Verdant Place, Epping Receives SBD ATLAS Development Award

The development, which also achieved an SBD Gold Award, was supported by Essex Police Designing Out Crime Officer (DOCO) Caroline Peters, who worked closely with developer Qualis from the earliest pre-planning stages through to completion.

Building on an existing relationship, Qualis engaged with Caroline immediately after acquiring the prominent site on Epping High Street. Early consultation enabled potential crime and anti-social behaviour risks within the original designs to be identified and addressed before the plan was submitted, ensuring that crime prevention measures were embedded into the scheme from the outset.

Throughout the design and construction process, the developer and architects maintained ongoing dialogue with Caroline to ensure the development remained on track to achieve Secured by Design accreditation. This collaborative approach allowed questions and concerns to be resolved quickly and effectively as the development progressed.

One significant design change involved the relocation of the proposed cycle storage area. Initial plans positioned the bicycle store externally along the building perimeter and adjacent to a public thoroughfare. Drawing on local knowledge and reports of cycle theft near the nearby railway station, Caroline recommended relocating the cycle store within the building curtilage and incorporating additional security measures. Following discussion around risk and internal layout, the developer revised the design accordingly, helping to better protect residents’ bicycles while supporting sustainability objectives.

Although the project progressed smoothly due to the developer’s familiarity with Secured by Design requirements, one challenge arose when an adjacent parcel of land was removed from the wider development plans following policy decisions. This required careful consideration of boundary treatments to ensure the site remained secure, without creating community tension or detracting from the appearance of the development. Caroline worked with the team to coordinate security and boundary measures that balanced safety with aesthetics while future decisions regarding the neighbouring land are considered.

According to Police UK data and systems, there has been no reported crime at the development since initial occupation.

In the award submission, Caroline’s colleague highlighted Qualis Group’s ongoing commitment to incorporating Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles across all of their schemes, regardless of lease length or development type. The submission also praised the close working relationship between Caroline and the project team, noting that regular site visits and communication ensured that any concerns were addressed promptly and effectively throughout the process.

The ATLAS Development Awards recognise developments that demonstrate excellence in designing out crime and creating safe, secure environments through effective partnership working and the application of Secured by Design principles.

DOCO Caroline Peters was presented the award at the annual Secured by Design ATLAS conference by Police CPI CEO Guy Ferguson and Chief Constable Lauren Poultney of South Yorkshire Police. 

What is Secured by Design?

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.

SBD’s product based accreditation scheme - the Police Preferred Specification - provides a recognised standard for all security products that can deter and reduce crime.

There are currently many hundreds of companies producing thousands of attack resistant crime prevention products, across 30 different crime categories, which have achieved Police Preferred Specification.

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 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)

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.