Councils given £50,000 each to develop new design codes

Housing Minister Christopher Pincher has announced that a new national design code is being tested across 14 areas in England.

The code gives local planning authorities a toolkit of design principles to consider for new developments, such as street character, building type and façade as well as environmental, heritage and well-being factors. It is intended to provide councils with the guidance and parameters to shape new developments in a way which reflects what their communities truly want.

The shortlisted councils will take part in a six-month testing programme to apply the National Model Design Code (NMDC) in their area and help Britain Build Back Better, by making sure current and new residents alike will benefit from beautiful homes in well-designed neighbourhoods.

Following a consultation period, more than 70 Expression of Interest submissions were received to test the NMDC, with representation from every region of England.

The final 14 applicants were then shortlisted to ensure a geographical spread and a range of development types, including an urban conservation area with industrial heritage, town centres, new neighbourhoods, rural settlements and urban regeneration sites. Each pilot receives a £50,000 grant to carry out the project.

The 14 successful applicants are: Colchester Borough Council, Tendring District Council and Essex County Council; Guildford Borough Council; Herefordshire Council; Leeds City Council; Mid Devon Council; Newcastle City Council; Dacorum Borough Council; Portsmouth City Council; Sefton Council; Southwark Council; Hyndburn Borough Council; North West Leicestershire District Council; Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council; and Buckinghamshire County Council.

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.”