Swallowtail Place has received the top Secured by Design (SBD) GOLD accreditation demonstrating its commitment to improving the security of buildings and their immediate surroundings. It is the first SBD Gold award in Norfolk to be issued in the last five years by the Constabulary’s current Designing Out Crime Unit.
Our Senior Design Manager Stuart Thompson was delighted to attend the official presentation with Saffron Housing Trust at Wymondham Police headquarters, made by Norfolk Constabulary’s Deputy Chief Constable Simon Megicks in recognition of the achievement to design out crime within this new assisted living scheme in Acle.
Swallowtail Place in Acle provides 58 affordable apartments for people over 55. The project formally achieved the SBD Silver Award in November last year, however, through collaboration between us, Norfolk Constabulary and R G Carter, the development was able to deliver the enhanced Gold certification.
To achieve the improved Gold award required the security of the external environment together with the physical security of the building to achieve compliance with all of the features required of SBD. Some of the well-designed attributes include:
- Secure development boundary which balanced fencing, gates and planting.
- Natural surveillance from inside the building.
- Positive security measures including thicker apartment doors with enhanced door furniture.
- Elimination of vulnerable spaces through lighting and CCTV.
- Enhanced security performance of patio doors and windows.
- A live visitor video door entry system and proximity access control.
Deputy Chief Constable Simon Megicks from Norfolk Constabulary said: “The Secured by Design awards provide us with an opportunity to highlight the work of those who have excelled in improving the safety of their local communities. The Gold award, in particular, takes physical security of a building further by incorporating the wider immediate area and ensuring crime prevention through environmental design. This is the first Gold award to have been awarded in the past five years and is a brilliant achievement for Saffron Housing and R G Carter.”
To read more about how this was achieved: https://www.saffronhousing.co.uk/about-us/our-news/latest-news/awards-and-accreditations/swallowtail-place-awarded-gold-accreditation-for-security/