In August 2020 the Government published a planning white paper entitled 'Planning for the Future' which set out new ambitions for a different planning system. Part of the planning reform it outlined wanted to introduce design guides and codes "to provide certainty and reflect local character and preferences about the form and appearance of development".
Following this, a consultation was launched in February 2021 on a national design code, published alongside proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which wanted more emphasis on beauty and placemaking.
Now the Government has announced that 14 local authority areas across England have been chosen to test a new national design code, aiming to make places beautiful, well-designed and locally-led. The emphasis here very much being placed on "beauty" - bringing the word back into planning rules for the first time since 1947 when the town and country planning system was first introduced.
Questions have been asked about how design codes can place so much emphasis on "beauty" when the very concept is so subjective. What is considered beautiful by today's standards may not be so favourably viewed in ten years' time following changes in styles and design practices. There is a good reason why "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is a well-established cliché. There is also a concern that focusing so much on beautiful developments could detract from the overall usefulness, suitability, sustainability and viability of a proposed plan.
The test will see local planning authorities provided with a toolkit of design principles to consider for new developments, which will include environmental, heritage and wellbeing factors. Over a six month trial, it is hoped the guidance and parameters set will help shape new developments to reflect what communities really want.
Housing Minister Christopher Pincher said, "We should aspire to enhance the beauty of our local areas and pass our cultural heritage onto our successors, enriched not diminished.
In order to do that, we need to bring about a profound and lasting change in the buildings that we build, which is one of the reasons we are placing a greater emphasis on locally popular design, quality and access to nature, through our national planning policies and introducing the National Model Design Code. These will enable local people to set the rules for what developments in their area should look like, ensuring that they reflect and enhance their surroundings and preserve our local character and identity.
Instead of developers forcing plans on locals, they will need to adapt to proposals from local people, ensuring that current and new residents alike will benefit from beautiful homes in well-designed neighbourhoods."
The local authority areas taking part in the trial are:
