A Residential Design Guide produced in Exeter has won a national award.

Exeter City Council’s Residential Design Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) achieved success by winning the Public Sector category at the 2012 Urban Design Awards.

The Council's document explains how developers may achieve high quality residential development that adds to the townscape quality of the city, raises the standard and quality of spaces within homes and helps reduce energy consumption.

The award ceremony took place at the Royal United Services Institute in Whitehall on 15 February and, against tough opposition, the SPD took top prize in the Public Sector category. The SPD was praised for making an excellent contribution to raising the quality of residential design.

Cllr Rachel Sutton, Lead Councillor for Sustainable Development and Transport, said: "I'm thrilled that our hard work to improve the quality of new housing in Exeter has been recognised by the Urban Design Group.

"Poor quality housing schemes have a negative impact on the quality of life and health of residents and can create problems with anti-social behaviour and crime. Exeter's Residential Design SPD requires developers to ensure that their schemes are attractive, safe places, that are sustainable and create a good environment that allow healthy communities to grow."

For more information and to view the document go to: www.exeter.gov.uk/resiguidespd