5 steps to ... establishing a design code

Stuart Watson, Regeneration & Renewal, 8 August 2008

2. Get the support of key stakeholders. To successfully implement the code, the council, landowner, developer and community need to agree on the principles of development. "Codes can improve efficiency by getting people involved in the vision and then providing certainty over how it will be delivered," says Sarah Allan, head of enabling urban design and homes at design watchdog the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment.

3. Allow some flexibility. A code should set out a vision for a place, not a blueprint for how each building should look. "Codes can be used too prescriptively when they are applied to materials or components for buildings, but they can be applied to the streetscape, where you need rules to define the character of an area," says Allan.

4. Decide how it will be controlled. In some cases, the landowner's architects will make sure schemes conform to the code; in others it may be policed by the council. "Where landowners have strong leverage over developers, you can allow the code to be flexible. If that isn't the case, you may need a more specific planning document to provide confidence," advises McGeough.

5. Ensure it can be reviewed and updated. The standards for quality or environmental performance set out in the code may be superseded by new legislation or best practice guidance, so it needs to be reviewed periodically.

More information

Preparing Design Codes - A Practice Manual is available here

English Partnerships' guidance on urban design is available here