TrustNews Jun 22

Appealing Design

A new report by the Place Alliance urges local authorities to refuse poorly designed developments.

Local authority planners have often been reluctant to refuse poorly designed developments, despite the guidance in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that states: “Development that is not well designed should be refused" (para 134).

This reluctance appears to have been underpinned by six perceptions:

• Design is too subjective

• Quantity not quality is prioritised

• Housebuilders are too formidable

• Good design takes too long

• Design is an afterthought

• Costs will be awarded against the local authority

The report, which is supported by Civic Voice, the Royal Town Planning institute, the Urban Design Group and Urban Design Learning, analysed data from planning appeals and other evidence which demonstrate that these do not bear out planners’ concerns. A number of case studies are included in the report, which concludes that local planning authorities should do as government policy asks and reject poor and mediocre housing design.

The report, Appealing Design: the evidence of planning appeals and the need to reject poor and mediocre housing design, can be downloaded at placealliance.org.uk/research/appeaIing-design/.