FAQs

Need some advice or have a question? Browse our Frequently Asked Questions and have your questions answered.

If you have a Design Advice & Skills question not answered here please contact us on 0191 260 2191 or email kate@northernarchitecture.com.

What is a Design Review?

What is a design review

Design Review is when a building scheme or planning policy document is looked at by a small group of experts who have not been involved in the designing of the scheme or writing of the document. Most commonly, a design review takes place in a meeting, where the scheme is presented by the design team or client and then discussed with the panel. This is ideally done in the presence of a local authority planning officer relevant to the scheme.


The role of the design review process

The role of the design review process is to provide clients, design teams and planners with third party advice and recommendations that will improve the design quality of a scheme, give design quality assurances to local authority planners, create greater certainty for clients in the planning process and offer an impartial discussion opportunity for design teams.
Design Review is also used to support the development of planning policy documents and strategies, a Design Review Panel can provide expert advice to ensure that achieving design quality is effectively embedded and promoted through such documents and can provide a client’s perspective to the usability of the document along with specific technical guidance.


Design Review in the draft National Planning Policy Framework

Design Review features in the draft version of the National Planning Policy Framework, the policy document that will define planning in the UK once it comes in to place in the new year. The importance of good design is featured in the document and it states that: “ local planning authorities should have local design review arrangements in place to provide assessment and support to ensure high standards of design”. (120)


National network of Design Review panels

There is a network of design review services around the country that are affiliated with Design Council CABE. The North East Design Review and Enabling Service is one of these.


Further information on the North East Design Review and Enabling Service will be available shortly, including guidance on submitting a scheme or document.


If you have any further queries, please contact Kate Percival: kate@northernarchitecture.com