District council given funding boost to refresh local design guide for development

North West Leicestershire District Council and 13 other successful applicants given £50,000 each to develop or refresh design codes.

A new national design code meaning areas are beautiful, well-designed and locally-led is being tested across 14 areas in England — including North West Leicestershire — Housing Minister Rt Hon Christopher Pincher announced on Friday 21st May.

It will give North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC) a toolkit of design principles to consider for new developments, such as street character, building type and façade as well as environmental, heritage and wellbeing factors.

All of 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.

It is intended to provide councils with the guidance and parameters to shape new developments in a way that reflects what their communities truly want. NWLDC will be looking to refresh its current Good Practice Supplementary Planning Document to align it with the new NMDC.

The measures mean the word ‘beauty’ will be prioritised 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. The Government recently consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework to take this forward, alongside the draft NMDC.

Following a consultation period, more than 70 expressions 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.

Housing Minister Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP 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.”

Councillor Richard Blunt, Leader of NWLDC, commented: “We are delighted to have been chosen by MHCLG to take part in the pilot programme for proposed new design codes.

“This is a real opportunity to be at the forefront of good practice nationally when it comes to design, building on the excellent work we’ve already put in over recent years to raise standards.

“North West Leicestershire is in the heart of the National Forest and it’s important we ensure developments meet high standards so that they fit into our stunning, green district.”

Anna Rose, Head of the Planning Advisory Service said: “It is really exciting to see the National Model Design Code being tested by local councils across the country. The outcomes from this first set of pilots will help to build the capacity and collective learning that we need across the sector. I am looking forward to seeing what councils can achieve with their communities by using this new code.

“The testing programme is a step towards this aim and the findings will help inform potential further developments to the NMDC and the use of design coding in the planning system.”

Nicholas Boys Smith, Founding Director of social enterprise Create Streets and co-chair for the Building Better Building Beautiful Commission, said: “The pilots are a very important first step as councils start to grapple again with how they can define visions for development in their areas which are popularly-beautiful, profoundly locally based and will support lives which are happy, healthy and sustainable.”

The 14 successful applicants are: