferred Specification standards. These measures combine to make the properties more robust and less attractive to opportunist criminals.

Over the past three decades, numerous research projects have consistently highlighted the effectiveness of properties built or refurbished to SBD standards in deterring crime. A comprehensive review of nine such studies in 2024 revealed a significant trend: developments certified by SBD experienced, on average, 65% fewer burglaries compared to those not built to the same rigorous standards. One particularly striking study showcased an even greater impact, demonstrating an 87% reduction in overall crime and a remarkable 91% decrease in burglaries within SBD-compliant properties.

Evidence suggests these figures are sustainable year-on-year and represent a significant reduction especially as most SBD developments are in social housing in deprived areas. These findings underscore the tangible benefits of SBD, creating safer environments for residents and easing the strain on local housing providers and police resources.

Stuart Ward, Police Scotland National Designing Out Crime Manager, explained: “These properties designed to SBD specifications offer a higher standard of security compared to most residential properties and the site will reduce significantly the risk of crime and anti-social behaviour.

“The inclusion of SBD measures at the design stage by Police, architects and developers ensures an improved level of security for properties before they are built. SBD is the only long term crime reduction initiative which can impact on reducing opportunist crime through the lifetime of a building”.

Superintendent Alan Carson, Lothians and Scottish Borders Division of Police Scotland, who presented the SBD accreditation, said: “I am delighted to be presenting this award which recognises the measures included by the architects and developers from the early design stages to ensure the long-term security and safety for residents of these properties.

“These measures have benefits for the wider community because Police will be far less likely to have to investigate property crime in these dwellings, which reduces the demand on Police and associated services. I commend all the project members from Melville Housing Association and Lovell Partnerships for their support and adherence to this UK national police crime prevention initiative”.

Richard Murdoch, Head of Asset Management, Melville Housing Association, who received the award, said: “We are delighted to receive this prestigious award which gives us confidence in the security of our new properties in Dalkeith. The design of the development is contemporary while retaining local character. It fits nicely into the surrounding area”.

Neil Edgar Development Manager from Melville Housing added “We are happy the design has been able to accommodate the security recommendations without affecting the architectural style of these homes. We extend our gratitude to the design team and contractors at Lovells for delivering these high quality homes for rent in this area”.

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.