Your chance to shape guidance on urban design
Everyone in the city is invited to share their views on new guidance for the design of buildings and open spaces.
The Urban Design Framework will be used to guide planning applications and ensure designers and developers provide high quality new buildings and attractive public spaces that are usable for all residents.
Closing date for comments is 11 December.
Councillor Marianna Ebel, joint chair of the Tourism, Equalities, Communities and Culture Committee, said: “As the city grows the council will be presented with proposals for new developments. This provides the opportunity to improve existing areas and shape new places. It will open new possibilities to design climate-friendly buildings and public spaces.
“Different communities experience spaces in the city in different ways. Some spaces can feel unwelcoming or are not easy to use or move around in, so this guidance will help designers address the barriers to making accessible and attractive spaces and buildings.”
A central theme running through the guidance is the way in which good design can help provide inclusive, accessible, sustainable and climate resilient new development. This will help the city achieve its aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and support the carbon neutral plan.
Your views will feed into the final version of the guidance. Communities will have an opportunity to see how their contributions have shaped the final document when it is taken back to the committee for review. The aim is to adopt the new guidance in early 2021.
Comments can also be given by email to planningprojects@brighton-hove.gov.uk or in writing to: Draft UDF SPD Policy Projects and Heritage Team, Brighton & Hove City Council, First Floor Hove Town Hall, Norton Road BN3 3BQ
If you would like a printed version of the response form, please call 01273 292352.
More information will be available on this webpage from Friday 23 October.
How the guidance will work
The UDF SPD will guide planning decisions on planning applications.
It will be used to help achieve local planning policy - for example, in building new high quality and accessible homes with usable outside space.
The guidance looks at opportunities to support design discussions between applicants, designers, planning officers, councillors and communities by outlining design solutions and best practice in the city and elsewhere.
This includes showing how good design decisions can help developers make the best use of sites and create attractive higher density development that offer users/occupants significant benefits from this type of living.
There are three main sections.
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Local priorities: This section targets all types of new development in the city, setting out design issues that are particularly important to Brighton & Hove and illustrating how the council would like to see local policy interpreted.
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Tall buildings: The guidance looks at development involving buildings that are 18 metres or more in height and significantly taller than their surroundings. It identifies the boundaries of areas suitable for taller buildings, indicative heights and design principles. If adopted, this section will replace guidance currently set out in Supplementary Planning Guidance SPGBH 15 Tall Buildings
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Planning process: This encourages developers to resolve any design issues with the council before they submit a planning application and during the application process by setting out the council’s preferred approach.
