How the Panel works

The Quality Panel focuses on a wide range of built environment issues including commissioning new buildings, public realm design, master plan, urban frameworks and green spaces strategies for both commercial and residential developments.

Each meeting will follow this general procedure:

• the proponent of the scheme gives a brief overview, describing the aspirations and concept for the project and a brief overview to the Panel
• the proponent presents the project covering the nature of the intended site and its context and moving on to a broad description of the design proposal
• local planning authority officers will be invited to comment briefly
• questions and discussions of the proposal between the Panel and the proponent
• others withdraw and the Panel discusses the proposals in a closed session
• minutes of the meeting will be taken by the Panel Secretary and agreed with the Chair.

When does the Quality Panel review a scheme?

The major growth sites will pass through three distinct planning phases and quality review by the Panel will be relevant to all of them:

• as outline planning stage, where quality review can play an important role in assessing the quality of the overall vision for major developments as expressed in strategic Master Plans, Parameters Plans and Design and Access Statements
• at the Design Coding stage, where more detailed housing layouts and Neighbourhood Plans are being drawn up
• at Reserved Matters stage, although this might be limited to the review of significant new buildings in Town Centre's and Local Centre's. Detailed housing applications might not only need to be reviewed where unusual issues are being raised, or significant departures from adopted Design Codes are being processed.

The Local Authorities are currently considering which scheme they would like to put forward to the Quality Panel. These will be:

• scheme of county significance as defined by their scale, nature or replicability or which have an impact on the local environments.

What happens next?

• the Quality Panel will publish a report on the scheme reviewed
• the applicant can use the information to improve the quality and standards in the design