Broadland and South Norfolk district-wide Design Codes

Background

Broadland District Council and South Norfolk Council have appointed Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design to develop a district wide Design Code for both South Norfolk and Broadland. The aim of the Design Code is to strengthen the design quality and consistency of new residential developments across the area. It will provide straightforward guidance to ensure high quality and appropriate development, covering themes such as the height of buildings, their design and materials, landscaping, the design of bin stores, and the design of parking spaces. It is anticipated that the Design Code will be applicable to all new development, although it is expected to be most relevant to new residential developments that are under 500 homes.

The Design Code will be used to help in the planning applications process to ensure that new development is of appropriate quality, responds to the local context, and provides great places for people to live. As part of this Code, particular emphasis will be given to the quality of landscaping, the character of local buildings, and the use of distinctive materials. It is intended that the new Code will eventually be adopted by each Council as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). SPDs are used to provide further guidance on planning policies.

Stage two consultation - feedback available

The second stage of public consultation in relation to the Design Code took place between September and November 2024. The consultation was again held via the Placechangers consultation platform and saw 209 responses being submitted by 85 participants. The consultation sought views on the proposed vision for the Design Code, as well as the different issues and opportunities for each of the coding area types.

Tibbalds have now analysed the feedback and responses that were received and a summary of issues raised is available to read below. These responses will help to inform the production of the draft Design Code which will be subject to consultation in early 2025.

Stage one consultation – feedback available

143 responses were received in response to the online stage one consultation. 78% of these responses were submitted by local residents with other groups such as town/ parish councils, statutory consultees and local businesses providing the remainder of the feedback. Online workshops were also attended by Council officers, Local Members, town and parish councils, as well as architects and developers from across the two districts. A summary of the feedback received during this period is available in the attached document, prepared by Tibbalds, as they analysed the responses.

Stage one consultation - closed

The stage one consultation was open for comment between 22 July 2024 and 2 September 2024. This online survey has now closed.

Local communities and other stakeholder bodies were invited to help inform the priorities, content and structure of the Design Code as it develops. This was the first stage of engagement to help us understand your priorities for design of new development across the districts, and what you think is unique/distinctive about both Broadland and South Norfolk. The feedback that was received during this period has now been reviewed and has helped to inform the next stage of the process. The Council has published a summary of the responses above.