VN. NATURE

VN.1 – CARBON NEUTRAL

Nottingham City has made a commitment to be Carbon Neutral by 2028. Therefore, any development proposal within the city will be expected to demonstrate the use of passive, fabric-first and climate-led design ethos. The sole reliance on renewable technologies to achieve low energy consumption will be discouraged.

VN.2 – GREEN-BLUE

Nottingham City has made a commitment to green-up the city, to create resilient integrated green-blue networks and to increase canopy cover. Therefore, biodiversity gain will be a key component of design proposals from the outset and with the purpose of enabling people and other species to inhabit places comfortably. Greenery, sustainable drainage and accessible, multi-purpose water management features will be incorporated into schemes from the early stages of design to achieve significant impact, not as a token.

VN.3 – FEWER CARS

Nottingham City adopted a people-first ethos and the use of sustainable modes of transport. Therefore, streets will be designed primarily with pedestrians in mind; streets will accommodate cars but will be designed with a public and active travel ethos. The provision of safe, connected walking and cycling infrastructure will be strongly advocated. For residential developments outside the city centre, parking spaces will be limited to 1 to 1.5 per dwelling. In exceptional circumstances, a maximum of 2 spaces per dwelling for large homes in out of town locations will be negotiable.

VS. SOCIETY

VS.1 – PEOPLE LED

Nottingham City seeks to develop walkable, permeable, legible places for people to enjoy; places with clear public-private demarcations. Therefore, developments will have a focus on how users will circulate and dwell within private spaces and the public realm. Developments will supply the necessary infrastructure to achieve flexible, adaptable public realm networks that support community activities and that foster community cohesion, safety, health and wellbeing.

VS.2 – INCLUSIVE

Nottingham City seeks to develop inclusive, accessible places that feel safe and inviting to all, and it aims to become a Child Friendly City. Development proposals will demonstrate how they considered public realm provision with all ages and abilities in mind. Physical, perceptual and psychological factors will be carefully considered to deliver places that are low in stressors and high in air quality, managing microclimates, comfort, noise, light/shadows and activity levels through design.

VS.3 - COLLABORATIVE

Placemaking is the ethos for design and planning processes in Nottingham City. Therefore, developers/designers/applicants will engage with the authority as soon as there is an intention to submit a proposal for pre-application or planning permission to set up a framework of continuous collaboration. Community engagement will also begin at early stages, and it will continue through the design process, setting up frameworks that allow communities to build upon the learnings of the process, strengthening social cohesion and delivering social value. Smart, meaningful and memorable engagement will create a culture of collaboration and trust, where all parties understand their limitations from the outset so that they can contribute according to their capacities and in relation to their roles.

VE. ECONOMY

VE.1 – DESIGN IN CONTEXT

As a rule of thumb, Nottingham City supports buildings that are designed to fit in their context and only expects landmarks in very specific locations, as indicated in the City Centre Urban Design Guide. Therefore, designers will learn from the key character determinants of the area  (e.g. window reveals, size and position of openings, roof shapes, etc.) to inform design proposals that are ‘of their time’ but which respect and address existing assets and site conditions. House extensions and outbuildings that require planning permission will be well designed and will not impact negatively on neighbouring properties. Shopfronts in historic buildings will be restored to their original design wherever possible. Contemporary shopfronts will be carefully designed, respecting the proportions and character of their setting.

VE.2 – LAND EFFICIENCY

The efficient use of land is a key consideration to achieve sustainable development. Therefore, developments will be compact, medium to high density, with permeable or green surfaces. Medium densities with high quantities of intense, multi-purpose green spaces and small private gardens will be advocated. High densities and compact development with communal greenery and shared services and assets will be considered in the right locations.

In all circumstances, streets and parking spaces will be convenient, land-efficient, permeable and durable. Streets will not be wide, with open curves, large radii, big turning points or cul-de-sacs. Development layouts will result in planned greenery, and not in odd patches of green/leftover space. Designs will not include complex, long alleys and/or strips of land without clear purpose.

VE.3 – DESIGN QUALITY

Clear and legible layouts with strategically located visual cues, allow mental mapping and reduce users’ stress and anxiety. Walkable, people friendly places with closed, clear, well-defined boundaries/building lines are easier to police and enhance a sense of safety. Therefore, proposals will consider wayfinding, legibility, clear quality boundary definition and spatial clarity in detail. All façades in Nottingham City will be designed in a legible way, applying rules of proportion and in adequate scales, using high-quality, durable and easy to maintain materials, and built with skilled workmanship and attention to detail.