Martin Peters recently attended the official launch by the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Damien English of the Design and Best Practice Guidelines for Cluster Housing Schemes in Rural Villages April 2019.  The guidelines were prepared by a multi-disciplinary team including MPA Consulting Engineers, Kenneth Hennessy Architects, The Planning Partnership and Studio Town Land.  MPA covered aspects of transport and access, site assessment, drainage and SuDS.   These guidelines provide a five step approach to design and developing cluster housing schemes, providing advice from choosing the right site to solutions for waste water treatment systems and landscaping.  The guidelines have placed a particular focus on case studies which provide practical advice on design, engineering issues and landscaping and how schemes can be enhanced by using the natural and built features of the site.