Appealing Design: The evidence of planning appeals

Overview

For decades local planning authorities up and down the country have been reluctant to refuse poorly designed residential and other developments on design grounds:

• Design was seen as too subjective, potentially opening up planning judgements to challenge
• Quantity not quality was prioritised in national policy and decision-making
• Housebuilders were seen as too formidable and eventually wear local planning authorities down
• Good design took too long to negotiate, time which already stretched planning officers didn’t have
• Design was too often an afterthought with outline applications limiting what could subsequently be achieved in design terms
• Cash strapped local planning authorities feared costs being awarded against them for refusing on design grounds.

Drawing on recent planning appeals data, Appealing Design sought to test whether these perceptions were valid in the light of policy changes in the NPPF dating from July 20 2021. The research used a simple content analysis methodology to examine Inspector’s reports and associated appeal documentation in around half the major appeals heard in England in 2021. From this sample, those that primarily focussed on design were singled out for investigation and analysis. Pre and post-revision appeals were compared, and findings were examined against historic data on planning appeals.

In concluding that none of the six perceptions are any longer true, this landmark study provided the evidence that planning authorities need to confidently pursue their local design aspirations as a full and integral part of their planning mission.

This project ran from November 2021 to April 2022. 

Image by Matthew Carmona

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Photo by Matthew Carmona