Kingston Placemaking Panel

The Kingston Placemaking Panel offers a design review service which aims to improve design quality of the Borough’s built environment. Its role is to independently review development proposals and provide feedback to developers, clients and local authorities. Design review is a very valuable opportunity to get additional expert help with your project.

The Council expects all schemes which have a significant impact on the built environment, by nature of its scale, location or other sensitivities, to engage with the design review process. The panel meets monthly to review development proposals, which are presented to the panel by the project team. A report of the panel’s comments is made available to scheme promoter and planning officers for their consideration. While the role of the panel is advisory, the panel's comments can carry weight when decisions are made on planning applications.

Design review can add the most value and have the most beneficial impact when proposals are still under development. The Council would therefore expect at least one design review to take place during the pre-application stage. For major schemes a follow up review may also be required. There is a cost associated with presenting a scheme to the panel, these costs will need to be met by the project team and generally sit outside of any Planning Performance Agreement unless otherwise agreed.

Panel Members

The Kingston Placemaking Panel is made up of distinguished built environment professionals from a range of design disciplines including architecture, landscape, heritage and highways practitioners who have significant design expertise and can offer independent advice on all aspects of design and development. 

Many of the panel members live locally and all have a keen interest in the built environment of Kingston. 

The panel is run by Design South East, who are an independent charity specialising in design support.

Fees

Fees are set out below. These do not include VAT.

Type A are schemes with over 50 housing units or above 10,000m2

• New Review : £7,485
• Return Review : £5,765

Type B schemes with under 50 housing units or under 10,000m2

• New Review : £5,765
• Return Review : £4,005

Cancellation Policy

Notification of cancellation or rearrangement of a meeting must be submitted in writing 28 days before the date of the meeting.  Cancellation charges will not be invoiced if we receive this notice.

A cancellation fee will be applied:

• between 15 and 28 days prior to the meeting, a cancellation charge of 25% of the fee will be applied;
• within 14 days prior to the start of the meeting, a cancellation charge of 50% of the fee will be applied, plus any expenses incurred as a result of the cancellation.

The Supplier reserves the right to cancel or rearrange prior to the meeting.

Frequency

Reviews are ran twice monthly on the 1st and 3rd wednesday of the month.

The 3rd wednesday of the month is held for new schemes and will be ran as an inperson event (unless otherwise agreed).

The 1st Wednesday on the month is held for return schemes and will will ran as virtual events.  

How to book

Discuss with you case officer and then contact spatial.planning@kingston.gov.uk in the first instance.