Secured by Design and Historic Buildings

Why police security advice now appears in planning applications

If you submit a planning application today, particularly for a commercial building, education building or larger heritage property, you may notice something that did not appear very often twenty years ago.

A consultation response from the police.

Most commonly this comes from a Crime Prevention Design Advisor and it often refers to a national scheme called Secured by Design. For owners of historic buildings this can feel slightly unexpected. The comments often mention things like laminated glazing, perimeter fencing, CCTV coverage and security-rated locks. On the face of it, that can sound more appropriate for a modern industrial estate than a Georgian house or Victorian barn. But the principle behind the advice is straightforward. The police want buildings to be designed so that crime is harder to commit in the first place.

For historic buildings, the trick is applying these ideas without damaging the character of the building itself.

What “Secured by Design” actually means

Secured by Design is a national police initiative aimed at reducing crime through good design and appropriate security measures. Rather than relying only on alarms or response after an incident, the aim is to reduce opportunities for crime from the outset.

Typical measures include:

• stronger doors and windows • controlled access points • well designed lighting • perimeter protection • CCTV coverage • monitored alarm systems

Most of these ideas are common sense. The challenge in heritage buildings is that the physical fabric of the building is often protected, particularly if it is listed. That means security improvements must usually be introduced sensitively rather than aggressively.

Why the police are appearing more often in planning consultations

There are three main reasons why police comments now appear regularly on planning applications. First, planning authorities are increasingly expected to consider community safety and crime prevention as part of development proposals.

Second, large public buildings such as schools, universities and public facilities now routinely incorporate security planning at an early stage.

Third, modern guidance recognises that design influences behaviour. Buildings that are well lit, well overlooked and properly secured are far less attractive to criminals.

Historic buildings are not exempt from these considerations.

However, they require a slightly different approach.

The doors and windows question

One of the most frequent police recommendations is the installation of security-certified doors and windows, often with laminated or toughened glazing.

In a modern building this is straightforward. The entire window or door unit can simply be specified to a particular security standard.

In a listed building the situation is more nuanced.

Conservation officers will often expect original timber windows, historic joinery and traditional doors to be retained wherever possible.

That means the solution is usually to improve the performance of existing elements rather than replace them.

Typical approaches include:

• upgrading locks and ironmongery• installing laminated glass within existing frames• improving internal security bars or secondary glazing• strengthening door frames and hinges

The result is improved security without losing historic fabric.

Perimeter security and boundary treatments

Police advice often recommends robust perimeter security, sometimes suggesting 2.4 metre fencing or controlled service gates.

That may be appropriate for some modern commercial developments, but historic settings usually require a more thoughtful response.

A heavy security fence can easily undermine the character of a historic property.

Instead, a heritage-sensitive approach might include:

• traditional brick or stone walls• period-style railings• carefully designed gates• landscaping that subtly controls access

In other words, security measures should feel part of the architecture, not an afterthought.

Done well, they can actually enhance the setting of a historic building.

Access control systems

Modern buildings increasingly rely on electronic access systems such as proximity cards or fobs.

These systems allow building managers to control who enters certain areas and when.

From a conservation perspective, the main issue is usually visual impact rather than the technology itself.

The principle is simple.

Technology can be modern.

What people see should remain sympathetic to the building.

Access control equipment can often be installed discreetly, with wiring hidden and readers carefully located so that they do not dominate historic doorways.

CCTV and surveillance

Police guidance almost always recommends CCTV coverage, particularly for entrances, rear areas, car parks and communal spaces.

For heritage properties the concern is usually the visual impact of cameras mounted on historic masonry.

Fortunately modern equipment is becoming smaller and more discreet.

Good design will often involve:

• locating cameras on modern elements such as lighting columns• avoiding sensitive historic features• limiting cameras to genuinely vulnerable areas

The aim is effective surveillance without turning a historic building into something that looks like a security compound.

Lighting and crime prevention

Lighting plays a surprisingly important role in reducing crime.

Poorly lit areas create opportunities for concealment and make surveillance difficult.

Police guidance therefore often recommends dusk-to-dawn LED lighting, particularly around entrances and boundary areas.

For historic buildings the key is balance.

Lighting should improve visibility without overwhelming the character of the building or the surrounding landscape. You also should take into account the environmental and wildlife impacts of your lighting schema.

Sensitive lighting schemes normally focus on:

• eliminating dark corners• avoiding glare and excessive brightness• complementing architectural features

Done well, lighting can improve both security and appearance.

Intruder alarms and monitoring

Monitored intruder alarm systems are another frequent recommendation in police consultation responses.

These systems connect to an Alarm Receiving Centre, which can alert keyholders or emergency services if an alarm is triggered.

Because most of the equipment is installed internally, alarm systems rarely create conservation issues.

They are often one of the least intrusive ways to improve security in historic buildings.

Features such as panic buttons or duress codes can also improve personal safety for people working alone.

Security locks and key control

Police advice frequently recommends TS007 three-star rated locks or similar high-security systems.

These locks resist drilling, bumping and snapping, and they usually incorporate restricted key systems to prevent unauthorised copying.

In many cases these locks can be fitted to traditional doors without altering their appearance.

The important point is that historic doors are often surprisingly robust. With the right ironmongery they can perform extremely well from a security perspective.

The heritage balance

For owners of historic buildings, the key message is that security advice does not automatically mean drastic changes.

The planning system recognises that historic buildings require careful handling.

Most conservation officers will support security improvements where they are:

• necessary• discreet• reversible where possible

The goal is always to protect both the building and its character.

A useful rule of thumb

When applying modern security principles to historic buildings, three simple ideas usually work well.

Strengthen what is already there.

Introduce modern technology quietly.

Design security so it looks intentional rather than defensive.

Why this matters

Historic buildings are often attractive, distinctive places.

That makes them wonderful places to live or work.

Unfortunately it can also make them attractive targets for theft or vandalism.

Good security protects not only the building itself but also the people who use it.

The best schemes achieve this quietly.

You rarely notice them.

And that is usually a sign that they have been designed well.