top of page
The Forum Exeter, Devon

An RIBA south west award wining building at Exeter University in Devon; The Forum. This building benefited from design review during the design and pre-planning stage

Design Review Panel Training 2018

Design Review Panel training session carried out in Taunton and the Somerset County Cricket Ground in November 2018. The event was extremely well attended by local authority representatives, house builders and design team members

Exeter Quay by Jonathan Braddick

Photograph of Exeter Quay taken by Architect and Design Review Panel Manager Jonathan Braddick. The Design Review Panel holds regular design review panel sessions at Exeter City Council

Design Review Panel Training 2018

Design Review Panel training event 2018. Jonathan Tricker, Highways Engineer, Urban Designer & Director at Phil Jones Associates, gave a talk entitled: ‘Highway Design in Placemaking’

Steiner School Exeter

The design review Panel was engaged by Willmott Dixon during the pre-application design stage of the project to help them prepare a design that would be acceptable to the local authority

Design Review Panel Site Visit Poole

Photograph from a 2018 design review panel site visit carried out in Dorset in 2018. A full sit down design review panel was subsequently held in the Poole Borough Council Offices

North Grays Farm Para 80 House

External visualization for a NPPF paragraph 55 (now 79) house that was presented to the design review panel. This project has subsequently gone on to achieve planning permission and is now built on site

Design Review Panel Training 2017

Design Review Panel training session carried out in Exeter, Devon in December 2017. The event was extremely well attended by local authority representatives, house builders and design team members

Exeter Quay - Rockfish Restaurant

A small but sensitive project in Exeter Quay; The Rockfish Restaurant has been designed by Grainge Architects who engaged with The Design Review Panel during the design & pre -application planning stage

Extra Care Development by Sarah Wigglesworth Architects

Pegasus Life secured planning permission through public inquiry for a Sarah Wigglesworth Architects scheme for a C2 assisted living community at The Knowle, Sidmouth, Devon. The Design Review Panel (www.designreviewpanel.co.uk) were instructed by East Devon District Council (EDDC) to provide multidisciplinary, expert, independent and impartial guidance and feedback to the local authority, applicant and design team during the pre-application design stage.

Plymouth Hoe

Photograph of Plymouth Hoe, Devon. The Design Review Panel holds regular design review panel sessions at Plymouth City Council

Design Review Panel Training

Design Review Panel training session carried out in Exeter, Devon. The event was extremely well attended and incorporated a mock design review panel session and design workshop.

We offer both in-person and online design review panel sessions nationally across England. Design review panel session booking requests should be made using our online booking form below.

 

Site visits can be carried out in-person or if prefered online using 360 degree virtual photographic tours (click here to see an example). 

Sessions are split into 'major' and 'minor' project types:-

Minor Projects = 1 to 5 residential dwellings

Major Project = 5 or more residential dwellings and non-residential projects

Bookings are required a minimum of 14 days in advance and are only confirmed subject to receipt of cleared funds payment. Once you have completed the booking request form you will receive an automated confirmation email containing payment details.

Information to be reviewed by the Panel should be provided to The Design Review Panel using the blue 'Upload Files' button above, no later than 7 days in advance of the booked session date.

Enhancing Design Excellence with The Design Review Panel: Your Independent & Impartial National Design Review Provider

Introduction:

Welcome to The Design Review Panel, your trusted provider in fostering design excellence and innovation across all regions of England. As an independent and impartial design review panel, we are dedicated to elevating the quality of built environments and shaping sustainable communities through our expert guidance and insightful critiques.

 

Who We Are:

At The Design Review Panel (not to be confused with CABE or any other regional Panels appoinbtedby or run for local authorities), we bring together a team of seasoned professionals with extensive experience in architecture, urban planning, conservation / heritage, landscape design, ecology, highways and sustainability. Our diverse expertise enables us to provide comprehensive and holistic design reviews tailored to meet the unique needs of each project.

 

Our Mission:

Our mission at The Design Review Panel is clear: to champion design excellence and advocate for the creation of vibrant, inclusive, and resilient spaces that enhance the quality of life for all. Through our rigorous review process, we strive to inspire creativity, foster collaboration, and promote best practices in the field of design and development.

 

What We Offer:

Independent Evaluation: As an independent design review panel, we offer unbiased and impartial evaluations of design proposals, ensuring transparency and integrity throughout the review process.

  • Expert Guidance: Our team of experts provides constructive feedback and actionable suggestions to help optimize design solutions, address challenges, and unlock the full potential of each project.

  • Strategic Insights: With our in-depth understanding of local contexts, regulatory frameworks, and emerging trends, we offer strategic insights and informed perspectives to support informed decision-making and drive positive change.

 

Why Choose Us:

Choosing The Design Review Panel means choosing independence, impartiality, excellence, integrity, and innovation. With our unwavering commitment to quality and our passion for design, we are dedicated to helping applicants, design teams and local authorities to deliver projects that result in a positive impact on the built environment.

 

Get in Touch:

Ready to elevate your design aspirations? Contact The Design Review Panel to learn more about our services, schedule a design review. Let's collaborate to create spaces that inspire, engage, and enrich the communities we serve.

Conclusion:

At The Design Review Panel , we believe that great design has the power to transform lives and shape the future. Join us on our mission to make England an exemplar country of design excellence and innovation. Together, we can create a built environment that reflects our values, aspirations, and collective vision for a brighter tomorrow.

Local authorities suppporting the design review panel process across England ...

The Design Review Panel provides its independent and impartial national design review panel services directly to applicants, design teams and local authorities across all regions of England, including (not limited to): Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex, Isle of Wight, Kent, Medway, Thurrock, Southend-on-Sea.

Applicants may book a Design Review Panel session directly with The Design Review Panel aka for projects located anywhere in England, and the Panel's feedback is a material consideration in the planning process as per the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The design review panel process is actively used by local authorities across the country as part of their pre application process.

The Design Review Panel is a trading style of Design Review Ltd and should not be confused with Design South East, which are separate companies.

 

Unlike other design review panels, such as Design South East, Design Midlands or Design West, so as to demonstrably retain independence and impartiality The Design Review Panel does not enter into contractual framework agreements with any local authorities. This is because it is felt this could be seen to compromise the independence and impartiality of a design review panel by creating an inappropriate commercial relationship.

 

Local authorities actively engaged in the design review panel process across England include:-

Local Authority Names
Local Authority Website
Thanet District Council
https://www.thanet.gov.uk
Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
https://www.tmbc.gov.uk
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
https://www.tunbridgewells.gov.uk
Vale of White Horse District Council
https://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk
Waverley Borough Council
https://www.waverley.gov.uk
Wealden District Council
https://www.wealden.gov.uk
West Berkshire Council
https://www.westberks.gov.uk
West Oxfordshire
https://www.westoxon.gov.uk
Winchester City Council
https://www.winchester.gov.uk
Woking Borough Council
https://www.woking.gov.uk
Wokingham Borough Council
https://www.wokingham.gov.uk
Worthing Borough Council
https://www.worthing.gov.uk
Wycombe District Council
https://www.wycombe.gov.uk
New Forest District Council
https://www.newforest.gov.uk
Portsmouth City Council
https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk
Reading Borough Council
https://www.reading.gov.uk
Reigate and Banstead Borough Council
https://www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk
Rother District Council
https://www.rother.gov.uk
Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
https://www.rbwm.gov.uk
Runnymede Borough Council
https://www.runnymede.gov.uk
Rushmoor Borough Council
https://www.rushmoor.gov.uk
Sevenoaks District Council
https://www.sevenoaks.gov.uk
Shepway District Council
https://www.shepway.gov.uk
Slough Borough Council
https://www.slough.gov.uk
South Bucks District Council
https://www.southbucks.gov.uk
South Oxfordshire District Council
https://www.southoxon.gov.uk
Southampton City Council
https://www.southampton.gov.uk
Spelthorne Borough Council
https://www.spelthorne.gov.uk
Surrey Heath Borough Council
https://www.surreyheath.gov.uk
Swale Borough Council
https://www.swale.gov.uk
Tandridge District Council
https://www.tandridge.gov.uk
Test Valley Borough Council
https://www.testvalley.gov.uk
Thanet District Council
https://www.thanet.gov.uk
Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
https://www.tmbc.gov.uk
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
https://www.tunbridgewells.gov.uk
Vale of White Horse District Council
https://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk
Waverley Borough Council
https://www.waverley.gov.uk
Wealden District Council
https://www.wealden.gov.uk
West Berkshire Council
https://www.westberks.gov.uk
West Oxfordshire
https://www.westoxon.gov.uk
Winchester City Council
https://www.winchester.gov.uk
Woking Borough Council
https://www.woking.gov.uk
Wokingham Borough Council
https://www.wokingham.gov.uk
Worthing Borough Council
https://www.worthing.gov.uk
Wycombe District Council
https://www.wycombe.gov.uk
Adur District Council
https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk
Arun District Council
https://www.arun.gov.uk
Ashford Borough Council
https://www.ashford.gov.uk
Aylesbury Vale District Council
https://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk
Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council
https://www.basingstoke.gov.uk
Bracknell Forest Borough Council
https://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk
Canterbury City Council
https://www.canterbury.gov.uk
Cherwell District Council
https://www.cherwell.gov.uk
Chichester District Council
https://www.chichester.gov.uk
Chiltern District Council
https://www.chiltern.gov.uk
Crawley Borough Council
https://www.crawley.gov.uk
Dartford Borough Council
https://www.dartford.gov.uk
Dover District Council
https://www.dover.gov.uk
East Hampshire District Council
https://www.easthants.gov.uk
Eastbourne Council
https://www.eastbourne.gov.uk
Eastleigh Borough Council
https://www.eastleigh.gov.uk
Elmbridge Borough Council
https://www.elmbridge.gov.uk
Epsom & Ewell Borough Council
https://www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk
Fareham Borough Council
https://www.fareham.gov.uk
Gosport Borough Council
https://www.gosport.gov.uk
Gravesham Borough Council
https://www.gravesham.gov.uk
Guildford Borough Council
https://www.guildford.gov.uk
Hart District Council
https://www.hart.gov.uk
Hastings Borough Council
https://www.hastings.gov.uk
Havant District Council
https://www.havant.gov.uk
Horsham District Council
https://www.horsham.gov.uk
Isle of Wight Council
https://www.iwight.com
Lewes District Council
https://www.lewes.gov.uk
Maidstone Borough Council
https://www.maidstone.gov.uk
Medway Council
https://www.medway.gov.uk
Mole Valley Council
https://www.molevalley.gov.uk
New Forest District Council
https://www.newforest.gov.uk
Portsmouth City Council
https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk
Reading Borough Council
https://www.reading.gov.uk
Reigate and Banstead Borough Council
https://www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk
Rother District Council
https://www.rother.gov.uk
Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
https://www.rbwm.gov.uk
Runnymede Borough Council
https://www.runnymede.gov.uk
Rushmoor Borough Council
https://www.rushmoor.gov.uk
Sevenoaks District Council
https://www.sevenoaks.gov.uk
Shepway District Council
https://www.shepway.gov.uk
Slough Borough Council
https://www.slough.gov.uk
South Bucks District Council
https://www.southbucks.gov.uk
South Oxfordshire District Council
https://www.southoxon.gov.uk
Southampton City Council
https://www.southampton.gov.uk
Spelthorne Borough Council
https://www.spelthorne.gov.uk
Surrey Heath Borough Council
https://www.surreyheath.gov.uk
Swale Borough Council
https://www.swale.gov.uk
Tandridge District Council
https://www.tandridge.gov.uk
Test Valley Borough Council
https://www.testvalley.gov.uk
Testimonial
 

"Swindon's ambitious growth and regeneration plans are generating a buzz around the town. To capitalise on the attention our town is receiving it is vital that Swindon Borough Council works proactively with developers. Our Planning Committee has given unanimous approval to the setting up of the Swindon Design Review Panel as a vehicle to foster collaboration with developers. The Panel will offer practical advice to developers to help improve schemes coming forward. In so doing, I expect the Panel to add significant value to the development process in Swindon."  - David Dewart - Planning Manager, Swindon Borough Council - 2016

bottom of page