Independent design review for projects across the East Midlands, from Leicester, Nottingham and Derby to rural Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland. The Design Review Panel brings a national pool of professionals to the design questions of your particular site.
Book an in-person or online session, with a site visit where included. Reviews cover individual homes, new neighbourhoods, regeneration and other development proposals. Compare review formats to choose the scope that suits your project.
Explore the local project examples below, or start with our Midlands design review overview.
Please book an East Midlands design review session at least 14 days in advance. Your booking is confirmed only after cleared payment is received. The booking-request email provides payment details. Please upload the review information using the Upload Files button no later than seven days before the session.
East Midlands projects and design questions
Local context, national expertise
The Design Review Panel provides independent, multidisciplinary review across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland. Applicants, architects, developers and local authorities can commission a session directly. We select the professional disciplines to suit the proposal and its setting.
A new neighbourhood outside Leicester raises different questions from a house beside Pitsford Reservoir. The review should connect architecture, landscape and movement with the specific place: how streets meet existing communities, how buildings respond to contours and heritage, and how public spaces will work in everyday use. The examples below show that range.
Grange Farm, Brixworth — a rural home shaped over three reviews
This Northamptonshire house was reviewed in May 2023, January 2024 and May 2024. The published case study records changes to the entrance, planting and relationship with the landscape beside Pitsford Reservoir. West Northamptonshire Council issued permission on 8 June 2026 for application 2024/4152/MAF after the committee reached a different conclusion from its officers. The historical assessment used Paragraph 84(e); design review informed the evidence and did not determine the application.
Read the Grange Farm case study · Find Grange Farm on the project map
Land South of Gartree Road — reviewing an emerging new community
The project atlas records three reviews in 2026 of Urban&Civic and Homes England’s proposal south-east of Leicester. The April 2026 Statement of Common Ground identifies a cross-boundary strategic development area in Harborough and Oadby & Wigston, with homes, community infrastructure and green space. It describes preparation of a planning application, not an issued permission. This is an example of review while a major proposal is developing; the public record should be read at its stated date.
Explore the Gartree Road project and public sources
Preparing an East Midlands review
Bring a clear site analysis, the relevant planning context, design options and the questions on which independent feedback would be useful. For a large site, explain movement, landscape, phasing and connections beyond the boundary. For a rural home, show how the building and landscape have been developed together. Our exceptional rural homes guide explains the current review approach.
Our independence and safeguards explain Panel selection and conflicts of interest. Review is advisory: the planning decision remains with the relevant decision-maker. Explore West Midlands projects or see our national coverage.
Design review across the East Midlands
The Panel provides independent, multidisciplinary design review for applicants, design teams and local authorities across the East Midlands, including Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland.
You can book directly with the Panel. Its feedback informs design development and the planning process; planning decisions remain with the relevant decision-maker.
The council links below are regional reference information. Inclusion does not indicate an appointment, partnership or endorsement.
Local Authority Names | Local Authority Website |
|---|---|
Melton Borough Council | https://www.melton.gov.uk |
Newark and Sherwood District Council | https://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk |
North Northamptonshire Council | https://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/ |
North East Derbyshire District Council | https://www.ne-derbyshire.gov.uk |
North Kesteven District Council | https://www.n-kesteven.gov.uk |
North West Leicestershire District Council | https://www.nwleics.gov.uk |
Nottingham City Council | https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk |
Nottinghamshire County Council | https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk |
Oadby and Wigston Borough Council | https://www.oadby-wigston.gov.uk |
Rushcliffe Council | https://www.rushcliffe.gov.uk |
Rutland County Council | https://www.rutland.gov.uk |
South Derbyshire District Council | https://www.south-derbys.gov.uk |
Can I book without a council referral?
Yes. Applicants and design teams can approach The Design Review Panel directly. Tell us the site location, proposal and planning stage so we can discuss a suitable review.
Does a positive review guarantee permission?
No. Review provides independent design advice. The local planning authority or Inspector considers the full planning case and makes the decision. The project examples record specific review and planning stages, rather than promising the same outcome for another site.