Melville Dunbar was the team leader and co-author of one of the most widely respected and well-used design guides - the Essex Design Guide. Since it was introduced, design guides have become extensively employed by local planning authorities to inspire innovative design and raise the standard of development proposals.

The practice has prepared numerous design guides on subjects ranging from agricultural buildings to the physical planning standards for new housing and the design of residential roads, parking and services.


Projects

Cork County Council, Planning Guidance and Standards Series No. 2 MAKING PLACES: A design guide for residential estate development
A Design Guide for Residential Areas, Essex County Council
The Broads, Authority Broads Design Guidance - Agricultural buildings
East Anglia Tourist Board, Towards a Design Guide for Coastal Static Caravan Parks
Isle of Man Government, Planning Circular 3/91 Guide to the Design of Residential Development in the Countryside
A Design Guide for Residential Areas - Highway Standards
Manx - A Guide to the Design of Residential Roads, Footpaths, Parking and Services
This document, among other matters, gives design standards for roads on housing developments. A new method of controlling the design and construction of roads built on residential developments was therefore needed. The guide sets out these new highway design standards.
The report was prepared by Melville Dunbar Associates and is still used in The Isle of Man as the basis for development control and road adoption.