Cheshire West launches consultation on new borough-wide Design Code
Residents, community groups and planning professionals are being asked for views on new design standards for development across west Cheshire before 24 November.
By Chester Standard
Cheshire West and Chester Council has opened a public consultation on a new Design Code intended to guide the design of future development across the borough.
The draft code sets out a series of design requirements covering new development and is intended to give developers and planning professionals clearer guidance on what the council expects from proposed schemes.
It covers five main areas: nature, movement, public space, built form and identity.
The council says the aim is to encourage development that fits with the character of different parts of Cheshire West and Chester while creating attractive and sustainable places to live, work and visit.
The consultation opened on 30 September and will run until Tuesday 24 November.
Residents are being asked for their views alongside architects, highway engineers, planning consultants and other professionals who are likely to use the code as part of the development process.
The council is seeking feedback on the content of the draft document, its overall structure and principles, whether important issues are missing and whether the proposals are likely to help future development reflect the character and identity of the borough.
The current draft follows two rounds of earlier engagement with residents, community organisations and other stakeholders.
That work included in-person events, interviews and workshops, which the council says helped shape the scope, vision and principles now being consulted on.
Councillor Christine Warner, Cabinet Member for Homes and Planning, said the code was intended to set out development expectations in a clearer and more visual way.
She said the consultation was particularly relevant to industry professionals who would use the document, but the council also wanted to hear from residents and community groups about whether it addressed the right design issues for their neighbourhoods.
The full draft Design Code and a shorter consultation summary are available through the council’s online consultation portal.
Responses can be submitted through the online survey until 24 November.
Written comments can also be sent to Design Code Consultation, Development Management, Cheshire West and Chester Council, The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BA.
Once the consultation has closed, the council says it will analyse the responses and publish a findings report setting out the main issues raised and how they have influenced the document.
The final Design Code and consultation findings will then be considered by Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Cabinet before a decision is made on whether the code should be adopted.