Character, Quality & Design in Neighbourhood Planning and Beyond
This seminar began by looking at the context for community involvement for design policies, and how to bring design into neighbourhood plans. The new Locality and National Trust toolkits both provide practical advice on how to do this, and the speakers all offered valuable policy wording tips, and experience and guidance on neighbourhood planning processes. Seeking design which is more site-responsive than developers’ standard house types requires a greater understanding and explanation of the physical and social context, local character, and 21st century lifestyles.
The workshop explored the design criteria that delegates would put in place for a fictitious development site within one of Oxford’s conservation areas, looking at a 1960s development before the conservation area was established. The key lessons from the day were about being specific when defining design policies, ensuring that evidence (e.g. character assessments) is provided to support policies, and avoiding relying on the phrase ‘in keeping with’, as this will not help!
- Programme
- Neighbourhood Planning & Design Quality the story so far, Jeff Bishop and Georgina Perry, Place Studio
- Full text version of above
- Supporting Design in Neighbourhood Plans – the new Locality Toolkit, Ben Castell, Director, AECOM
- Planning for Heritage: the new National Trust toolkit, Dave Chetwyn, Director, Urban Vision Enterprise
- Successful Community-led Policy-making in Historic Settings, Rob Lloyd-Sweet, Historic Places Adviser, Historic England
- Distinctively Local – Responding to the Government’s Building Better, Building Beautiful campaign, Simon Toplis, Partner, HTA Design
- Introduction to Workshop: Defining the Essential Criteria for a Design Code, including site visit to Norham Road, Louise Thomas, HTVF
- Understanding Local Character to inform Design Policies, Richard Eastham, Feria Urbanism