The Essex Planning Officers Association in partnership with Place Services has established the Essex Quality Review Panel.

The Essex Quality Review Panel will ensure delivery and promotion of high quality new developments through the creation of good design, sustainability and improved quality, creating better places and environments to work and live in the County.

A Quality Review Panel provides a well-established method of offering independent and impartial guidance on the design of new buildings, landscapes and public space.

NPPF 2021

“133. Local planning authorities should ensure that they have access to, and make appropriate use of, tools and processes for assessing and improving the design of development. These include workshops to engage the local community, design advice and review arrangements, and assessment frameworks such as Building for a Healthy Life51. These are of most benefit if used as early as possible in the evolution of schemes, and are particularly important for significant projects such as large scale housing and mixed use developments. In assessing applications, local planning authorities should have regard to the outcome from these processes, including any recommendations made by design review panels.”

Essex is one of the UKs fastest growing regions through its close links to London as well as its well defined infrastructure and economy, the built environment is developing fast and the requirement for good design has never been as important.