This consultation has now closed.
The draft Design Guide was subject to a six-week period of public consultation alongside the emerging Local Plan and the corresponding design related polices therein. Once adopted, the Design Guide will become a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and a material consideration within the planning process.
Reasons for Review
The comprehensive review of the Design Guide has been brought forward alongside the emerging Local Plan as a means of offering evidence and support for those new policies under consideration. The two elements therefore work in tandem; the new policies offer a robust mechanism by which development should adhere and the guidance sets out how this should be achieved in practice.
The existing Design Guide was published in 2008 and since this time there have been significant changes in national policy and guidance through the release and subsequent revision of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG). It is therefore vital that the Design Guide reacts to these changes in policy and continues to shape development in a way which complies with national and local policy objectives.
The Council continues to balance significant development pressure through the Local Plan process including the allocation of larger sites for residential development and mixed use development. The Design Guide needs to react to this growth by offering more guidance in relation to placemaking and residential design standards. This ties in closely with the Council's Corporate Plan objectives of ‘A Better Place to Live’ (Housing) and ‘A Better Place for Business' (Economic Development).
The Local Plan also includes new Development Management policies on Design, Sustainable Development, Amenity, Technical Standards amongst others which need to be backed by guidance and practical means of implementation. The Design Guide performs this role of supporting Local Plan policies and will be closely linked to the policy objectives within the new plan.
The Design Guide review offers the opportunity to provide this important guidance through new forms of media and visual communication; but more importantly to ensure guidance is more accessible and inclusive. The new web platform gives users the opportunty to search for specific information and chances to create a more interactive and engaging experience.
What happens next?
Following the consultation, all feedback received will be reviewed to shape the final version of the Design Guide. The revised guide will then be formally adopted by North Norfolk District Council as a supplementary planning document (SPD).
The Local Plan Review
The new Local Plan will provide the planning policy context for development across the whole of North Norfolk for the period 2016 - 2036. The main elements which will form the single Plan document are:
- Strategic Policies - These provide the overarching approach to development in North Norfolk, such as where and how much development should take place, and also set the long-term spatial vision, objectives and key policies.
- Development Management Policies - These cover specific topic areas such as affordable housing, tourism, coastal erosion, and protecting the natural and built environment, and are used in the determination of individual planning applications.
- Site Allocations - These set out detailed policies for the development of individual sites to help meet the aims of strategic policies.
- Policies Map - This shows geographically where policies apply.
The draft Local Plan is also out to its first phase of public consultation (Regulation 18) and will provide an opportunity for people to comment on its content. Please see the Local Plan Consultation webpage for more information.