Local communities will be at the heart of plans to make sure that new developments in their area are beautiful and well-designed, under proposals outlined by Housing Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP,
In response to the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission report, the government is today:
- Proposing changes to the National Planning Policy Framework to place greater emphasis on beauty and place-making, and to ensure that all new streets are lined with trees.
- Publishing a draft national design code that provides a checklist of design principles to consider for new developments, such as street character, building type, façade, and the requirements that address wellbeing and environmental impact, which councils can use as a foundation for their own local design codes.
- Encouraging all councils to publish their unique design code, so residents have a real say in the design of new developments in their area.
- Creating an ‘Office for Place’ within the next year, which will support local communities to turn their designs into the standard for all new buildings in their area.
- Opening a new Community Housing Fund to support community-based organisations to bring forward local housebuilding projects for the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme, backed by £4 million of support for local plan.
- And doubling the available funding for areas under the “local heritage listing – monuments men” campaign, with up to £1.5 million now available for communities to nominate local heritage sites including historical buildings or modern architecture, art and memorials for inclusion in their council’s local heritage list.
RIBA President, Alan Jones, said he was encouraged by the government's increasing focus on quality, design and consultation, and its acknowledgement of the critical role local councils play in creating communities.
“It's also positive to see National Design Code plans progress – I hope the draft matches the rhetoric and provides a blueprint for safe, sustainable design,” he continued.
“But a new national design guide will not solve the crisis of quality alone. The government must break down the monopoly held by a small group of developers who often put upfront cost ahead of longer-term value, and provide tougher sanctions to those who bend regulations to prioritise profit over people’s health and wellbeing.
“The RIBA will be consulting with its members, their clients, and the communities they serve over the next eight weeks."
Greater concentration will now be placed on the quality, design and the environment in planning than ever before, with the local community fully involved in how they want new developments to look and feel. For example, the proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework will set an expectation that good quality design will be approved while poor quality will be rejected, and includes a commitment to ensure that all streets are lined with trees.
The measures mean the word “beauty” will be specifically included in planning rules for the first time since the system was created in 1947 – going back to a previous time when there was a greater emphasis on whether a building was considered attractive to local people.
Robert Jenrick said: “We should aspire to pass on our heritage to our successors, not depleted but enhanced. 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 Codes.
“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 government has published a new National Model Design Code that outlines the design standards new developments are expected to meet. This provides a checklist that will guide local councils to create their own, unique, local design code, centred on genuine community involvement so residents have a real say in the design of new developments, embracing the history, culture and heritage of their local area.
Cllr David Renard, housing spokesperson for the LGA, said: “We look forward to seeing the details of the draft national design code and the new Office for Place. We want to continue to work with the Government to get these proposals right.
“Councils need to be at the forefront of a locally determined planning system which meets the housing needs and aspirations of their communities, and support proposals that go some way to facilitating that.
“Along with government, we want to ensure that homes are built to a high standard, with the necessary infrastructure to create sustainable, resilient places, and ensure that affordable housing is provided.”
Victoria Hills, chief executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute and a member of the government’s Design Steering Group, welcomed MHCLG’s commitment to good quality design.
“The RTPI has long called for design to be an integral part of the planning process,” she said. “A survey in 2020 revealed that 88% of our members wanted greater powers to reject poor design but lacked the resources to do so.
“A further survey showed 61% of planners have the skills, knowledge and experience to focus on design quality but did not have enough capacity.
“I am therefore delighted that the government has listened and pledged to not only strengthen the National Planning Framework to empower Local Planning Authorities to prioritise design and drive up quality, but has also committed to inject much-needed funding in this area.
“In our Comprehensive Spending Review submission the RTPI asked for £81m over four years for a Design Quality Fund, which equates to £80,000 a year for each local authority in England. Today’s announcement is an encouraging first step towards that goal.
“I am also pleased that communities will be at the heart of this process. It has never been more important, in the wake of the pandemic, that communities have a say on how their local area looks.
“Planners and the planning system must play an active role in driving up design quality in all areas of England and we look forward to making an ongoing contribution to this work in advance of the forthcoming Planning Bill.”
