Policy information sourced from The London Plan 2021
D4 Delivering Good Design
Design analysis and development certainty
- Masterplans and design codes should be used to help bring forward development and ensure it delivers high quality design and place-making based on the requirements set out in Part B of Policy D3 Optimising site capacity through the design-led approach.
- Where appropriate, visual, environmental and movement modelling/ assessments should be undertaken to analyse potential design options for an area, site or development proposal. These models, particularly 3D virtual reality and other interactive digital models, should, where possible, be used to inform plan-making and decision-taking, and to engage Londoners in the planning process.
Design scrutiny
- Design and access statements submitted with development proposals should demonstrate that the proposal meets the design requirements of the London Plan.
- The design of development proposals should be thoroughly scrutinised by borough planning, urban design, and conservation officers, utilising the analytical tools set out in Part B, local evidence, and expert advice where appropriate. In addition, boroughs and applicants should make use of the design review process to assess and inform design options early in the planning process. Development proposals referable to the Mayor must have undergone at least one design review early on in their preparation before a planning application is made, or demonstrate that they have undergone a local borough process of design scrutiny, based on the principles set out in Part E if they:
- include a residential component that exceeds 350 units per hectare; or
- propose a building defined as a tall building by the borough (see Policy D9 Tall buildings), or that is more than 30m in height where there is no local definition of a tall building.
- The format of design reviews for any development should be agreed with the borough and comply with the Mayor’s guidance on review principles, process and management, ensuring that:
- design reviews are carried out transparently by independent experts in relevant disciplines
- design review comments are mindful of the wider policy context and focus on interpreting policy for the specific scheme
- where a scheme is reviewed more than once, subsequent design reviews reference and build on the recommendations of previous design reviews
- design review recommendations are appropriately recorded and communicated to officers and decision makers
- schemes show how they have considered and addressed the design review recommendations
- planning decisions demonstrate how design review has been addressed.
Maintaining design quality
- The design quality of development should be retained through to completion by:
- ensuring maximum detail appropriate for the design stage is provided to avoid the need for later design amendments and to ensure scheme quality is not adversely affected by later decisions on construction, materials, landscaping details or minor alterations to layout or form of the development
- ensuring the wording of the planning permission, and associated conditions and legal agreement, provide clarity regarding the quality of design
- avoiding deferring the assessment of the design quality of large elements of a development to the consideration of a planning condition or referred matter
- local planning authorities considering conditioning the ongoing involvement of the original design team to monitor the design quality of a development through to completion.
For more information please see The London Plan 2021