Planning reform: design body steering group
The government’s planning for the future proposals set out a package of reforms for a new, faster, simpler planning system. The reforms will require local authorities to introduce their own local design codes – enhancing beauty, quality and environmental standards by giving communities control over what is built in their areas.
A steering group has been convened to explore the options for establishing a new expert design body which can help authorities make effective use of design guidance and codes, and monitoring their application.
The steering group is chaired by Nicholas Boys Smith and members include industry leaders, acting in a personal capacity:
- Vidhya Alakeson
- Andrew Cameron
- Sarah James
- Esther Kurland
- Rt Hon Ben Gummer
- Victoria Hills
- Ben Page
- Adrian Penfold
- Robert Adam
- Anna Rose
- Stephen Stone
- Paul Monaghan
- Sir John Hayes MP (Parliamentary representative)
Key questions the steering group will consider are:
- What are methods for robustly demonstrating community support for designs and how to feed the evidence into design codes? How might digital tools and processes support these?
- What skills and capacity are available amongst local authorities, communities, housebuilders and developers to implement design coding?
- What are the most efficient and effective ways to support local authorities and communities to have the skills to develop and implement design codes, including what is the effectiveness of current learning and best practice programmes and design review?
- What are the potential priorities and activities for a new design body/support programme and options for its delivery?
- What could be the strategic objectives for the new design body/programme over the next 3 years?
The steering group will report to the Secretary of State, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, by March 2021.