Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Design policy, guidance, tools and codes in the English planning system: NPPF expectations, application controls, and forthcoming LURA 2023 area-wide design codes

Published by a LexisNexis Planning expert

Practice notes

The importance of design in development

Design sits at the heart of the planning system for multiple reasons. It helps to deliver:

high-quality place-making
functional, usable proposals
greater sustainability
protection of an area’s local character
active community engagement
wellbeing within communities

Giving design proper weight when preparing a planning application is essential in light of paragraph 139 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which makes clear that poorly designed development should be refused, particularly where it fails to reflect local design policies and government guidance on design, taking account of any local design guidance and supplementary planning documents such as design guides and codes—see ‘LPA’s determination of planning application’ below.

Design shapes every stage of the planning process, from policy and plan-making, through the determination of applications, to the post-approval phase.

The principal policy and guidance on design in the planning system in England is found in:

Chapter 12 of the NPPF
Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) on ‘Design: process and tools’
The National Design Guide—this sets out the characteristics of well-designed places and demonstrates what good design means in...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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