Good design is fundamental to a high quality city.
As one of the most diverse and culturally rich boroughs in London, Brent is already a dynamic and engaging place, with much to be proud of and celebrate. Brent is home to a broad range of people and, as London’s population rises, we need to ensure we build homes, neighbourhoods and workspaces that cater for everyone.
Brent has ambitions to grow, as outlined in our Local Plan. As well as accommodating significant housing and economic growth, we also want to deliver high quality places that people are proud to live in, are environmentally and socially sustainable and improve the character of the borough as a whole.
Brent is committed to design excellence, and we believe in a place-based approach to development that responds to the areas of growth, areas of renewal and areas for protection across the borough. All development proposals must lead the way in good urban and sustainable design, support health, wellbeing and inclusivity, and positively address the design policies within the London Plan, the Brent Local Plan and the relevant Brent Supplementary Planning Documents.
- Brent Local Plan (2019-2041)
- SPD1 Brent Design Guide
- SPD2 Residential Extensions Guide
- SPD3 Shopfront Design Guide
- Conservation Area Appraisals/Design Guides
Our Placemaking team is composed of officers specialised in architecture, urban design, landscape, heritage and arboriculture, and collectively guides development proposals from pre-application stage through to delivery. We also work closely with Frame Projects, who manage the Brent Quality Review Panel and help deliver independent design reviews on major schemes emerging across the borough.
To increase the participation of our communities in the planning process, the council has also recently committed to delivering community review on major schemes by commissioning Frame Projects to establish the Brent Community Review Panel. This will help give local people a greater role in proactively shaping how new development comes forward in the borough.
Our collective aim is to ensure that all development in Brent achieves the ambitions of national, regional and local planning policy, and our Borough Plan, and delivers high quality, healthy and inclusive places for all.