Design Guidance

Design Guidance

Scarp

Ensuring quality in the siting and design of new development is an important issue for those who live and work in the Western Isles and for those who visit the area. The issue of quality manifests itself in many ways, including energy efficiency, fit with the landscape, values for money and building lifespan. To help achieve an improved standard in siting and design through the Islands, the Comhairle, in conjunction with its partners Scottish Natural Heritage, Western Isles Enterprise and Communities Scotland), wish to provide user friendly siting and design guidance for new development.

With imagination, skill and perception, a good designer can creatively interpret these guidelines, rather than mechanically apply blanked principles, to create a comfortable, affordable dwelling in harmony with its setting.

	Building a house in the countryside?

	Keep It Simple! Ensure that the design concept would not result in a building which would be dominant, intrusive or in congruous.

	Save Stone Walls and Field Patterns The traditional field pattern should be preserved and roadside and field boundary stone-walls retained or reinstated following any necessary access works.

	Look Natural! Ensure that external colours and tones will harmonise with local landscapes.

	Be Neighbourly! A new building located to fit in with the existing settlement pattern can be absorbed more quickly and naturally into the landscape.

	Blend It In! Acceptable scale and form should be measured against local topography, natural features and existing buildings