Design code intended to deliver sustainable urban regeneration and community-led development
The Chatham Design Code has received unanimous approval from Medway Council and has now been adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). The document, developed in close consultation with the local community, is set to help guide the town’s regeneration efforts.
The design code was developed under the supervision of Scott Adams and BPTW’s urban design team, in collaboration with a broader consultant team, including Create Streets, HTA Landscape, Urban Movement, and Lyall Bills & Young Architects. The code is intended to outline specific parameters to ensure the delivery of high-quality and sustainable developments within a low- to mid-rise urban centre in Chatham.
Duncan Bernsten, urban design officer at Medway, said that the new document is “underpinned by the place-based aspirations of the council.”
The code introduces a design review process that allows for ‘code breaking,’ where applicants may deviate from certain aspects of the design code, such as those related to height or massing, provided that the resulting proposals demonstrate ‘exemplary design.’
Medway was one of 25 areas selected for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) Pathfinder Programme. The Chatham Centre Design Code is one of three pathfinder codes featured in the Office for Place’s Design Code Library, positioning it as a model for other local authorities.
>> Also read: Will design codes help unlock the planning system?
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