PPG: Design - Process and Tools

PPG: Design - Process and Tools

What is the National Design Guide?

The National Design Guide sets out the characteristics of well-designed places and demonstrates what good design means in practice. It forms part of the Government's collection of planning practice guidance and should be read alongside the NPPF. The ten characteristics of well-designed places are:

1. Context - enhances the surroundings
2. Identity - attractive and distinctive
3. Built form - a coherent pattern of development
4. Movement - accessible and easy to move around
5. Nature - enhanced and optimised
6. Public spaces - safe, social and inclusive
7. Uses - mixed and integrated
8. Homes and buildings - functional, healthy and sustainable
9. Resources - efficient and resilient
10. Lifespan - made to last

What are design codes?

Design codes are a set of illustrated design requirements that provide specific, detailed parameters for the physical development of a site or area. They build on design policies in the local plan and the National Design Guide to provide detailed instructions. They cover elements such as: building heights, materials, front boundary treatments, parking arrangements, landscaping requirements, and street hierarchy.

How should design be considered in decision-making?

The NPPF makes clear that creating high quality, beautiful and sustainable buildings and places is fundamental to what the planning and development process should achieve. NPPF paragraph 133 states that development that is not well-designed should be refused. Conversely, significant weight should be given to development that reflects local design policies and guidance, or proposes outstanding or innovative design.

When assessing applications, decision-makers should consider:
- the layout and form of development, including the siting of buildings and the spaces between them
- the height, mass and scale of buildings and how they relate to the surrounding context
- the use of materials, detailing and decoration
- landscaping, boundary treatments and the public realm
- the functionality of places and buildings, including community safety
- how the development addresses climate change and resource efficiency

What is the role of design review?

Design review involves a panel of built environment experts who assess the design quality of proposals. It is particularly valuable for: complex or large-scale developments, proposals in sensitive locations (conservation areas, near listed buildings), and innovative or unconventional designs. The NPPF encourages the use of design review panels and recommends they inform major development proposals.

Beauty in planning

The Government has placed increasing emphasis on beauty in the built environment. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 introduced a duty for local planning authorities to have regard to the desirability of achieving good design. The National Model Design Code provides further detail on how beauty, placemaking and community engagement should be embedded in the design process.