We are pleased to announce that the Lake District National Park Design Code was highly commended in the Excellence in Plan Making in Practice category at the 2024 RTPI North West awards.
Crafted by LUC with support from John Coward Architects, the Design Code spans the entirety of the Lake District National Park and World Heritage Site. It provides guidance for decision-making on planning applications for new houses, house extensions, conversions, and shopfronts.
Commissioned by the Lake District National Park Authority, the Code focuses on local distinctiveness and strategic priorities such as biodiversity net gain, carbon emission reduction, and climate adaption. This work ensures even minor developments contribute towards to Park's broader environmental objectives.
"Given the context and unique geography of the Lake District National Park, an innovative tailored approach was taken to formulating the Design Code. Leading in practice is further demonstrated through trailblazing peer-to-peer sessions with other Pathfinders by sharing their knowledge and strategies for overcoming challenges. This sharing knowledge has continued post adoption with the focus now being on implementation and monitoring of the code. The Design Code was clearly a product of effective leadership and partnership working, which kept the overall vision and objectives of the project central throughout development of the document and delivered the project largely on time. The Judges were also very impressed with the comprehensive and constructive engagement that was delivered throughout the drafting and adoption of the Design Code."
RTPI North West Awards judges
This achievement underscores the Code's innovative approach and its potential to positively influence community well-being through thoughtful planning and design initiatives.