Optimising Design Code performance: Implementing effective monitoring for continuous design code improvements

There are numerous benefits to having a system in place for monitoring the performance of your design code. Monitoring provides evidence about what is working and what needs to be improved or refined. It should allow you to gauge the extent to which planning applications comply to the code as a proxy measure for improvements in design quality. Your monitoring system should also be able to track outcomes over time against the policy objectives that underpin your design code.

The accumulated evidence from the monitoring of your code should allow you to show positive gains against key corporate objectives and the extent of any returns on your investment in developing the code. Moreover, you can demonstrate transparency and accountability by sharing the results of your monitoring with stakeholders and the public.

In short, the point of collecting this evidence is not just to know how the code is working but to use it in a cycle of continuous improvement.

The pathfinder design codes are still too new for their monitoring systems to have yielded enough evidence to assess their long-term success. However, the early signs are generally good, particularly the feedback concerning how useful design codes are in framing discussions during the preapplication stage.

“Monitoring helps us see what’s working and what isn’t, so we can make necessary adjustments and ensure continuous improvement.”

Lake District National Park Authority