“We are considering taking a new approach with more emphasis on how beautiful places and buildings can be planned at the outset through the local plan.” [EDDC]
“Designing with people and planet at the heart allows us to create places that people want to be and invest in – so good for the environment and great for business!” [Design Council]
The Sid Valley NP’s Place Analysis acts as a design code.
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LOCAL PLAN
The District Council has put its latest draft Local Plan out to consultation, as it seeks public input – with an earlier post providing a handy overview of how to give your views.
Two years ago, the council had put together an Issues and Options report, which formed the first stage of preparing the new Local Plan (2021-2040) – and set out differing options/approaches that the plan could take.
DESIGN CODES
To consider one issue from that earlier report:
The first scale of planning for beauty set out by the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission is sustainable settlement patterns and development that sits well in the landscape. When it comes to identifying land for development we will use our established landscape character assessment18 approach to consider site choices and how they might be developed. The second scale of planning relates to beautiful places and concerns the spaces between buildings like streets, squares and parks. The third scale relates to buildings.
Previously our local plans have focussed on the first ‘beautifully placed’ scale of planning with general policies to guide the second (beautiful places) and third (beautiful buildings) elements. We are considering taking a new approach with more emphasis on how beautiful places and buildings can be planned at the outset through the local plan rather than relying on subsequent master planning or individual planning applications. This would be likely to involve the use of design codes and master planning as part of the local plan.
“The government’s ambition is that every council will produce a local design code and guide which it claims will give residents have a “real say” in the design of new developments in their area.” https://tinyurl.com/zxnkmhs7
As we prepare to wrap up for the festive season we’ve been thinking a lot about our buildings. How energy efficient are they? What materials are they made of? Have they considered the local landscape and biodiversity? Or the community who use them?
We’ve worked with government, local authorities and communities to produce a series of Design Codes that guide future developments to consider what is specific and precious to each location. Every area is unique, and feeling the effects of climate change in different ways, so they need to be approached individually.
Designing with people and planet at the heart allows us to create places that people want to be and invest in – so good for the environment and great for business!
