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Creating a design code

From:
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Published
12 June 2023
Updated:
12 June 2023 - See all updates

Coding process

The process of preparing a local design code is based on seven steps

Figure 1. Design code process.

1. Analysis

1A - Scoping: Agreeing on the geographical area to be covered by the code and the policy areas that it will address.

1B - Baseline: Bringing together the analysis that will underpin the code and inform its contents.

2. Vision

2A – Design vision: Dividing the area covered by the code into a set of typical ‘area types’ and deciding on a vision for each of these area types.

2B – Coding plan: Preparing a plan that maps out each of the area types and also identifies large development sites from allocations in the local plan.

2C – Masterplanning: On larger sites working with land owners and developers to agree a masterplan for each of the development sites establishing the key parameters and area types.

3. Code

3A – Guidance for Area Types: Developing guidance for each area type by adjusting a set of design parameters.

3B – Code Wide Guidance: Agree on a set of policies that will apply equally across all area types.