JTP is pleased to announce that we will be working with Guildford Borough Council on a six-month pilot programme to evaluate the application of the new National Model Design Code (NMDC) to Weyside Urban Village in Surrey. The NMDC is part of the revision of the planning system launched by the government on 20 July 2021.

The NMDC provides local planning authorities with a set of design principles to consider for new developments including building type, facades, and street character. It will also embed community engagement into the coding process and will consider factors related to environment, such as heritage and wellbeing – helping ensure areas are ‘beautiful, well-designed and locally-led’. The code is intended to provide councils with the guidance and parameters to shape new developments in a way which reflects what their communities truly want.

At Weyside Urban Village, JTP has established a Community Review Panel of local residents and representatives from various Guildford groups and institutions. Following an initial site walkabout and online training, the panel participated in an afternoon workshop on 22 July to consider the coding of Phase 1 of the Urban Village. The JTP team will assess and develop the outcomes over the summer and report back to the Community Review Panel in early September. As well as the learnings from the process feeding back into the national testing programme, Guildford Borough Council will also take on board lessons learned when developing codes for other strategic sites in the borough.

“We are delighted to be working with Guildford Borough Council and the local community through this National Model Design Code pilot. The workshops have effectively established the priorities and aspirations of the community for Weyside. We will develop these ideas over the summer and report back to the community, before further refining the resulting code together.”