RSUA presents joint Secured by Design paper to DfC

14/04/2025

In February, RSUA met with the Minister for Communities (DfC) Gordon Lyons to discuss a range of issues affecting architecture in Northern Ireland.

You can read more about this meeting here.

Among these issues was Secured by Design (SBD), a UK police initiative that provides guidance on building construction and development projects to promote the use of design strategies aimed at reducing crime.

RSUA expressed concern that Housing Associations, in order to secure DfC grant funding, must obtain SBD approval for their building plans. This process essentially gives SBD the power to veto social housing designs.

Police officers, who are not trained in architecture, review architects’ drawings and propose changes based on their understanding of SBD principles.

The Minister agreed that this situation was a cause for concern and welcomed more information on the topic.

With input and support from the Chartered Institute of Housing Northern Ireland (CIH), the Construction Employers Federation (CEF), and the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations (NIFHA), RSUA prepared a short paper for DfC advocating for a collaborative and balanced approach to addressing the challenges posed by the current application of SBD principles.

The full paper as presented to the Minister can be accessed here.

If you have any questions about this update or SBD more generally, please contact Curtis Large, RSUA Policy and Public Affairs Officer, at curtis@rsua.org.uk