By Laura Potts, MRTPI, Planning Consultant
The UK government first released the National Design Guide (NDG) in 2019, as part of its broader agenda to promote design excellence in the planning and development of new places.
It responds to the National Planning Policy Framework’s (NPPF) emphasis on the creation of beautiful, enduring, and sustainable places. The NDG sets out the key characteristics of well-designed places.
This is a core policy document, aimed at audience ranging from local planning authorities and developers to architects, designers, and the wider public. The NDG is intended to be a practical tool for shaping development at all scales, from large urban extensions to the infill of a single site. Local planning authorities are encouraged to use the NDG as a reference point in their own decision-making, ensuring that all proposals—regardless of size—are assessed against its principles. Developers and designers are likewise urged to demonstrate, through their planning submissions, how their schemes respond to the ten characteristics.
The NDG is thus a core document for CAD Architects and CAD Planning, as indeed it is for architects and planning consultancies across the country.
The NDG is supplemented by the National Model Design Code, a detailed framework setting out specific requirements for development. These codes translate the broad principles of the NDG into clear instructions for site layout, building appearance, landscape, and infrastructure.
In November 2024, the UK government announced that it intended to update the National Design Guide and National Model Design Code in Spring 2025, as well as continue to bolster design skills and capacity through the £46 million package of capacity and capability support provided to local planning authorities. This statement can be found here.https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-11-12/hcws209
At the time of writing, this update has not yet been released, but on the basis of the statement, we can expect that this update is imminent. It is therefore a good time to refresh our knowledge of exactly what the National Design Guide covers and its importance, as well as stay alert to the fact that change is on the way and anticipate the impact of this.
It is worth noting that rather than enforcing a uniform aesthetic, the guide champions local distinctiveness, allowing communities to influence how new developments reflect their own character and needs. It advocates for early engagement with stakeholders, including local residents, to ensure that the resulting designs are grounded in local priorities. The NDG also encourages the use of design codes and frameworks tailored to specific sites or settlements.
Central to the National Design Guide are ten interrelated characteristics that define a well-designed place. Here is a summary of the ten characteristics set out in the guide.
- Context: Understanding and responding to the local context, including the existing built and natural environment. Good design should reflect and enhance the character and identity of a place, respecting its history and geography.
- Identity: Creating a distinctive, memorable place with a sense of belonging. This involves the use of local materials, traditional forms, and features that resonate with people’s sense of place.
- Built Form: Arranging buildings, spaces, and structures to create a coherent form and a sense of enclosure. Careful consideration of massing, scale, and street layout is essential to ensure places are attractive and functional.
- Movement: Designing streets and spaces that are accessible, connected, and easy to navigate by all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and people with disabilities.
- Nature: Integrating green spaces, biodiversity, and natural features into the built environment.
- Public Spaces: Providing inclusive, safe, and attractive public spaces where people can gather, interact, and participate in community life.
- Uses: Ensuring that places are mixed-use, with a variety of activities, services, and facilities. A diversity of uses supports vibrant communities and reduces the need for travel.
- Homes and Buildings: Designing homes and buildings that are functional, adaptable, and aesthetically pleasing.
- Resources: Making efficient use of resources, including land, energy, and materials. Sustainable design minimises environmental impact and creates places that are resilient to future challenges.
- Lifespan: Creating places that are durable, flexible, and capable of adapting to changing needs over time. These characteristics are not meant to be tick-box criteria but should work together holistically to deliver places that are greater than the sum of their parts.
While the NDG operates at the national level, it is closely linked to local policy and guidance. Local authorities are encouraged to produce their own design guides and codes, tailored to the unique qualities of their area but grounded in the principles of the NDG.
In practice, this means that while national policy provides consistency and a benchmark for quality, there is considerable scope for local interpretation and innovation.
In Cornwall, there is advice on design within the Cornwall Design Guide (adopted in December 2021) and a Chief Planning Officer Advice Note on Good Design (March 2023), in addition to Policy 12 of the Cornwall Local Plan Strategic Policies 2010-2030 which seeks to achieve high quality safe, sustainable and inclusive design in all developments.
We will cover the design guidance from Cornwall Council in a later blog.
Meanwhile, you can see the full National Design Guide document here. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/602cef1d8fa8f5038595091b/National_design_guide.pdf
You can see the National Model Design Code here.
We will share information about the updated NDG and National Model Design Code once it is released.
Moving forward, the success of the NDG will depend on its continual adaptation to new challenges, including the climate emergency, technological innovation, and changing patterns of living and working.
Ongoing dialogue between government, industry, and communities will be essential to ensure that the guide remains relevant and effective.
At CAD Planning, we stay abreast of all the latest developments as well as likely developments on the horizon such as this one, so that our clients can achieve successful projects.
Get in touch with us on 01872 630040 or email info@cad-planning.co.uk.