National Planning Policy Framework: The implications for design
By Mike Carr, Head of Design
The end of 2024 brought with it a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Much anticipated, the Framework covered significant ground, running to eighty-two pages, with notable implications for design.
After all, the latest iteration of the Framework has largely removed the references to beauty that featured heavily in the NPPF that was published almost exactly one year prior. In its place, the new Framework focuses on well designed places and efficient use of land, which have become one of the top requirements for what constitutes the presumption in favour of sustainable development.
Beautiful and sustainable buildings
But though this is an interesting development, it does not mean that the new Framework has turned its back on beauty or aesthetics. The word is in fact present in the opening line of the NPPF’s chapter on design, which underscores the importance of ‘high quality, beautiful and sustainable buildings’. Meanwhile, the Housing Secretary made clear in an interview with the Guardian, just before the Framework was published, that the ambition is not to build ‘ugly houses’. Rather, what the inclusion of ‘well designed’ reflects is a recognition not only of the importance of looking beautiful, but in functioning beautifully, too. Developments don’t simply need to look visually appealing, or offer nice views, but function well and add to the overall quality of the area. What this could mean in practice is that developments provide easy, attractive access to local shops and facilities; and offer tree-lined streets and spaces, that accommodate the active and passive recreational needs of new residents. Design, in other words, is more than visual aesthetic, but about function, too.
What’s more, it’s still incumbent on developers to ensure designs are sympathetic to the local area, which means that each new project needs to be carefully considered on a case-by-case basis, accounting for, where feasible, local design codes and guides (which local authorities are likewise advised to develop).
Creating a sense of belonging
It remains important for developers to consider the science and the art of a site. This includes looking at what’s physically there that can be measured, whilst also considering the area’s visual aspect. Does the development have enough legibility and character to engender a sense of belonging, for instance? Is it articulating that edge in a way that is uplifting to the spirit? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but it’s nevertheless possible to carry out bespoke, high-level qualitative assessments of the site.
A welcome development
For many in the industry, the inclusion of ‘well designed’ represents a welcome development, seen to herald a shift away from the fundamental subjectivity of beauty. Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see how ‘well designed’ is interpreted on appeal given the NPPF does not include a formal definition – a recognition of the inherent difficulty in precisely codifying design terms. The sector will await the publication of Planning Policy Guidance notes to iron out and clarify the grey areas – questions around density are already starting to rise to the fore – but in the immediate term, design quality is still pivotal to the success of new development.