About MCPsi
MCPsi Principle, John McPartlan, who has had years of dedicated experience in the police service, is a qualified Crime Prevention Design Advisor, who can advise clients on building design issues that may cause crime and security problems in the future. While this is a specialist skill the ideal time for this advice to be implemented is when new or the refurbishment of premises are being considered.
This is not a process that compromises the design skill of the architect. Through a careful and detailed pre planning consultation process measures that are incorporated will add to and compliment the sustainability of a building, for the future.
Through a process of incorporating the attributes of 'Safer Places - The Planning System & Crime Prevention' (ODPM 2004) as required by DCLG Circular 1/2006, assistance can be given to contribute detail for the relevent sections of Design & Access Statements and the environmental and sustainability BREEAM assessment.
Statutory Planning Consultees
Due to the now increased security threat in the U.K., a consultation is already taking place to consider the police becoming statutory consultees in the planning process, but with so few qualified police staff, delays could be inevitable.
Through a systematic and disciplined approach, the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design process can be used on any development, no matter how large or small. While each will have it's own 'site-specific' requirements, by using this tried and tested method, all the CPTED aspects will be considered and included where required.
MCPsi have a wealth of experience in all planning matters relating to designing out crime and will liaise with the Police to ensure that ALL the requirements of their Architectural Liaison Officer's or CPDA's are satisfied.
Each site is treated in a 'site specific' and therefore sensitive way so that a package of measures can be compiled to ensure that security levels are appropriate and mitigate the crime problems known and anticipated, without creating a 'fortress' style environment.
It is essential that these measure are put into place at the design stage, as retrospective measures cost more and would be 'closing the stable door after the horse has bolted', which must be avoided. Many measures, at the origional concept design and planning stages, can be implemented without the need to break budgets. Indeed with this specialist security design advise, savings can often be made as wellas future maintenance budgets being dramatically reduced.
Development types, styles, locations, uses, scale and its associated built environment can all have an impact on crime and anti social behaviour. By using the specialist services of MCPsi, their advice when implemented, will be for the benefit of users of the created environment.