The Community Design Panel Review Panel is made up of residents, workers, and business owners, giving the community a direct voice in planning and design. It values local knowledge, needs, and lived experience as key to shaping projects and ensuring better outcomes once places are built and in use.
- Format: Up to 3 panel sessions (each 3 hours) during Phase 1.
- Participants: About 15 community members selected to represent local diversity (residents, traders, business owners, etc.)
- Criteria: Interest in a wider community perspective, commitment to the Nolan Principles, characteristics reflecting the neighbourhood’s population and groups with protected characteristics, local knowledge, design and community interest, or lived experience.
- Commitment: Attendance at all three sessions between September and November 2025, and willingness to join the panel during Stages 2 and 3.
- Approach: A deep dive into the design briefs using structured review aided by physical and digital models and draft design briefs.
The role of a Community Design Panel:
The Community Design Panel for has a number of roles, including:
- Local insight: Panel members provide context on local realities, influencing design brief, principles and proposals early in the planning process and spotting issues before formal submissions.
- Feedback and recommendations: Panels review design briefs and proposals, offering feedback on architecture, public and green spaces, transport, and environmental impact.
- Community engagement: Acting as a bridge between the community, designers, and planners, panels increase participation and ensure local voices are heard.
- Advocacy: A more formal and structured role helps make sure resident, workers and business concerns are considered in design decisions.
In summary: Community Design Panels keep proposals more aligned with community needs and values, leading to more relevant, acceptable, and successful design outcomes and places.
You can view and download our Community Design Panel Terms of Reference here. A link to the webpage with the Terms of Reference will be added soon.
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