Glen Richardson (pictured), affiliate companion in Carter Jonas’ Cambridge workplace
December’s NPPF launched some important coverage adjustments – notably on housing targets and the 5-year land provide. The truth that it largely eliminated the controversial references to the phrase ‘magnificence’ has acquired much less media consideration. And but the query of whether or not or not design is being sacrificed by the present authorities stays extraordinarily necessary, significantly as a result of the revised housing targets recommend a higher common density on every new growth.
Taking a step again, what does the change to the title and content material of Chapter 12, Reaching well-designed locations (beforehand Reaching well-designed and exquisite locations) imply in actuality? Will design requirements be impacted, because the Coverage Change asserts in Magnificence and Socialism: How the Left can put Magnificence again into Britain?
Like most planning and growth professionals, I welcome the change. It removes a subjective and unquantifiable time period which had little place in planning coverage to start out with. As a substitute, the chapter addresses the precept of fine design, which was in place previous to the July 2021 revisions.
However regardless of this, making an allowance for the federal government’s must expedite housing supply and virtually double present ranges of output, is there a danger that design requirements can be compromised in favour of velocity and higher density? Secretary of State Angela Rayner says not: Labour’s 1.5 million properties goal won’t, she says, result in “a load of ugly homes”.
Design steering at a nationwide stage
The NPPF has shifted the emphasis, requiring ‘top quality design’ to be achieved by way of design coding and guides. Paragraph 133 of the NPPF states that to supply most readability about design expectations at an early stage, all native planning authorities ought to put together design guides or codes per the rules set out within the Nationwide Design Information and Nationwide Mannequin Design Code. A 3rd doc which is referenced on this context is Constructing for a Wholesome Life, an up to date model of an earlier doc Constructing for Life.
The inclusion of those three national-level paperwork – which we discover are ceaselessly quoted in planning appeals and inquiries – present a helpful basis and a degree of reference to evaluate the standard of design.
Nonetheless, it’s necessary to recognise that the NPPF is an outline of coverage. In follow, there’s no place in a doc of this kind for particular design necessities – for instance, the give attention to Mansard roofs within the 2022 model, which appeared fairly unnecessarily. So the three paperwork referred to above are obligatory to supply clear steering on vexing points together with density.
The lesser significance of native character?
On design codes, the NPPF has made a big change: the earlier authorities had required that councils put together native authority-wide design codes, which should be adhered to when assembly housing want. Within the current revisions, rather than district-wide design coding, the federal government substituted localised design codes, masterplans and guides, “for areas of most change and most potential”. Examples cited are regeneration websites, areas of intensification, city extensions and huge new communities – these more likely to be constructed at larger densities. The brand new paragraph 135 states that the Nationwide Mannequin Design Code is, the first foundation for the preparation and use of native design codes and removes the requirement for native design codes to be the first means for assessing and enhancing the design of recent growth.
It makes full sense, in each structure and planning, that design codes, the place they exist, ought to be utilized on a neighborhood stage. To recommend {that a} native authority ought to have a single design type is the antithesis to good design: design ought to at all times reply to its quick environment. Maybe extra considerably given the push for development and a big uplift in housing targets, it’s important that the Nationwide Mannequin Design Code exists for the good thing about these councils that don’t have the time or sources to develop their very own design codes.
It’s additionally clear now that, the place native planning authorities can present their very own particular design insurance policies, they need to do by way of neighborhood engagement, as per Paragraph 138 of the NPPF.
The earlier NPPF included a press release (little doubt included to appease backbench disquiet) stating that native character will be taken under consideration when ‘councils think about their capacity to satisfy their housing wants’ – in different phrases, schemes might have been rejected if native character was not met. This requirement, which particularly referred to density, has been deleted in its entirety.
I agree with this variation. The brand new NPPF strengthens expectations that native plans facilitate an uplift in density, the place applicable. However elevated density needn’t be detrimental to native character.
I feel it’s mistaken to imagine that to construct at excessive density, you need to construct tall. It’s extra a case of pondering fastidiously about points reminiscent of the way to design and the place to position parts together with automobile parking and gardens and offering shared open areas. It’s about being super-efficient with a extra restricted quantity of area and extremely artistic with web site format. It’s excellent news all spherical that the present NPPF helps constructing at density, topic to good design.
