England · National documents
National Model Design Code
Explains how to prepare local design codes, with a coding process and guidance on the design parameters they can address.
AI-generated summaries of the linked official sources; not editorially reviewed. Sources and limits
Where this document applies
England: relevance depends on the proposal, site and planning process.
National Model Design Code (official source, opens in a new tab) · Documents; Details
Part 1 explains how to prepare a code
The coding process begins with the area, its context and the design vision. A local code translates that work into parameters for a defined place; the national model is not itself a site-specific adopted code.
Read the official source (official source, opens in a new tab) · Part 1: the coding process
Part 2 addresses the design parameters
The guidance notes develop the design topics that can be addressed in a code. Read a locally adopted parameter with its geographic coverage and development type before treating a model illustration as a requirement for an individual proposal.
Read the official source (official source, opens in a new tab) · Part 2: guidance notes
Limits and checks
- This national source does not establish the local policies, designations or site facts that apply to an individual proposal.
- The January 2026 Design and Placemaking guidance is still labelled a closed consultation with a draft document on GOV.UK; this collection does not treat it as adopted guidance.
Read alongside this document
Put the national source in your local context
Start with the exact refusal reason. Note the policy and paragraph it cites, then check your authority’s policy summary and the facts discussed in relevant appeal decisions. Each appeal turns on its own facts and does not predict another outcome.