Agenda item

Report attached.

Members considered a report of Councillor Melissa Fisher - Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regeneration, inviting the Cabinet to review and consider the Huncoat Garden Village (HGV) Design Code for approval.

Councillor Fisher provided a brief introduction to the report.  The document set out the key design standards for architects and planners.  Its purpose was to ensure the provision of high quality homes and a quality environment, which would enhance Huncoat.  Councillor Dad commented that engagement with stakeholders was important and that both he and Mark Hoyle, Head of Housing and Regeneration, had attended several Huncoat Forum meetings.

With the permission of the meeting, Councillor Dave Parkins spoke on this matter.  He reported that a meeting of Huncoat Forum had taken place last night, at which the Design Code had been discussed.  In the light of that meeting, a number of questions would be submitted to Councillor Fisher and Mr Hoyle within the next week.  The Forum had expressed concern that the overall situation had worsened.  Councillor Dad gave a commitment that the Council would answer any questions received.

Councillor Khan welcomed the engagement held with the public.  He asked about the following:

• What sources of reference and best practice had been used to create the Design Code?
• In respect of the Design Principles, eg. the Huncoat House (p.61), why were some classified as ‘required’ and others as ‘expected’?

Mr Hoyle responded that references had included the National Planning Policy Framework, Local Plan, HGV Masterplan and numerous local sources, such as the Huncoat Forum, walkabouts and photographic material which captured the character of the area and its landscape.  There was some national best practice included, but Hyndburn was one of 16  pilot authorities.  The aim was to make the Design Code right for the specific area concerned.  The mandatory and expected principles would allow planners to assess any applications, with some dos and some don’ts.  This allowed needs to be balanced by including what was important, whilst ensuring that the development remained commercially viable.

Approval of the report was not deemed a key decision.

Reasons for Decision

Hyndburn Borough Council was one of 16 local authorities selected by the Government to be part of its pilot programme to test the application of the National Model Design Code (NMDC).  The NMDC provided detailed guidance on the production of local design codes.    Design codes were intended to provide detailed guidance that lead to well-designed places.  Design codes were therefore typically seen as planning documents to be approved for planning purposes.

Hyndburn Borough Council had seen this as an opportunity to produce a design code that would provide detailed guidance on the design parameters, technical standards and specification to shape development for the Huncoat Garden Village (HGV) development.  A copy of the Design code was made available via the following link: Huncoat Design Code | Huncoat Garden Village.

The Code used qualitative and written, numerical and graphic content to set out rules designed to make high-quality place making.  In the case of HGV, the Code built upon the design vision and framework set in the HGV Masterplan Framework. 

The design code covered Huncoat village, including the existing settlement and the HGV project area.  The design code was intended to serve as a single point of reference of material consideration that translated design quality objectives and policies from planning guidance into specific and tailored design parameters to guide and enforce the future development of Huncoat including HGV.

It would be used as a valuable tool that set out the “dos and don’ts” of creating a high quality place at Huncoat and should be used by the Council, landowners, developers, other stakeholders and consultants.  The Code included a checklist which would be used when preparing planning applications for HGV.

The design code should not be confused with a design guide.  A design guide was a document providing guidance on how development can be carried out in accordance with good design practice.  A code was more specific and provided a set of rules rather than just guidance.

The development of the HGV Design Code had taken place in 2021-22.  The Code had been in an almost complete form for two years, but its approval had been delayed until it had been fully tested.  The Code had been used and therefore tested in preparing plans including planning applications for the proposed new residential relief road and the development of the former power station site for housing.

Alternative Options considered and Reasons for Rejection

There was no requirement to have and use the design code, however the code should be seen as a valuable tool to drive future development design standards at Huncoat, especially HGV.

Resolved                                    -    That Cabinet approves the Huncoat Garden Village Design Code, as viewable online via the link set out in the report.