Seven things you might have missed from Robert Jenrick’s design plans

At midnight on Saturday, the government unleashed a flurry of updates that seek to ensure design and beauty in all new development. The proposals are a response to the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission and focus on communities and beauty. The public consultation includes new sustainable priorities for transport, tree-lined streets and efforts to push through controversial permitted development rights. Various new recommendations and policies were bundled together as the government called on councils to pull together design codes, with amendments added to the now 76-page National Planning Policy Framework. EG dug into the detail, plucking out the local authority and planning requirements for new developments. 1. National design codes are guidance, not rules At the core of the announcements in response to the BBBBC was the rollout of the National Model Design Code to support local authorities to create their own. This expands on 10 characteristics outlined in the design code released last year – it is not a statement of national policy, rather recommended guidance for local authorities. 2. But NPPF changes will require strategic policies This means local authorities will need to pull together an overall strategy for the “pattern, scale and design quality of places”. Proposed changes to the NPPF state that all local planning authorities should prepare design guides or codes consistent with the national guide to reflect local character and design preferences. They should be tailored to the scale of change and can be area-wide or site-specific. The local codes should carry weight in decision-making, though developers are also invited to prepare their own codes for schemes. 3. Applications must reflect national guidance For any site that is allocated for development in a Local Plan or subject to a planning application, the design of streets, parking and places dedicated to transport must reflect the guidance in the current National Design Code and National Model Design Code. 4. PD blocked only where “essential” The Article 4 directions that allow councils to reject permitted development are to be restricted. Additions to the NPPF ask that it is limited to situations “where this is essential to avoid wholly unacceptable adverse impacts”. It also suggests an alternative where this could be involved to protect an interest of national significance. Further stipulations call that blocks apply to the smallest geographical area possible. 5. Large development should include transport options Major new housing settlements should not only provide adequate infrastructure and facilities but also a “genuine choice of transport modes”. The change aims to promote sustainable transport, in line with BBBBC, and also calls for local authorities to set clear expectations for quality, with masterplans and codes. 6. Tree-lined streets by default All planning policy and decisions should ensure that new streets be lined with trees. Additionally, opportunities should be taken to incorporate trees elsewhere, for example with orchards, with long-term plans for maintenance and protection for existing trees. This would be by default, unless there is a compelling case against it. Applicants and LPAs should also consult with highways officers and tree officers to make sure the right tree is planted in the right place. 7. Rejecting schemes that ignore codes Building on previous stipulation that development be refused for poor design, new measures call for greater adherence to the specific design codes. Development that is not well designed should be refused, this is “especially” when it fails to reflect the local design policies and government guidance. On the other hand, “significant weight” should be given to development which reflects the design priorities. To send feedback, e-mail emma.rosser@egi.co.uk or tweet @EmmaARosser or @estatesgazette Picture © Jonathan Hordle/Shutterstock