Dover Design Code Community Panel
About the Project
It is a recommendation of the National Planning Policy Framework (2024) to prepare design codes which set out design requirements for an area. Dover District Council is preparing an authority-wide design code to positively shape future development in the area. To be a success, the Design Code will need to reflect local character and design preferences, providing a framework for creating high-quality design in the area.
This webpage will provide updates on the design code work and give you an opportunity to submit your ideas and feedback at key stages of the project.
What is a design code?
A Design Code is a set of simple, concise, illustrated design requirements that are visual and numerical, wherever possible, which provide specific, detailed parameters for the design of new development.
The Dover Design Code will be used to determine whether planning applications are acceptable in design terms, and will support the Local Plan. It will set specific local requirements in order to improve design quality of new development, for example:
- the layout of new development, including street pattern;
- how landscaping should be approached including the importance of streets being tree-lined;
- the factors to be considered when determining whether façades of buildings are of sufficiently high quality;
- the environmental performance of places and buildings;
- that developments should clearly take account of local vernacular and heritage, architecture and materials.
Figure 1: 10 characteristics that make a well-designed place, National Design Guide, DLUHC, 2020
How is a design code developed?
The National Model Design Code was published in 2021 and makes up part of the national Planning Practice Guidance. It specifies the process which the Council will be following in the development of its Design Code, including three key stages:
Stage 1: Analysis
1A Scoping; 1B Baseline Analysis
Stage 2: Vision
2A Design Vision; 2B Coding Plan
Stage 3: Code
3A Guidance for Area Types; 3B General Guidance
Local communities are involved at each stage of the process in order for Design Codes to be prepared taking into consideration what good design means locally.
Further information
For more information on Design Codes, please consult:
How to get involved
Dover District Council is following a new best-practice approach which puts the community first, and is setting up a Community Panel for this project. Panel members will be selected to make up a diverse group of people which is representative of the different communities which make up the district. The early research stage is underway, and engagement activities will be taking place this September to learn all about the district and its places. The Panel’s priorities for well-designed future development will be central to this process, and the Panel will be asked to attend two, three-hour workshops, with the first in-person workshop taking place on the morning of Saturday, 27th September - 10 am - 12.30 pm and second workshop on Saturday, 22 November - 10 am - 12.30 pm at Dover Baptist Church, Dover (27-32 Maison Dieu Road, Dover CT16 1RF). This may include a walking tour of the local area and other hands-on exercises and group discussions.
To participate, we are inviting local residents and business representatives to apply to join the Community Panel. You do not need any specific design skills or knowledge of planning to get involved – just some enthusiasm and an interest in improving the quality of new homes, buildings and places in the Dover District.
The deadline for applications is 11:59 pm on Wednesday, 13 August 2025. We’ll be announcing the selected Panel members shortly after the deadline.
To apply to join the Panel, please complete a brief questionnaire at the following link
To hear about other opportunities to get involved, and to hear news about future Design Code consultations, please subscribe to our Planning Policy database below:
Consultation Home - Keystone
Timeline
The timeline below illustrates the key project stages and points at which you can be involved.
Engagement Stage 1
Collecting views and ideas of Dover District residents and other stakeholders on the design issues affecting the area via surveys and workshops, including what people do and don’t like about new development.
Stage 2B – Engagement Stage 2 on the Design Vision and Coding Plan
Developing an overarching Design Vision, preparing a plan that maps out the Area Types and setting a design objective for each.
We plan to offer an opportunity to be involved in the ongoing design coding process beyond the scope of this project and to engage the Community Panel in the consultation on the final draft of the design code ahead of adoption.
The Team
An external design consultant Design South East, with colleagues from the lead consultant on this design coding project, BPTW, will assist officers with this work, in collaboration with the local community and elected councillors.
FAQs
Why are you developing a design code?
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) expects local planning authorities to develop local design codes or guides which set out clear design parameters to help local authorities and communities decide what good quality design looks like in their area. The design code aims to provide greater certainty for communities, raise design standards for new development and support the local authority in determining planning applications.
What will the design code cover?
The design code will cover a range of topics from large scale issues (for example, connectivity of new development, orientation, scale and massing), through to small scale issues (for example built form, public spaces, landscape and the finer details of new homes and buildings).
How can I get involved?
There will be several public engagement opportunities both in-person and online. The first opportunity will launch in July 2025 looking for local knowledge of what makes each of the towns and villages of the Dover District unique - is it the buildings, immediate or surrounding landscape or something more intangible such as the people and the sense community? Subsequent phases of engagement will continue into Winter 2025, and will look at Area Types (zones) and the design vision for each, and at the emerging design code with opportunities for feedback.
The best way to get involved is to join our new ‘Community Panel’
How long will the process take?
This phase of design code work is currently scheduled to be completed in December 2025. If you wish to be kept informed when the draft design code Vision is available for consultation or the final design code is launched, please provide your details in the 'Latest news and updates' section below.
What areas will the design code cover?
The design code will be an area-wide design code, covering the entire district of Dover and its settlement areas.
Latest News and Updates
We’re asking you to ‘save the dates’ for our in-person Dover District Council Design Code workshops on the morning of Saturday, 27th September and Saturday, 22 November. Please visit the ‘How to get involved’ section above for the details about how to apply.
Updates on the Design Code work, including opportunities to get involved in consultations on the Code, will be distributed alongside our wider Planning Policy work.
Planning Policy Website
planningpolicy@dover.gov.uk
Consultation Home - Keystone
Contact
Email planningpolicy@dover.gov.uk
Tel: 01304 872 244