1.  That the consultation draft Trafford Design Guide (TDG) SPD be approved.

2. That the preparation of a Trafford Design Code as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) be approved.

3. That the next stage of publicity and consultation arrangements for the Trafford Design Guide SPD and Trafford Design Code SPD be approved.

4. That it be noted that following the consultation process described in this report, future report(s) will seek approval for the content of the final Trafford Design Guide SPD, the consultation draft Trafford Design Code SPD, and the next stage of consultation and publicity.

The adoption of the Trafford Design Guide and Code will put into place a robust, government backed set of design policy and guidance for use in planning decisions, which will enable the Council to elevate design standards and bring forward high quality new development, with community buy in. The Guide and Code would support the Council’s corporate priorities and send a clear message about the quality of new development expected in the Borough to contribute to these. The adoption of the Code via the Design Code Pathfinder Programme will ensure that the Council can access £160,000 of Section 31 funding in order to deliver the project. Delivering the project primarily in house will upskill existing staff and improve succession and retention.

Not to prepare the Design Code as SPD or only to take the Trafford Design Guide forward. However, the Council has been awarded £160,000 from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) as part of the Design Code Pathfinder Programme in order to progress the Code. It is likely that in time design guidance and coding will become a statutory requirement and the Pathfinder Project enables the Council to be an early adopter. It will give officers and Members of the Planning Committee a tool kit to resist developments of poor design and to improve design quality in the Borough. The Council’s case at planning appeals will be significantly strengthened as a result of adoption, where planning applications have been refused on design grounds. Adoption as SPD will give the Design Code more weight as a material planning consideration.

None.