Sandwell Design Code

Overview

SANDWELL DESIGN CODE

Sandwell Council has started work on developing a Design Code. A Design Code is a planning document that includes a set of design requirements for the physical development of an area. It will include a review and replacement of our existing Residential Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document [https://www.sandwell.gov.uk/planning/supplementary-planning-guidance-residential-design]. National Government requires all local authorities to establish design codes [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/creating-a-design-code], and Sandwell is looking to develop a best practice borough-wide example.

The Council has appointed an experienced team led by Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners. The team undertook extensive community engagement and analysis over the summer which has provided a great foundation for the work in identifying priorities for design, local character, and new development in the borough.

We want local people to help steer what the Design Code says and want to encourage as many people as possible from across the borough to input and feed into the process from the outset.

Stage 2 online questionnaire

The team are currently translating the Stage 1 findings into a way forward for design in the Borough.  There are three key tasks we are working on:

• a vision for design in the borough
• updating existing borough-wide design guidance
• mapping the existing character of the Borough to inform future design coding

We would like to hear your thoughts on the early work on each of these tasks to help inform the Stage 2 outputs.

VISION

Stage 2 of the Design Code project involves establishing a design vision for future development in the Borough.  The team has used the inputs and findings from the Stage 1 engagement and analysis to draw together the headline themes that should underpin this vision.  This has then been discussed with the Community Design Panel.  The vision will be refined throughout this stage of work, and it would be great to have your thoughts on it to inform this.

Below we set out the suggested elements of the vision, please let us know how strongly you would support each aspect and any further thoughts you have on them.