Creating a design code

Guidance on creating design codes that promote the creation of successful places as set out in the National Model Design Code.

Creating a design code: an overview

A design code is a set of design requirements for the physical development of a site or area. It is made up of rules that are clear, specific and unambiguous, and it should normally include extensive graphical illustrations. The code should build upon a design vision, such as a masterplan or other design and development framework for a site or area.

Purpose

The National Model Design Code provides detailed guidance on the production of design codes to promote successful design.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that all local planning authorities should prepare design guides or codes that are consistent with the principles set out in the National Design Guide and National Model Design Code, and that reflect local character and design preferences. Design codes should provide a framework for creating beautiful, successful places. A design code is a set of clear, specific and unambiguous design requirements. Wherever possible, they are numerical. They will normally be graphically illustrated. The National Model Design Code provides a toolkit to guide local planning authorities when producing design codes and guides, as well as methods to capture and reflect the views of the local community throughout the process.

The NPPF makes clear that the geographic coverage, level of detail and degree of prescription should be tailored to the circumstances and scale of change in each place and should allow a suitable degree of variety. For example, for a specific site with a masterplan the code should be detailed and specific, whereas a county-wide code may be high level.

Objectives

The National Model Design Code sets out guidance to help local authorities and communities decide what good design looks like in their area, based on local aspirations for how their area will develop.

Design codes are important because they provide a framework for creating healthy, safe, beautiful, green, environmentally responsive, sustainable and distinctive places, with a high and consistent standard of design. This can provide greater certainty for communities about the design of development and bring conversations about design to the start of the planning process, rather than the end.

The built environment impacts people’s health and wellbeing. It needs to feel safe and secure for all, including those who could be vulnerable. Creating more beautiful places requires a greener approach that supports progress towards our national environmental goals. This means more energy efficient buildings, enhancing nature, integrating with the natural environment, creating more resilient places and delivering progress towards to the net zero carbon target by 2050.

The government understands that good design does not look the same across different areas of the country. A design that harmonises with the local vernacular in Cornwall might not do so in Norfolk, and a design that is well suited to a suburban area might not work well in a town centre.

The National Model Design Code sets out areas that planning authorities should consider in preparing design codes, including:

  • How the design of new development should enhance the health and wellbeing of local communities and create beautiful, safe, inclusive, accessible and active environments;
  • How landscape, green infrastructure and biodiversity should be approached, including the importance of streets being tree-lined;
  • The environmental performance of place and buildings, ensuring they contribute to net zero targets;
  • The layout of new development, including infrastructure and street pattern;
  • The factors to be considered when determining whether façades of buildings are of sufficiently high quality, and;
  • How developments can take account of local vernacular, character, heritage, architecture and materials.

Design codes can provide a more specific steer on what is acceptable when they are visual and numerical rather than relying on abstract policy wording. This also makes them easier to engage with. They can also give developers greater certainty about what may be acceptable when seeking planning permission, and can help lead to faster decisions based on whether a proposal complies with a code. This can help to speed up the delivery of development.

For larger schemes, such as phased developments, design codes can help to maintain consistency in the delivery of development over a longer period of time. Codes also set out a helpful level of detail in sensitive locations, for example, with heritage considerations, and they can set out specific ways to maintain local character. Design codes can also be helpful in facilitating custom and self-build, as well as the use of modern methods of construction.

When preparing design codes, communities need to be involved in order to gain measurable community support that is appropriate for the scale and location of new development. Design codes should be prepared on the basis of evidence about what is popular locally. This will address the ambition in a new planning system to bring democracy forward, allowing communities to decide what good design means locally, and enshrining this in design codes and guides.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that the National Design Guide and National Model Design Code should be used to guide decisions on applications in the absence of locally produced guides or codes. These documents provide guidance on what constitutes well-designed and beautiful places as well as providing a default checklist of issues that schemes will be expected to address.

Ten characteristics of well-designed places. (National Design Guide extract).

[Alt text: An image of an infographic extracted from the National Design Guide, which shows the 10 characteristics of well-designed places. These are shown as a coloured pie chart made up of the following “slices”:

  • Mid tone purple: Context
  • Light purple: Identity
  • Light blue: Built form
  • Dark blue: Movement
  • Dark green: Nature
  • Light green: Public Space
  • Light orange: Uses
  • Dark orange: Homes and buildings
  • Dark raspberry: Resources
  • Dark purple: Lifespan ]

Application

The National Model Design Code should be used as a basis for the production of design codes by local planning authorities.

The document needs to be used alongside the National Design Guide to inform local codes as well as decisions on planning applications. The area covered by the design code and the level of detail is to be determined locally. A coding plan will be needed to show the area covered by the code. There is an option to use area types (e.g. inner suburban or rural) so that the guidance can be adjusted to reflect local character.

In some cases, planning authorities may prefer to institute design guides instead of design codes. A guide differs from a code in being less precise and specific in its content: a code gives clear, unambiguous rules about what is permitted, whereas a guide is more open to interpretation. The guidance on design code contents provides a checklist of content for such design guidance or policies.

Design codes should contain simple, clear requirements, often graphically illustrated. In applying the National Model Design Code, account should be taken of local circumstances. Not all of the content of the NMDC will be relevant for every code Local authorities will need to update design codes over time as social, technical and environmental circumstances change. Changes should be subject to support from local communities.

The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that design policies should be developed with local communities, so they reflect local aspirations. Local authorities should also collaborate with developers and landowners on design codes, particularly in relation to specific sites. Developers and landowners may also choose to prepare their own design code in support of a planning application in collaboration with local authorities and communities, following the principles set out in the National Model Design Code and the National Design Guide.

The National Planning Policy Framework is also clear that local planning authorities should develop an overarching design vision and expectations that can inform design codes, guides and other tools in their area, whether prepared by them or other parties. Local planning authorities should follow the advice in the plan making Planning Practice Guidance, particularly when producing design codes or guides as a supplementary planning document. Planning Practice Guidance Design: Process and Tools sets out guidance on design review and other design assessment approaches which should be considered when developing codes.

[Alt text: This infographic illustrates the possible areas that elements of a design code might cover.

It shows a series of four simplified maps, stacked vertically from the largest area (England) down to the smallest area (a plot for a single building), with the following accompanying captions:

  1. Local Authority. Some elements of the code may apply to the entire local authority area.

  2. Area type. Some elements of design codes can apply to types of area, for example, all villages, or all inner suburbs.

  3. Development Sites. Parts of the code can relate specifically to development sites such as urban extensions, new settlements and other large sites where the code may be guided by masterplans.

  4. Plot. Parts of the code can be used to guide individual building plots, for example relating to a single house or block of flats, whether they be in existing urban areas or new development. ]