Design Codes

Herefordshire Design Code 

Design Codes will supplement Local Plan policies by setting out design guidance for various types of development, including requirements for design quality and will help shape development in Herefordshire.

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 introduced a legal requirement for Local Planning Authorities to produce an area-wide design code, and therefore the council intends to publish a document alongside the updated Local Plan. 

 A design code is a set of design requirements for the physical development of a site or area. It is made up of rules that are clear, specific and unambiguous, and it should normally include extensive graphical illustrations. The code should build upon a design vision, such as a masterplan or other design and development framework for a site or area.

The development of the countywide design code is still in its early stages - the analysis stage of reviewing and gathering evidence. As part of the consultation on the Draft Local Plan (Regulation 18), the council will inform the public of what design codes are and how we expect to roll them out. The purpose of this consultation is to find out what the public think of the current design of Hereford, the market towns and villages in Herefordshire, their concerns, and suggestions for how it can be improved.

The purpose of this consultation and questionnaire is to consult members of the public to find out what they think of the current design of our city, towns and villages in Herefordshire, their concerns, and suggestions of how this can be improved. This will also inform the public of what design codes are and how we expect to roll them out in the county. The Design Code Consultation runs alongside the Draft Local Plan 2021-2041 Regulation 18 consultation, from 25 March 2024 to 20 May 2024.