Home Quality Mark / HQM beta / A Our Surroundings /

A3 Safety and Resilience

Information correct as of 23rdApril 2024. Please see kb.breeam.com for the latest compliance information.

Designing out crime officer (DOCO) - KBCN000005

As stated in the ‘Secured by Design (SBD) New Homes 2014 Application and Checklist’ form, the Crime Prevention Design Adviser (CPDA) or Architectural Liaison Officer (ALO) has been renamed to Designing Out Crime Officer (DOCO) therefore correspondence or a copy of the report/feedback from the DOCO is acceptable as evidence for this issue.

Flood risk – Site situated across numerous flood zones - KBCN0532

Where a site is situated across more than one flood zone, the flood zone with the highest probability of flooding, i.e. the worst case scenario, must be considered for the purpose of the BREEAM assessment. An exception to this would be where the areas in the higher probability zone include only soft landscaping and it can be demonstrated that access to the building will be maintained in a flooding event. This is to ensure that the site has adequately managed the worst case scenario level of flood risk associated with the site's location. 
22/07/2022 Applicability to HQM One confirmed
07/03/2018 Updated to include circumstances where an exception may apply.

FRA more than 5 years old - KBCN1580

Where more than five years have passed since the FRA was carried out, to be able to use the FRA in your assessment evidence would be required to demonstrate that the basis of the FRA has not changed in that time.

Recommendations made by a SQSS - KBCN0982

Where a facility or function (required by the design brief, local authority and other parts of HQM) increases the security risk, the recommendations from a SQSS should seek to reduce the security risk but without significantly diminishing the facility or function. There shall be no recommendation to remove a facility or function. e.g. if an allotment forms part of the design brief, the SQSS should not recommend it is removed or significantly diminished on the basis that it may be a security risk. They should instead make recommendations to improve the security of the allotment.

SABRE Registered Professional as a Suitably Qualified Security Specialist (SQSS) - KBCN1375

A SABRE registered professional that meets the requirements outlined in the ‘SQSS’ definition is deemed to be an SQSS for the purposes of HQM. A full list of SABRE registered professionals can be found here: http://www.redbooklive.com

Secured By Design certificates - KBCN1392

A SBD Gold or Silver certificate may be used as evidence that security measures incorporated in the dwelling/s are 3rd party certificated. However, an SBD Gold or Silver certificate on its own is not sufficient to award credits in this issue. This is because a documented Security Needs Assessment (SNA) provides evidence that the security measures recommended for incorporation into the development mitigate the site specific risks in a proportionate and well-designed manner.

Security needs assessment (SNA) – Formal consultation with relevant stakeholders - KBCN1470

Providing the SQSS can provide evidence of reasonable attempts to obtain feedback from relevant stakeholders, this aspect of the SNA requirements will be satisfied. In the event that a relevant stakeholder does not provide a response when consulted (e.g. if they do not respond following a reasonable period, or they confirm that are unable to deal with the enquiry), it would be expected that SQSS consider alternative sources of information. For example, the SQSS may decide to refer to freely-available crime data on the Police UK website, and include a summary or analysis of this in their SNA.
13 Sep 2021 Applicability to HQM confirmed

Water quality credits clarification - KBCN1283

Crit 10 under the 'Water Quality' section states: 'The water quality credits are only available where at least 3 credits are sought in the comprehensive route.' Where it says 'sought' above, this should be interpreted as 'achieved'. Therefore the 'water quality' credits can only be awarded where 3 credits have been achieved in the comprehensive route.

Watercourse pollution from indoor parking - KBCN0545

If the design team can demonstrate that there will be absolutely no run-off from the indoor parking then the intent of the credit will be met. However, such proof would also have to demonstrate that no hydrocarbon spillage from vehicles found its way into the watercourse/sewer. It is likely that there would be water ingress from outside or that internal parking areas would have drains fitted and be cleaned regularly. In such conditions, the criteria are still applicable. The intent of this criteria is to ensure no hydrocarbons run off to any watercourse.
Information correct as of 23rdApril 2024. Please see kb.breeam.com for the latest compliance information.