Design Review Panel Members Code of Conduct
Members shall act in a professional manner when representing The Design Review Panel or undertaking other duties on behalf of the Panel. This includes:
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attending meetings on time and providing apologies in advance if unable to attend a meeting; and
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treating other panel members and applicants with respect.
The Design Review Panel has adopted a Code of Conduct based upon the best practice recommendations of the Nolan Report on Standards in Public Life. A PDF version of the relevant section of the Nolan Report can be downloaded by clicking here ...
A breach of this Code of Conduct will be followed by a verbal warning from the Chair on behalf of The Design Review Panel.
Ongoing failure to comply with the Code of Conduct will be followed by a written warning from the Chair on behalf of the Panel. If a Panel member still fails to comply with the Code of Conduct and/ or cannot offer a satisfactory explanation, they will be suspended from the panel.
Future participation by that person will be dependent on a satisfactory commitment being given in writing to the Chair that such behavior will not recur.
Any Panel member can, and should, alert the rest of the Panel to a breach in the Code of Conduct by raising this issue with the Chair either at the time or immediately after a meeting. A breach of this Code of Conduct is understood as a breach of any of the rules outlined above, as judged by The Design Review Panel.
All members of The Design Review Panel are encouraged to carry out Design Review training within the first 12 months of joining the Panel.
The purpose of the Design Review training is to provide a national minimum standard for design review panel professionals across the country and ensure that standards are geographically consistent and maintained at the highest level, evolving and adapting to the latest legislation and design standards.
The training introduces the principles of design review and techniques for those who wish to sit on a design review panel as a panel member. The training covers presentation skills and proven design review techniques. It instructs on how to provide constructive criticism as a panel member.
Design Review Panel training includes the ten principles of design review, covering the revised RIBA/RTPI/LI/CABE guidance and includes an understanding of the NPPF and the localism agenda.
All Panel members will also undergo an appropriate local level induction, to ensure that the panel members approach the process in a uniform, constructive and informed manner.
Members of The Design Review Panel are required to attend an annual update CPD session, in order that Panel members maintain and evolve their skills in response to changing circumstances and shared experiences. It is essential that Panel members are acknowledged as highly qualified, experienced members of their professions who are up-to-date and current in their professional knowledge and understanding of design, construction and the built environment.
An annual steering group is held, to which development managers and Councillors from each of the local authorities are invited to review the Panel’s frame of reference and Design Review Panel members pool. This steering group ensures that concerns (if any) can be raised, allowing the Panel to evolve as necessary, remaining relevant and impartial.
Testimonial
“The Design Review Panel offers construction industry professionals an exciting opportunity to have a constructive input in the planning decision making process, helping to conserve and enhance the places that make our region a fantastic place to live and work. Being a Panel member represents fantastic cross professional networking and provides engaging CPD. As well as the benefits of being a member of a panel, I hope that professionals will also recognise the benefit of bringing schemes to a panel for review. The Design Review Panel can help the project team in the following ways:-
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help designers with constructive, impartial advice from fellow professionals.
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help support unconventional high quality design proposals.
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help to examine the design of a project in the round.
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support good design intentions and pinpoint any weaknesses.
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bring a fresh external viewpoint that can spot design issues which the project designers may be too close to see.
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reduce the risk of an unexpected decision and allow provision to clients of a better, more efficient service".