The profession has given a lukewarm welcome to the government’s new National Design Guide which was launched this week – pointing out that it doesn’t contain the word “architect” once in its 65 pages.

The National Design Guide: Planning Practice Guidance for Beautiful, Enduring and Successful Places was announced by new housing secretary Robert Jenrick at the Stirling Prize ceremony as part of the government’s commitment to building homes of greater quality and quantity. 

It forms part of a revised suite of planning practice guidance (PPG) being issued by his department (the MHCLG) to support the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Its chapters arecentred around 10 characteristics of well-designed places that contribute to the themes in the NPPF.

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