Over the next 15 years, all secondary and 50% of primary schools will be rebuilt or refurbished. We therefore have a unique opportunity to influence the design of these important buildings which are the heart of our communities. I know that design can have powerful influence on teachers and childrens experience of school life, and particularly on problems such as bullying and theft. Bullying is the most common reason for children to call Childline. I am therefore keen to ensure that we make the most of this opportunity.
What can you suggest to help design out crime from schools?
There is already a design guide for schools on the Secured By Design web site. Other organizations have brought out design guides as well, such as at:
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/healthandsafety/schoolsecurity
Please no more design guides which confuse the issue and then water down clear advise. The design has to be right from the start, depending on the age of the pupils, the area the school, college, learning establishment is in, the cultural mix of pupils, etc.
I would of course promote the Secured By Design guide, but I’m sure you can gain best practice and then get this guide updated and then send a strong message promoting one guide.
Why is Secured By Design the best kept secret, within the building industry and most of all amongst Senior Police Officers???? After all it is an ACPO initiative.
I am already involved within the schools refurbishment and rebuilding programme in my borough, and am a stakeholder as part of the RIBA tendering process alongside various departments at the Local Authority. This can be seen as a small victory for Designing Out Crime, as I as the CPDA have some influence at the very early design stages within this process.
Whilst most within the process can understand (with persuasion) the aspect at which I consider design etc, the biggest hurdle remains statutory provision. The influence I have still remains as ‘advisory’, with little or no statutory obligation.
Other stakeholders have this provision, with points & scores to achieve eco-friendly status etc. If we are really serious about Desiging Out Crime within schools, isn’t it about time some statutory provision was given in this area?
I am well aware that each Local Authority can, should they wish to, include references to Designing Out Crime as part of the Planning Application Process, but isn’t this too far down the line. I include D & A statements in this.
Whilst a lot is being completed in highlighting Designing Out Crime it would be really useful to have some Central Govt. influence, especially around schools.
As an architect told me recently, whilst he appreciated and saw some need for Designing Out Crime, as much as he wanted to there were other factors. If there were an obligation, it would feature more.
I support the two commentators above. As CPDA, this month I have been consulted on two full planning applications for new schools. Apparently consultation has been taking place for some time without my being consulted. As my input is not statutory I am only consulted as a regular consultee, being allowed fourteen days to comment and, as is highlighted above, my recommendations do not have to be taken into consideration. I now have to negotiate fairly major design changes to these applications, which is probably too late, to raise and improve security within these schools. Neither application has addressed security or crime prevention within their Design and Access Statements. Crime prevention and security must be given statutory status to prevent the mistakes of the past and allow our efforts to be taken seriously.
not any more. according to the news papers this government is reveiwing its spending on schools (reveiwing in government terms means suspending or dumping) so lets look at what that money can be used for ie crime free housing estates and SBD
After 15 years of hands-on experience Designing Out Crime from School premises (and always courtesy of the Secured By Design award process), one of the most important conclusions I have drawn is the necessity for secure perimeter protection.
A secure perimeter will prevent unwarranted intrusion into the school grounds and ultimately the building itself, a recurring problem for many schools these past 30 years. So bad was the position in the West Midlands a decade ago, that on average an arson attack on a school took place once every three days!
Police Officers like myself who have specialised in the field of Designing Out Crime (as Architectural Liaison Officers/Crime Prevention Design Advisers) are routinely accused of favouring a ‘fortress mentality’. This simply is not true, if only because a visible fortress will raise the fear of crime – hardly one of our aspirations.
However, all too often aesthetic concerns are allowed to outweigh the necessity for a secure perimeter around the school. That perimeter must be secure – both when the school is closed and when occupied. Surely Dunblane and Wolverhampton have taught us the necessity for the latter. And here’s the most encouraging bit, when all the relevant professionals sit round the table and are able to consult each other, almost without exception a credible solution is agreed.
Finally, hand in hand with security concerns must go those of fire safety. As one Chief Fire Officer has observed, do we have to experience a school fire disaster similar to the Aberfan tragedy of 40 years ago, before anti-fire sprinkler systems become mandatory in all new and refurbished school buildings.