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About the Dover Panel: 

• The Dover District Design and Place Panel was launched in February 2023.  

• The Panel is made up of 20 experienced built environment practitioners with a range of expertise in design and development. This includes architects, landscape architects, transport planners, master-planners, viability consultants and heritage professionals. 

• The panel has been set up to enable independent, professional review of significant development proposals to help achieve our aim of delivering well-designed buildings, spaces and places across our district. 

• The panel members have been selected from the existing pool of around 200 professionals who sit on existing Design South East panels. A number of the panel members already have strong connections to the district, with many working or living in Dover or Kent. 

• The panel is managed and led by Design South East; a charity and not-for-profit organisation with a proven track record of offering Design Review Panels across Kent 

Type of schemes that will trigger the need for a Design Review

• Design review can be used for large and small-scale developments, so long as the projects are significant enough to warrant the investment needed for a review (Planning Policy Guidance, Design: process and tools, October 2019).  

• The Dover Design and Place Panel will assess schemes that will have a significant impact on the built environment, including:  

• Schemes of 100 + homes  

• Schemes of 10,000 sqm + commercial/ non-residential  

• Regeneration schemes within Dover and Deal Town Centres  

• Complex and/or sensitive schemes, such as those within a prominent or historic town centre location 

• Sites allocated for development in the Local Plan, where policy PM1 requires a design review is undertaken-  

• SAP1 - Whitfield Urban Expansion - to inform the masterplan and design codes  

• SAP3 - Dover Waterfront  

• HRS1 - Dover Western Heights  

• SAP6 - Dover Mid Town  

• SAP7 - Bench Street, Dover  

• SAP12 - Car Park rear of Charlton Shopping Centre, High Crafford Street, Dover (DOV028) 

• SAP24 - Land to the South of Aylesham  

• SAP28 - Land between Eythorne and Elvington 

• HRS2 – Former Snowdown Colliery, Aylesham 

•  Where planning permission is sought for a new isolated home within the countryside under paragraph 84 e) of the NPPF. (Where a case is made that the design is of exceptional quality, in that it is truly outstanding and would significantly enhance its immediate setting).

• Schemes will be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account any effect on viability.  

When to Carry out Design Review: 

• Design Review is best carried out at an early stage – ideally as part of a pre-application enquiry. This optimises the quality of outcome and can be the most cost-efficient way of planning development  

• Early-stage Design Reviews provide high value input into the design development of a scheme and early review also means that the cost of review will have, overall, a positive or neutral impact on overall viability of the scheme. 

• For large schemes that will involve a Planning Performance Agreement (PPA), the requirement for a Design Review will be built into the PPA.  

How Design Review Works:

• Design South East will lead, organise and advise the applicant on the process. 

• Design Review panels are typically made up of five panel members (though this can vary, depending on the size of the scheme). 

• Ward councillors and town or parish councillors within which the site is located (or affecting) are invited to attend the Design Review.  

• On the day of the Design Review, the session will start with a site visit (or virtual site-visit) 

• Reviews can be held at the council offices, on-line or at another agreed venue. 

• The Panel will listen to a presentation of the development proposal by the applicant (or applicant’s design team).  

• The remainder of the Panel session involves discussion and feedback is then given by the Panel.  

• After the session, the Panel produces a report of its recommendations for the applicant and council officers.  

• The Dover District Panel is not a decision-making body, but has an advisory and transparent role. It will provide impartial advice, with feedback and recommendations becoming a material planning consideration on submission of a planning application.  The Panel's comments can carry weight within the assessment and decision making of planning applications. 

How much does a design review cost?: 

• The cost of the review is to be met by the developer, who will  pay a fee directly to DSE. The cost will vary, but is typically within the region of £4000-8000, depending on the size of the scheme. Link to DSE site. Home - Design South East 

• There is an option of a standard size review panel of 5, or a smaller review panel of 2 or 3 members, at a reduced cost.  

• DSE and DDC will put together the panel based on the expertise and availability of panel members that will suit the context, constraints and challenges of the proposal. 

Arranging a design review:  

• Please contact the case officer who is dealing with your pre-application enquiry and DSE. Link to DSE website. Home - Design South East 

Further Information:  

• DDC has set up this panel as we are committed to securing high quality design and placemaking through the planning process and this is in line with best practice guidance, with design review recommended in the NPPF as a tool for supporting and achieving high quality development.   

• The Dover District Local Plan to 2040 reflects national policy and promotes the use of design review in policy PM1. Link here to Dover District Local Plan Dover District Local Plan to 2040 (Low Res) 

• The use of a bespoke Dover Design Review Panel was agreed to at the Dover District Cabinet meeting on 5th December 2022. The report is available to view on our website, here. (Public Pack)Agenda Document for Cabinet, 05/12/2022 11:05 

• Design review is listed as a Local Plan Monitoring indicator in the Local Plan. The number of planning applications referred to Design Review will be monitored using this indicator. 

Other Tools for high quality design and place-making:

There are a number of tools and processes that can support and secure sustainable and high quality design and placemaking through the planning process: 

Building for a healthy life 

Major residential developments should follow the principles set out in Building for a Healthy Life. This is in line with best practice recommendations, including the National Planning Policy Framework. 

Active Design 

Sport England has published an Active Design Guide. Major residential developments should have regard to the 10 active design principles set out in the guide. 

Designing out Crime 

All applications should incorporate the principles of designing out crime and/or secured by design. Kent Police are consulted on a range of applications, including all major applications at planning stage. We encourage discussion of proposals with Kent Police before an application is submitted. 

Masterplanning and Design Codes 

Dover District Council supports and encourages the use of masterplans for large strategic sites and other large developments.  We currently have masterplans for Whitfield, Aylesham and the Western Heights, which have been adopted as Supplementary Planning Documents.  

Design codes may need to be produced for strategic and other large developments. For large sites, the local community should be involved in their production.  

Community involvement 

For larger developments, we encourage the use of design workshops and/or charettes to allow collaboration with local communities and residents in design development.  

Please see link below to our statement of community involvement: Planning-SCI-2019-update-WEB.pdf (dover.gov.uk)