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The design programme offers two complementary services:
Design Review
The South West Design Review Panel (SWDRP) is a proven mechanism for raising design standards. Created in 2005, SWDRP reviews significant development projects from all localities within the South West. We provide independent, multi-disciplinary, expert advice - a candid friend, supporting whenever we can, seeking explanations, discussing options, identifying opportunities, and sometimes calling for a rethink.
The Panel is based at Creating Excellence and is part of a national network affiliated with Design Council Cabe. The Panel also has close links with other regional panels through Creating Excellence's membership of the Design Network
Local planning authorities should have local design review arrangements in place to provide assessment and support to ensure high standards of design.
National Planning Policy Framework
For a fuller guide to the value of design review and SWDRP's services see Independent Design Advice
To contact SWDRP:
drp@creatingexcellence.org.uk
01823 250801
Current panel membership (download available).
SWDRP works to ten principles of design review:
- Independent
- Accountable
- Expert
- Advisory
- Accessible
- Proportionate
- Timely
- Objective
- Focussed on outcomes for people
- Focussed on improving quality
To read the principles in full, please click here.
For an illustrated review of the Design Review Panel's first two years' work including case studies see Better Design, Better Places
Design and Planning Support
Creating Excellence offers independent practical assistance in support of good design and effective community engagement. By deploying experienced and independent practitioners we provide a bespoke service to meet the needs of our clients.
Our guidance and support is available to local authorities and other sectors for those commissioning and implementing projects, developing policy or building skills and capacity.
Our panel of experts can help with, for example:
- pre-application stage:
Community engagement, building in design quality, facilitation and mediation, business planning and feasibility studies, fundraising and development finance, healthy communities, sustainable transport. - support for Neighbourhood Planning:
Community research techniques, running community engagement events, community-led planning, participatory budgeting. - plan preparation:
Creating a local evidence 'base', policy research, 'what works', masterplanning, project appraisal, project management, low carbon construction, friendly peer reviews of emerging plans. - learning and development:
Performance management, monitoring and evaluation, policy development and research, training for professionals, councillors and local residents.
Experience gained over the past five years shows that a typical Design and Planning Support assignment would cost under £10,000 on a multi-million pound city centre scheme and a few hundred pounds on a small neighbourhood project.
For a guide to our services, see the leaflet Design and Planning Support
To contact Design and Planning Support:
dominic.murphy@creatingexcellence.org.uk
07870 682405
Web Links
- Academy for Leadership and Management
- Architecture Centre Bristol
- Architecture Centre Devon and Cornwall
- Design Bristol
- Design Council CABE
- Design Network
- English Heritage
- Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company (GHURC)
- Homes and Communities Agency
- Landscape Institute
- Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
- Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)
- Sustainable Building and Services
Downloads
Places News
New rates for Design Review
South West Design Review Panel (SWDRP) charges rose on 11 February 2013. The increases brought the South West into line with the cost of design review elsewhere and mean the valued service provided by SWDRP can be sustained without government grant.Published Jan 07, 2013 - 05:11 PM
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Design Network Launched
Creating Excellence is a member of The Design Network - a new national network of eight independent organisations that promote better places.
Launched in December, The Design Network links eight existing not-for-profit organisations providing design review, design support, training, community engagement and place-based economic development services throughout England (outside London).
Published Jan 07, 2013 - 04:20 PM
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Creating Excellence workshop: Promoting Design Quality
How to upgrade design quality in the South West was the focus of a CE day-long workshop.
The meeting took place against the background of the National Planning Policy Framework requirements and aspirations for design, including that LPAs should have local design review arrangements.
Published Oct 08, 2012 - 12:24 PM
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‘Organic’ footbridge wins competition
Gloucester Heritage URC and partners have chosen the winning scheme in a competition for a new bridge to give people access to an area by the River Severn that could be a public open space for Gloucester City Centre. Members of the South West Design Review Panel led the assessment of entries.Published Sep 12, 2012 - 11:44 AM
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Is this the Future of British Housing?
Apart from the goal of zero carbon housing by 2016, the next most important priority for the housing of the future must be that we use it efficiently. At the same time it must meet the needs of an ageing population living in a variety of different sized households.
With that in mind....is this the future of British housing?
Published Aug 06, 2012 - 11:55 AM
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Creating Excellence awarded new contract for Design Review in the south west
Creating Excellence has been awarded a further contract by Design Council Cabe to provide design review in the region. Their South West Design Review Panel (SWDRP) is thus the nationally recognised service for giving constructive guidance on major schemes in the South West.
Published May 18, 2012 - 04:41 PM
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Community Design Review for Bristol Community Housing Foundation
On 28 November 2011, SWDRP convened a community design review in Lockleaze in Bristol, a depressed area - called ‘Bristol's forgotten estate' - an area that the private sector shows very little interest in.
Published Mar 05, 2012 - 01:04 PM
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Hotel go ahead in Bath after helpful design review
A hotel scheme reviewed by SWDRP has won consent in one of the most challenging places in the South West for new build - the centre of Bath.Published Dec 21, 2011 - 04:39 PM
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Successful Qualityreviewer workshop held in Taunton
Creating Excellence organised a successful workshop to provide practical guidance in how to use the Qualityreviewer (QR), the new method from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) for assessing the quality of development proposals.
The workshop was led by Rob Cowan, co-author of the book Qualityreviewer.
Participants, drawn from local authorities, housing associations, planning and property consultants, undertook a table exercise working through a ‘live' project using the QR method, assisted by members of the South West Design Review Panel.
QR is a method that helps planners, councillors, developers, planning applicants and others who shape places to appraise design quality.
Published Mar 30, 2011 - 05:35 PM
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Helping Local People Choose Good Design
96% of local planning officers say that there are benefits from including design review in the planning system. Of these, 67% say that access to specialist expertise was the main advantage.
These findings are part of a new report, Helping local people choose good design, which marks the end of the first year of the design review network - a unique affiliation between CABE and the eight leading design review panels across England. The South West Design Review Panel run by Creating Excellence is part of this network.
Published Aug 11, 2010 - 10:24 AM
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