Stage three consultation now open: 12 May – 23 June 2025

The third round of consultation engagement has now commenced in relation to the Broadland and South Norfolk Design Code. The Design Code is being produced by Broadland District Council and South Norfolk Council, through Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design Ltd.

We are now seeking views on a draft Design Code, as well as the draft Broadland Character Assessment and an Assessment Framework that have been prepared to support the code. This follows two previous rounds of consultation public engagement that have taken place in the development of the code (see detailed background below).

This consultation ends at 5pm on Monday 23 June – please ensure that any responses you wish to make are submitted by this deadline.

Following this consultation focused engagement, Tibbalds will analyse feedback and produce the proposed, final documents for Broadland and South Norfolk District Councils. The Councils will then seek to adopt the Design Code as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), before which time there will be a final public and formal six-week consultation period on the document.

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 most new residential development and as it will be applicable to schemes between 1 dwelling – 500 dwellings. 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 existing planning policies.

Stage two consultation: September-November 2024

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 analysed the feedback and responses that were received and a summary of issues raised is available to read below. These responses have helped to inform the production of the draft Design Code.

Stage one consultation: July-September 2024

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. This first stage of engagement helped us to understand the priorities for design of new development across the districts, and what people think is unique/distinctive about both Broadland and South Norfolk. A summary of the feedback received during this period is available below.