Local people are being asked to help shape a new guide that will show what good design looks like and give design advice to anyone submitting a planning application.
As part of the emerging Calderdale Local Plan, the Council is creating a design guide called a ‘Placemaking and Design Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)’, also known as the Calderdale Placemaking and Design Guide.
This will include guidance on how the borough’s buildings, streets, neighbourhoods and towns should be designed to ensure they align with the Local Plan and the Council’s priorities to reduce inequalities, create thriving towns and places, and tackle the climate emergency.
The Council is working with the architects and masterplanners, JTP(external link), as well as local communities and organisations, landowners and developers to create the SPD.
As part of the early stages of preparing this guidance, there was a launch event at Halifax Town Hall on Wednesday 15 March for representatives from a range of organisations and community groups, who heard about the SPD’s aims and joined a tour of Halifax town centre to consider how design guidance could work in practice.
A series of public events will now be held to engage with people from all walks of life, to seek their feedback on the SPD and to raise awareness of how it will benefit the planning process for applicants and the whole community, by helping people to understand the principles of good design and providing advice to secure the best solutions for Calderdale.
Cllr Jane Scullion, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Strategy, said:
“We have now adopted Calderdale’s Local Plan, following Full Council approval on Wednesday 22 March. The Local Plan sets out sites for economic growth and new homes in Calderdale up to 2033.
“Urban design has a lasting impact on all our lives and our ability to reduce inequalities, create thriving towns and take climate action. It’s really important that any planning application supports the wider aspirations for our place and helps to make life in Calderdale better for all. This will be easier to achieve with the advice set out in the planned Calderdale Placemaking and Design Guide, and we want to hear from as many local people as possible about what this could look like.”
The community engagement events around Calderdale are being organised for after Easter and will be publicised.
For more information about the Calderdale Placemaking and Design Guide and the community engagement events, please email community@jtp.co.uk Calderdale’s Local Plan supports the Vision 2024 for Calderdale themes of distinctiveness, resilience and enterprise. The year 2024 marks Calderdale’s 50th birthday. Where do we want to be by 2024? Get involved with the debate on Twitter with #VisionCdale2024 and find out more at www.calderdale.gov.uk/vision(external link)