Bristol charity chief leads new design charter to raise the bar for quality places across England

The chief executive of a Bristol-based placemaking charity is spearheading a new national mission to improve the shape of homes, streets and places.

Anna Rutherford, CEO of Design West, is at the forefront of an ambitious initiative inspired by England’s regional place-making bodies which today sees the unveiling of a new standard which aims to raise the design bar.

Developed by The Design Network – a national body made up of six regional organisations – the National Design Review Charter sets out a shared approach to its work with developers, site promoters and local councils.

Rutherford, who is based at Design West’s Narrow Quay HQ in Bristol city centre, said: “This charter is about building trust, expertise and partnership to deliver well designed places that everyone wants to see.

“Good design can accelerate delivery, and this charter will help to expand the vital role this plays in shaping vibrant, connected, sustainable, healthy places.

“We want to support every council in England with high-quality design advice that reflects local identity and national policy.

“The Design Network is uniquely placed to do this: we’re local, we’re independent, and we’re experts in fields and disciplines that together play a key role in shaping vibrant places.”

It will be a benchmark for design reviews, which bring professionals together to offer independent, expert advice on proposed developments at key stages of the planning process.

In coming together to launch the charter, Design Network members aim to connect national ambitions for more, faster building activity with local aspirations for good quality, sustainable, well-connected places.

Design Network teams have already supported more than 150 local planning authorities and deliver more than 500 design reviews each year.

This national charter builds on that local experience, offering a consistent model to underpin the delivery of great places.
The charter brings together a national network of expertise, connecting more than 530 practitioners working in architecture, housing, masterplanning, inclusive design, health, landscape, climate, transport, heritage, regeneration and urban policy.

It outlines a rigorous approach to design review underpinned by core principles which are:

Independence – led by professionals with no direct connection to a developer or site promoter undertaking a review.

Expert – conducted by leading thinkers and doers known for their best practice. Panel members include specialists from HTA, Arup, Ramboll, FCB Studios, Savills, HLM, LDA Design, and many locally based practitioners.

Collaborative – working with planning authority and developer teams to promote design excellence.

Multidisciplinary – drawing on expertise in urban design, architecture, sustainability and the climate emergency, planning, landscape architecture, ecology, engineering, development economics, social inclusion, active travel and heritage.

Local – bringing in professionals with expertise of working across England with knowledge of local planning policy.

Timely – shaped by local expertise to inform efficient decisions that support better developments.

Consistent and accountable – shaped by these principles and supported by high quality design review reports with clear recommendations for partners to adopt.

Regularly reviewed and improved – with processes and panellists assessed every year to build best practice across England.

Design reviews shape major projects and policies, from strategic masterplans in Exeter to national Pathfinder programmes with Homes England. One example is Brabazon: a new neighbourhood for Bristol being built by YTL Developments on the historic former Filton Airfield. Brabazon is the largest area of brownfield land in the South West.

YTL Developments used the design review process to reimagine the masterplan for Brabazon, ensuring it will live up to the legacy of the Airfield’s past by creating the South West’s most exciting new mixed-use city district. The new approved masterplan will deliver up to 6,500 new homes, new workspace to support up to 30,000 jobs, as well as new schools, research facilities and the largest new urban public park in the South West for more than 50 years.

The charter is available at www.designnetwork.org.uk.