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Guidance on creating design codes that promote the creation of successful places as set out in the National Model Design Code.
A selection of design codes, chosen by the advisory board to the Office for Place, that demonstrate good practice.
The Office for Place is helping local councils get started on creating their own local design codes.
A list of 10 criteria that represent good practice in creating, applying and enforcing design codes.
This infographic summarises the key benefits of design codes in the planning system.
The Commission was convened to advise government on how to promote and increase the use of high-quality design for new build homes and neighbourhoods.
When preparing design codes, communities need to be involved at each stage of the process.
The Office for Place will help shift how the planning system is used, as a shield against the worst to its future role as a champion of the best.
The process of preparing a local design code is based on seven steps
If a design code is being prepared for larger sites, it may be necessary to produce a masterplan as part of the design coding exercise. This masterplan will establish a new street network, decide which area types apply, alon…
Design codes need to be based on an analysis of the area covered. The purpose of the analysis is to understand the area and inform a vision that will, in turn, form the basis for the code.
This guidance sets out possible contents for a design code, modelled on the ten characteristics of well-designed places set out in the National Design Guide.
The first step is to decide on the scope of the code, in particular which parts of the local area it needs to cover, and which policy areas it addresses.
Design codes need to be based on a vision for how a place will develop in the future, as set out in the local plan. This vision needs to be developed with the local community and is likely to be an important part of the comm…
The analysis will feed into a plan that shows the areas of the authority to which the code will apply along with the distribution of the area types.
This section describes guidance for area types that authorities should consider when creating design codes or guides.
The following section relates to all development within the area covered by the design code or guide regardless of area type. All of this must be referenced back to a policy within the local plan.
National Model Design Code Glossary
An overview of our Design Code Pathfinder programme.
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