The purpose of the Wealden Design Guide is to encourage a higher standard of design for development within the District. Wealden is predominantly a rural district and is larger than most, encompassing a number of well defined areas whose character is drawn from the local landscape and building materials which derive from that landscape. These elements contribute significantly to the local distinctiveness and it is the aim of this document to ensure that new development (in particular the larger schemes) does not dilute this distinctiveness.
This Guide is not only intended to provide prospective developers (and any organisation and individual with an interest in the built environment) with a clear idea of what it is about Wealden which makes it special but also to suggest ways in which new development can be implemented in a manner which maintains the District’s essential character and, where practicable, enhances it. The Wealden Design Guide is available to view and download below:
Adoption
The Wealden Design Guide was adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and, as such, the guidance represents an important material consideration in the determination of planning applications. The Council expect all planning applications to demonstrate how these guidelines have been taken into account; where appropriate this should be included in the Design and Access Statement submitted with the application.
The Guide also needs to be considered in relation to existing and emerging national planning policy, design codes and advice and standards set down in the Building Regulations and other documents. The Guide does not intend to reiterate the standards set out in these documents and developers and their agents should refer to the relevant regulations and good practice guides as a matter of course.
View copy of Wealden District Council’s Adoption Statement .
Consultation Statement
The Consultation Statement sets out a summary of the main issues raised in representations made on the draft Wealden Design Guide together with a commentary on how these have been addressed in the final version of the document.
Summary Leaflet
This provides a short summary of the nature and content of the Design Guide .