Academy Expertise Ensures Safer Public Gardens in Belfast
City Quays Gardens in Belfast has been presented with a special bespoke Secured by Design (SBD) Recognition Certificate by Michael Brooke, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Police CPI, celebrating its excellence in designing out crime and creating a safe, welcoming public space.
The project began when Belfast Harbour Police approached Secured by Design with an unusual request. They wanted to create a public garden that would be a focal point between the historic Harbour Office and the City Quays office buildings at Clarendon Dock, along the River Lagan waterfront. The site had been a car park and the brief was simple; transform the area into the safest space it could be for everyone to use.
Michael Brooke & Inspector Ashley Wright
Pete Connolly, who is based in Northern Ireland and is a trainer with the Police Crime Prevention Academy (the Academy), jumped at the chance to be involved. Pete specialises in teaching problem solving and the Level 5 Designing Out Crime accredited vocational qualification and is passionate about crime prevention and the built environment. After a 15-year career as a police Designing Out Crime Officer and 10 years further experience as an SBD Licensed Consultant, Pete enjoys providing practical SBD support to Police services, through project work. He loves making a difference in the community and the City Quays Gardens project was perfect.
The site before
Applying the SBD and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles such as access control, natural surveillance, territorial reinforcement, maintenance and management and sense of place, Pete worked closely with the developers to shape an open garden with clear sightlines, integrated pathways, carefully pruned trees, seating areas, lighting and CCTV. The result is a space where visitors feel safe, without feeling overwatched or exposed, offering relaxing areas to sit or stroll amongst richly planted areas and lawns.
Bike storage with good surveillance in all directions
Clear open movement spaces with seating areas
Pete also took guidance from the Safer Parks campaign and considered Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in the design, ensuring the space was welcoming for women and girls by removing obstacles such as hidden corners or dead ends along with other measures to reduce opportunities for harassment, helping to create a safer inclusive space.
City Quays Gardens forms part of a wider multi-million-pound regeneration programme across Belfast, a city which has seen significant transformation over the last few decades. Belfast Harbour has played a key role, operating as a thriving seaport, while also building major commercial and residential projects in the area. As part of their ongoing regeneration plans, Belfast Harbour, is continuing to develop the Clarendon Wharf waterfront with proposals including affordable housing, leisure and retail spaces, hotels and more public spaces.
Secured by Design certificates and awards are given to projects and developments that implement the SBD design principles, using police-endorsed third-party tested products. Whilst most awards are given to building projects or developments that may include landscaping and community areas, this is an award given to a standalone garden. Therefore, a bespoke SBD Recognition Certificate was created for the project, reflecting that the garden met all the same high standards for design and safety.
Pete Connolly, Inspector Ashley Wright & Michael Brooke
Pete said, “It was a privilege to work with Belfast Harbour and Belfast Harbour Police who came with an open mind to seek advice about Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design and the application of SBD principles. They have delivered a fantastic garden and a space which is safety focused and open to everyone”.
Michael Daly, Chief Officer with Belfast Harbour Police, said: “We are delighted to have been recognised for our contribution towards the development of City Quays Gardens through this special award from Secured by Design, which acknowledges the careful planning which has gone into making this a safe and welcoming public space for the people of Belfast.
“Since opening almost a year ago the Gardens have become a popular attraction for local residents, office workers and the public, who are able to benefit from the welcoming environment which has been enhanced by the input of our key design partners, including Secured by Design, among others”.
Michael Brooke, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Police CPI, said, “It has been a pleasure to award City Quays Gardens with an SBD Recognition Certificate. The Gardens are an excellent example of how thoughtful design can actively reduce opportunities for crime while creating a space that feels warm and welcoming, with a particular consideration for women and girls. This certificate recognises the collaboration between everyone involved to create a safer public space”.
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Police Crime Prevention Academy
The Academy delivers an extensive range of prevention and problem solving training, from CPD courses through to accredited vocational qualifications that are recognised by UK employers alongside bespoke training programmes. To find out more please visit the Academy website here.
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 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.