Cornwall Design Review Panel

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE CORNWALL DESIGN REVIEW PANEL

The Purpose of CDRP

The purpose of the Design Review Panel is to encourage design excellence in both the public and private sectors. Its role, which is independent from the development management function of the planning authority, is to review development proposals and provide guidance to developers, clients and their appointed agents that will enhance the quality of the design of significant projects. It should be seen as a forumwithin which developers/ architects/designers are able to test and refine their ideas and is therefore best consultedearly during the pre-application period.

The Panel is chaired by Mark Pearson, Executive Director of The Architecture Centre, Devon and Cornwall; and it includes expertise in Architecture; Landscape Architecture; Urban Design; Historic Environment; Sustainable Development; Transportation and Planning. The Panel is supported by local branches of the Royal Institute of British Architecture, Royal Town Planning Institute and the Landscape Institute.

The Cornwall Design Review Panel is established and consulted with in accordance with para 62 of the National Planning Policy Framework and the guidance reports will form a material consideration for Cornwall Council’s statutory planning function.

The Panel operates in accordance with the National Guidance for Design Review Processes as issued by Design Council Cabe, RIBA, RTPI and LI. The governance and steering group for the Panel, chaired by the Portfolio Holder, comprises independent representatives from the main professional bodies and annually reviews and monitors the performance of the service.

CDRP will review development proposals and plans against the principles set out in national and local statutory planning frameworks and guidance, and by drawing on the experience and knowledge of the panellists.

A key objective is to assist design teams, planning officers and Councillors inunderstanding and promoting high quality design, encouraging the delivery of better schemes, whilst identifying and resisting poor quality development. CDRP also has a wider role in promoting design and developing a more informed and aware community of practitioners working within the county. Along with a commitment to sustainability it will consider designs inter alia to the objectives of the National Planning Policy Framework, with regard to the creation of sustainable development and stronger communities. The review will consider not only the architecture of individual buildings, but also the functionality and impact of the proposed development upon the whole site context including the character, quality and sustainability of the existing place of which it will form a new part. In particular the Panel will examine how the designs contribute positively to making better places for people.

Terms of Reference for CDRP

The CDRP may consider the following development proposals/plans regarding design matters:

Key strategic issues

  • Planning, design and transport strategies or site-specific policies.

Proposals which are significant because of their size or the uses they contain

  • Large buildings or groups of buildings such as courts, large religious buildings, museums or art galleries, hospitals, shopping and leisure facilities, and office or other commercial buildings;
  • Infrastructure projects such as stations, airports and other transport infrastructure/interchanges, bridges, power stations and waste incinerators; and
  • Major changes in the public realm such as pedestrian priority schemes or proposals for public realm enhancement
  • Large housing schemes/mixed use projects

Proposals which are significant because of their site

  • Proposals which affect important/strategic views – into or from a World Heritage Site, for example – or sited in such a way that gives rise to exceptional effects on their locality. (A relatively modest proposal can be of strategic importance to a settlement if it is situated at an important street junction, in a square, on a river bank/coastline or on the approach to the urban area i.e. a gateway into the urban centre).

Proposals with an importance greater than their size, use, or site would suggest

  • Proposals which are likely to establish the planning, form or architectural quality for future large scale development or re-development
  • Proposals which are out of the ordinary in their context or setting because of their scale, form or materials
  • Proposals which are particularly relevant to the quality of everyday life and contain design features which if repeated, would offer substantial benefits for society

Cornwall Design Awards

CDRP may also be invited to act as the judging panel for the Cornwall Design Awards when operational.

Composition of the Panel

  • Chair / Vice Chair
  • 4 panellists drawn from the multi-disciplinary pool that has been appointed

Advisers – who may be invited to contribute to the review process as appropriate, but who do not form part of the appointed Panel:

  • English Heritage (for projects that might impact upon a significant Historic Asset / Environment)
  • Cornwall Council Historic Environment Service officer(s)
  • Cornwall Council Transportation / HighwaysOfficer(s)
  • Devon and Cornwall Police Architectural Officer
  • Allocated Project Officer / Case Officer, Cornwall Council (to be invited)

Observers -

  • Ward Member(s) for specific project area.

Support Functions:

  • Panel Admin – Mrs Julie Hoare/Mr David Coulthard
  • Facilitator - Mr Steve Kirby

The administration for CDRP will be provided by Cornwall Council’s Planning & Sustainable Development Service.

The process of referral to the CDRP

Development proposals can be referred to the CDRP in the following ways:

(i) A promoter of a scheme requests that a development proposal isconsidered by theCDRP. Before accepting a project, the CDRP will wish to ensure that a project meets the criteria for review and is a realistic development proposal capable of being implemented, not merely a hypothetical proposition

(ii) Cornwall Council’s Head/Assistant Head of Planning & Sustainable Development; Head/Assistant Head of Historic & Natural Environment; Design Principal or relevant Senior Planning Officeridentifies that a development proposal at pre-application discussion stage meets the criteria for review and considers it would be helpful to the Council to obtain an independent appraisal of the design quality, even though the promoter is unwilling to consult with the Panel (as at (i)) – this will be in the form of a ‘pin-up review’with no opportunity for the promoters to be present

(iii) A ‘draft’ strategy/plan is referred to CDRP as part of a formal consultation process

(iv)TheChair of the CDRP requests that a planning proposal or ‘draft’ strategy/plan is referred to the CDRP

*Note: To be effective all proposals/plans should be considered at the pre-application/initial consultation stage, but where applicants submit significant projects without any prior consultation then the panel’s views will be sought by the case officer before determination.

Operational Matters

The CDRP operates in the following way:

1. The CDRP will meet every 4 weeks (once a month) in the agreed venue, which will be either: (St Austell (Penwinnick Road) offices, St Austell or Truro (Carrick Offices) of Cornwall Council or site locations by arrangement.

2. A promoter or agent or Cornwall Council Head/Assistant Head of Service will write/email the Panel Administrator of the CDRP suggesting that a proposal is referred to the CDRP along with relevant plans and supporting information.

3. The Panel Administrator will liaise with the allocated project officer / case officer and developer/architect/designer for the project,to ensure that sufficient detail is available.*Note: Failure to provide this information within the specified time period identified by the Panel Administrator in setting up and preparing for a Review Panel meeting, is likely to result in the scheme being pulled off the agenda; and allocated to a future meeting date.

4. The Panel Administrator will set the agenda for the CDRP in consultation with the Council’s Head/Assistant of Planning & Regeneration/Design Principals no later than two weeks prior to the meeting.

5. Only key introductory information (relevant plans/supporting information) will be circulated one week in advance of the meeting to all CDRP members and observers. All further information will then be available on the day of the meeting and during the review.

6. The CDRPmay consider a proposal only once. However, the CDRPis pleased to reconsider proposals about which it has previously commented when changes have been made. Subsequent reviews may be in the form of a ‘desktop’ review – with the Chair and one other panellist reviewing submitted material only, in order to update previously issued guidance.

7. The format of the CDRP meeting will be as follows:

  1. The CDRP(or one of it’s members) will normally have undertaken any site visits prior to the meeting.
  2. Chair opens the meeting and introduces all the participants and item for discussion from the Agenda.
  3. The project architect/ designer presentthe scheme for discussion.
  4. The Council’s Case Officer is invited to confirm key issues for the scheme to the Panel for the consideration of the CDRP.
  5. The Panel Chair will call on advisers to contribute as necessary.
  6. The Chair of the CDRP facilitates a general discussion/open dialogue on the proposal with the panel members and the project architect/ designer.
  7. The Chair summarises what has emerged as the main comments/issues prior to the architect/designers leaving the meeting.
  8. The Chair invitesthe presenting team to withdraw allowing the Panel to draw together and agree their more detailedobservations on the scheme.

Post Panel Meeting

  1. The Panel Chair will draft the Panel Guidance intoa formal written guidancereport on the scheme and then circulate to the panel members who attended the meeting for their revision and refinement.
  2. The final guidance report is then sent to the Panel Administrator who will then send it (normally within 2 weeks of the meeting) direct to the developers/architects/designers and Case Officer.

In a typical Panel Meeting day, the Panel will review up to 4cases.

*Confidentiality

A confidentiality clause will be attached to each report email regarding the CDRP as follows:

Confidentiality

Information in this message is commercially confidential and should not be passed onto any third party. It is intended solely for the person to whom it is addressed and solely for the purposes of review of pre-application proposals at the Design Review Panel meeting as detailed in this invite letter/agenda. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender and delete the message from your system immediately.

Whilst every attempt will be made to protect the commercial confidentiality of promoters at the pre-application stage, the CDRP guidance on specific schemes that have been reviewed, will be made public once the project becomes registered as a formal planning application.

Please note that whilst we will indeed endeavour to keep the report confidential, we may not be able to defend that status should a Freedom of Information request be submitted by a third party – over which we may have no control.

Conflict of Interest

CDRP implements a conflicts of interest policy. Panel members are expected to be objective and professional in making comments and will be excluded from reviews of schemes where they may be exposed to conflicts of interest either through personal or professional involvement. Where a conflict of interest becomes apparent at a Panel meeting, the Panel member will withdraw when the proposal is discussed (and their absence will be noted along with a reason for the ‘conflict of interest’).

Conduct guidance to individual Panel Members

Conduct should be in accordance with the Nolan Principles for public service.

Cornwall Design Review Panel Members should:

  • Take the lead in encouraging and promoting high quality design
  • Act respectfully and politely to presenting developers/architect/design teams and fellow panel members
  • Encourage ‘positive communication’ with open dialogue on proposals
  • Comment on successes and positively explorealternative approaches to encourage creativity.
  • Encourage fair interpretation of relevant, up-to-date, legislation, policy and guidance
  • Contribute to a sound, collective, well-informed, professional opinion and avoid making personal or prejudiced comments
  • Focus on design matters
  • Respect the confidential nature of the CDRP process at the pre application stage.

Updated January 2018