Updated National Design Guidance for New Homes: Raising the Bar for Sustainable Living

In a significant move to transform how new neighbourhoods are built across England, the UK government has rolled out updated national design guidance aimed at ensuring that future homes are not just functional but also enhance the quality of life. Published on January 21, 2026, by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), this draft Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) on Design and Placemaking consolidates previous documents into a streamlined framework. It's designed to support the revamped National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2025, which is also under consultation, and sets a clear benchmark for creating healthier, safer, and more climate-resilient communities. As part of the government's ambitious plan to deliver 1.5 million high-quality homes, this guidance shifts the focus from quantity to quality, making exemplary development the norm rather than the exception.

The Context: Why Now?

The government's commitment to delivering 1.5 million homes is well documented. I've been involved in planning for too many years and have seen various initiatives to improve the quality of large-scale housing developments. It isn't new; quantity without quality creates problems rather than solving them. The updated guidance consolidates the National Design Guide and the National Model Design Code into a single, coherent framework that aligns with the revised National Planning Policy Framework 2025. For those of us working in town planning, this consolidation is welcome. The previous system, with guidance scattered across multiple documents, created confusion and inconsistency and led to endless discussions. The new PPG is intended to provide clarity—though as with any significant policy shift, it also raises questions about implementation and interpretation. 

The Seven Features: More Than a Checklist

The guidance is built around seven core features of well-designed places. While these might initially appear as a checklist to tick off, successful applications will need to demonstrate how they've been genuinely integrated into the scheme's DNA. 

1. Liveability

This goes beyond minimum space standards. The guidance expects homes to accommodate modern life—home working, multi-generational living, and changing mobility needs. Developments need to connect residents to amenities within walkable distances and provide communal spaces that genuinely facilitate community formation. 

2. Climate

Climate resilience is no longer optional. The guidance expects solar orientation, green roofs, sustainable drainage, EV infrastructure, and overheating mitigation to be integrated into schemes from conception. For sites in flood zones or urban heat islands, demonstrating climate adaptation will be crucial to approval.

3. Nature

Biodiversity Net Gain is already mandatory, but the guidance pushes further. It expects developments to integrate nature throughout—from swift bricks and bat boxes to hedgehog highways and native planting schemes. Existing trees, hedgerows, and water features should be retained and enhanced where possible. 

4. Movement

The guidance strongly favours developments that reduce car dependency. This means prioritising pedestrian and cycle routes, ensuring public transport connectivity, and designing parking that doesn't dominate street scenes. For edge-of-settlement sites, this feature will require particularly careful consideration. 

5. Built Form

We've all become used to the Nationally Described Space Standards, which emphasise the importance of internal space. This latest version expands on the earlier minimal standards. Rooms should be adequately sized, properly ventilated, and naturally lit. Storage, acoustic privacy, and adaptability are all considerations. The guidance expects homes that support health and well-being, not just meet minimum standards. 

6. Public Space

Public spaces need to be well-located, overlooked (for natural surveillance), and designed for actual use—not just leftover space between buildings. The guidance emphasises quality over quantity and expects these spaces to foster social interaction and community cohesion. 

7. Identity

Perhaps the most subjective feature, this requires development to respond to local character, history, and landscape. Cookie-cutter designs that could be anywhere won't satisfy this requirement. Understanding the site's context and reflecting it through architectural language, materials, and landscape design is essential.

Integrating Design into the Planning Process

The PPG is divided into three parts to make implementation straightforward:

• Part 1: Details the seven features and their outcomes.

• Part 2: Guides how to embed design quality in plan-making and decision-making, using tools like masterplans and local design codes.

• Part 3: Offers advice on setting effective design codes for various scales of development, from large sites to urban infills.

  
  

Upcoming model design codes, expected later in 2026, will provide templates that local authorities can adapt, speeding up the process and providing certainty for developers. This rules-based approach aims to reduce delays, support smaller builders, and ensure developments meet high standards from the start. Experts like RIBA President Chris Williamson praise its holistic approach, noting its emphasis on accessible amenities and local context, while architects like Sam Goss of Barefoot Architects in the AJ see it as a tool to improve lives through community-focused design.

Implications for the Future of Housing in England

This guidance represents a shift towards a more people-centred planning system, where new developments must prioritise sustainability, inclusivity, and local integration. For developers, it means clearer expectations upfront in the planning process, potentially leading to fewer delays in approving compliant projects. Councils gain tools to enforce higher standards, pushing for schemes that are not "cookie-cutter" but tailored to local circumstances to foster community and resilience. It also aligns with broader goals like net-zero emissions and nature recovery, ensuring new homes contribute positively to environmental challenges.

However, the guidance is still in draft form, and the government is seeking feedback on its usability and effectiveness. The consultation runs until March 10, 2026, inviting input from planners, developers, and the public to refine it further

Relevant Links

• GOV.UK Press Release: New design guidance to raise the bar for new build developments

• Design and Placemaking Planning Practice Guidance: Consultation Document

• MHCLG Media Blog: Coverage of our Design and Placemaking Planning Practice Guidance