A design code for Cheshire West and Chester

Design codes are a collection of design principles helping residents define what good development and high-quality public streets and spaces look like in their area.

During the summer the Council worked with Create Streets on a joint design code covering planning and highway functions. Create Streets conducted 42 structured interviews with local stakeholders and ran eight workshops. In addition, there were a total of 604 responses to the Create Communities online engagement that asked what places in Cheshire West and Chester area the community likes and doesn’t and the reasons why. 

Councillor Christine Warner, Cabinet Member for Homes, Planning and Safer Communities said:

“Thank you to the many people who have taken part so far. Create Streets are now processing the consultation responses along with stakeholders’ feedback from stage one.

“They will be running additional workshops during the next few weeks. To build on the emerging themes, a further online engagement activity will also be launched. This engagement will explore what the community wants from new development through a visual preference survey. A draft vision for the design code has been developed and will also be part of the new engagement activity.” 

Four pop up events take place this month. The pop up, in person events will take place between 10am and 4pm:

• Friday 22 November outside The Portal in Ellesmere Port
• Saturday 23 November in Frodsham Street Square (outside Tesco), Chester
• Friday 29 November in Memorial Court (Brio), Northwich
• Saturday 30 November in Winsford Cross Shopping Centre, Winsford 

Added Councillor Warner:

“A design code sets out exactly what is expected of developers in a clear and visual manner. It raises the bar for new development and supports our ambition to be champions of good design, both of new places and in the retrofit of existing streets.” 

The project is expected to take 12 months and is split into four phases.

• Analysis
• Vision drafting
• Code drafting
• Completion and Implementation

 Further details about the Design code project: 

https://consult.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/kse/folder/97601