Bassetlaw Design Code Public Consultation
Welcome to this first stage of public consultation for Bassetlaw’s district-wide Design Code. This website will talk you through our initial ideas for the Design Code. We will then ask you to complete a short survey at the end.
touch_app Scroll to read more
The Council are looking to develop a district-wide Design Code. This is a set of design rules
and standards for development. This tool can be used in the planning process to promote the
delivery of high-quality new development.
We are currently gathering ideas and this website will talk you through our initial thoughts
for the Design Code.
Look out for hints like this. They will indicate interactive features on the map. In each section, you can zoom, pan and scroll across the map to explore it in more detail.
Your thoughts and feedback are really important to us. We are asking you to read
through this website, before answering a brief survey at the end to give us your
views. The survey will close on Friday 28th March 2025.
Meet us in person
We are hosting public in-person events throughout the formal consultation period.
At these you can meet Council officers and wider project team and give feedback in
person. These events are free to attend and there is no need to book a place in advance.
To find out more about these events and where they will be held,
Map Key
 | Bassetlaw District Boundary |
What is a Design Code?
Bassetlaw District Council are looking to develop a district-wide Design Code to set clear
design standards. This guidance will help promote the delivery of high-quality new development
and spaces across the district. This is to ensure quality sustainable placemaking and healthy
inclusive design.
Additionally, the Government provides guidance on the production of new design codes, in the
Click on the map markers to open the NMDC and the National Design Guide documents.
Several areas within Bassetlaw currently have established or emerging Neighbourhood Design Codes.
These provide guidance at a more local level. The codes are important and key to ensuring Bassetlaw
retains its status as a great place to live and work.
We will develop a bespoke district-level code system for Bassetlaw District. This will be tailored
for different types of development and areas. This Design Code will replace existing policy such as
the Residential Design SPD (2013). It will complement and support the Neighbourhood Level Design Codes
to provide an overarching design framework.
The following sections will talk you through our initial thoughts for the Bassetlaw Design Code. Once you
have read through this website, we kindly ask you to answer our brief survey where you can give us your
views and feedback.
Map Key
| Bassetlaw District Boundary |
 | NMDC and National Design Guide documents |
Our key principles
Throughout the Design Code, we will seek to incorporate the following key principles:
Foster high-quality development and vibrant spaces across the District. These will prioritise green,
accessible, and inclusive environments that promote healthy place-making.
Ensure development is context-sensitive, by drawing on the District’s rich historic and natural assets.
The Design Code should reflect the unique character of local areas.
Promote climate-resilient development, encouraging active, sustainable transport, and enhancing green
and blue infrastructure. This will support Bassetlaw’s transition to a net-zero carbon future.
Inspire innovation and ambition in creating dynamic, sustainable, and inclusive spaces. This should
strengthen Bassetlaw's identity and enhancing quality of life for all residents.
Support community-driven planning by providing a comprehensive framework. This should align with and
enhance established and emerging Neighbourhood Design Codes.
Embed collaborative, community-led design processes with local residents, stakeholders, and businesses.
This should ensure all are actively engaged in shaping the future of their built and natural environments.
Click on the map markers to view illustrative images of case study areas representing these key principles.
Map Key
| Bassetlaw District Boundary |
| Illustrative Images | |
 | High-quality development |
 | Context-sensitive |
 | Climate-resilient |
 | Innovation |
| Community-driven planning |
 | Collaborative design processes |
Identifying key themes for the design code
We are looking at four themes to guide the structure of area-wide design guidance and codes.
These themes are: Connections, Built Form, Nature and Activity.
These themes are modelled on the ten characteristics of well-designed places, as set out in
the National Design Guide. Context and Sustainability will be overarching principles across
all of these themes.
Below, we break down why we feel these themes are important.
Click on the map markers to view illustrative images of case study areas representing these themes.
Connections
Well-designed places are accessible and easy to move around. They should host a connected network for
all modes of transport and active travel. They should include well-considered parking and servicing.
Built Form
The built form refers to an arrangement of development blocks, streets, buildings and open spaces that
make up any development. Well-designed places should have a coherent form of development with appropriate
building types and forms.
Nature
Well-designed places should enhance the natural as well as the built environment. Nature is essential
for health and wellbeing, biodiversity and for shading and cooling. Nature aids noise and air quality,
mitigating flood risk, as well as contributing to tackling the climate emergency.
Activity
Well-designed places should include a mix of uses. These should include local services that support
everyday activities, including to live, work and play. An integrated mix of socially inclusive housing
tenures and types to suit people at all stages of life is also vital.
Map Key
| Bassetlaw District Boundary |
| Illustrative Images | |
 | Connections |
| Built Form |
 | Nature |
 | Activity |
Defining area types in Bassetlaw
The NMDC outlines the use of area types as a way to group places that share similar character and key
features across the district. Area types seek to provide guidance to support future development and ensure
it is of sufficient quality. These help inform design guidelines that are both sensitive and responsive to
local context, landscape setting, and character.
Bassetlaw is a district of wide contrasts. It contains a mix of town centres, urban residential areas,
growing and changing settlements and rural villages. Through a series of workshops with Council officers,
observations and analysis, we identified several district-wide area types. The aim of the design code will
be to work towards a future enhanced vision of what each area type needs to be.
Zoom into the map and click on the map markers to explore these area types. These area extents are illustrative.
We have chosen to adopt the four existing settlement types, as outlined in the Bassetlaw Local Plan 2020-2038.
These are: Main Town, Large Rural Settlement, Small Rural Settlement, and Countryside.
In addition to these, we have added two new categories: New Places and Business/Industrial.
The following sections present the district-wide area types we have devised for the purpose of this Design Code.
Map Key
| Bassetlaw District Boundary |
| Area Types (extents are illustrative) | |
 | Main Towns |
 | Large Rural Settlements |
 | Small Rural Settlements |
 | New Places |
 | Business/Industrial |
 | Countryside |
Area Type: Main Towns
Covering Worksop, Retford and Harworth & Bircotes.
These main towns serve as key hubs for housing and employment growth. These towns are
strategically located and well-connected. They offer a blend of historic charm with modern
amenities, and a mix of residential, commercial, and cultural attractions. This makes them
attractive for both residential and business purposes.
Zoom into the map and click on the map markers to explore this area type. These area extents are illustrative.
Map Key
| Bassetlaw District Boundary |
| Main Towns (illustrative) |
Area Type: Large Rural Settlements
Covering Blyth, Carlton in Lindrick and Costhorpe, Langold/Hodsock, Misterton and Tuxford.
Large Rural Settlements are characterised by their rural charm and close-knit communities. They often
feature historic buildings, traditional architecture, and a strong sense of local identity.
Large Rural Settlements play a role as a ‘service centre’ for other settlements. Services often include
a primary school, doctors surgery/health centre, a community centre/hall, a shop, a church and a pub.
They tend to have 500 or more individual dwellings.
Zoom into the map and click on the map markers to explore this area type. These area extents are illustrative.
When compared to Small Rural Settlements, they have larger populations and a range of employment, shops
and services. They also have more frequent and commercially viable public transport services to nearby
larger towns and cities.
These settlements should be allowed to grow appropriately to maintain rural vitality and support sustainable
growth.
Map Key
| Bassetlaw District Boundary |
| Large Rural Settlements (illustrative) |
Area Type: Small Rural Settlements
Covering Barnby Moor, Beckingham, Clarborough, Clayworth, Cuckney, Dunham on Trent, East Drayton, East Markham, Elkesley,
Everton, Gamston, Gringley on the Hill, Hayton, Laneham, Lound, Mattersey, Misson, Nether Langwith, Normanton on Trent,
North Leverton, North and South Wheatley, Rampton, Ranby, Ranskill, Rhodesia, Scrooby, Shireoaks, South Leverton, Sturton
le Steeple, Styrrup, Sutton cum Lound, Treswell, Walkeringham, West Stockwith.
Small Rural Settlements are characterised by their rural charm and close-knit communities. They often feature historic
buildings, traditional architecture, and a strong sense of local identity.
Zoom into the map and click on the map markers to explore this area type. These area extents are illustrative.
Small Rural Settlements have, individually, 75 or more dwellings. They tend to have a primary school, doctor’s
surgery/health centre, a community centre/hall, a shop, a church and a pub.
These smaller villages are also targeted for growth. However, this ability to accommodate growth
is often limited by greater environmental constraints. These settlements should be allowed to grow appropriately
to maintain rural vitality and support sustainable growth.
Map Key
| Bassetlaw District Boundary |
| Small Rural Settlements (illustrative) |
Area Type: New Places
Covering larger residential sites and urban extensions through Bassetlaw’s Local Plan housing allocations.
New Places provide opportunities to enhance connections and facilities for both existing communities and new
residents. This enables the creation of sustainable and well-integrated, landscape-led schemes.
Zoom into the map and click on the map markers to explore this area type. These area extents are illustrative.
While some new residential sites may integrate seamlessly with existing communities, others may lack a clear
surrounding context. In such cases, the challenge lies in creating distinctive places with their own unique
identity.
Well-designed New Places are influenced by the surrounding landscape, urban layout, well-defined spaces, and
local styles. However, these sites can have their own distinct identity rather than copying their surroundings
entirely. New Places may introduce aspects of contemporary living, innovative design or sustainable features.
Map Key
| Bassetlaw District Boundary |
| New Places (illustrative) |
Area Type: Business / Industrial
Covering Bassetlaw’s large industrial, business and logistics sites including headquarters, warehouses and distribution centres.
Business and industrial areas in Bassetlaw are key contributors to the local economy. They provide employment
opportunities and support various industries. These include modern manufacturing, logistics, green energy,
construction, and engineering. Key businesses will leverage the district’s strategic location hosting part of the A1 and
A57 growth corridors.
Zoom into the map and click on the map markers to explore this area type. These area extents are illustrative.
The Design code will emphasise the need for designs that assimilate well with the surroundings. This can be achieved with appropriate boundary treatments (walls, fences, hedges, etc) and landscaping. Often comprised of single storey units with large footprints, this area also features large areas of open storage or ‘hardstanding’.
Map Key
| Bassetlaw District Boundary |
| Business/Industrial (illustrative) |
Area Type: Countryside
Outside the main settlement areas, the open countryside has a rural context with a scenic quality.
The countryside features other settlements not listed under the previous area types. These are considered too
small, have little to no service provision, or are too constrained to receive any planned growth. It also contains
hamlets, isolated clusters of farmsteads or dwellings set amongst a patchwork of field boundaries.
The countryside may also include woodlands, nature reserves, and scheduled monuments.
The map highlights areas of countryside within Bassetlaw in dark green. These extents are illustrative.
Development in the countryside should be limited to meet specifically-identified housing and business needs. It should support long-term rural sustainability and consider accessibility. It will need to consider potential landscape and community impacts.
Map Key
| Bassetlaw District Boundary |
| Countryside (illustrative) |
Your Thoughts?
Thank you for taking the time to read more about our initial ideas for the
Bassetlaw district-wide Design Code.
This website sets the scene for what a design code is and we are just at the
start of the process. We're looking for your thoughts to help inform its future.
Click the button below to answer the survey, or click the icon on the map.
question_answer Answer the survey here
The survey will close on Friday 28th March 2024.
Next steps...
Once the consultation ends, we will use your ideas and feedback to help draft
our Design Code. We then plan to present this draft Design Code back to you in
Summer 2025.
Meet us in person
We are hosting public in-person events throughout the formal consultation period. At
these you can meet Council officers and wider project team and give feedback in person.
These events are free to attend and there is no need to book a place in advance.
To find out more about these events and where they will be held,
Map Key
| Bassetlaw District Boundary |
 | Click on the map to answer the survey |
Bassetlaw Design Code Public Consultation
brought to you by:
An
Engaged Space community engagement presented by Deetu,
on behalf of Bassetlaw District Council.
Powered by
Deetu.
Got a story to tell?
Get in touch.
touch_app Back to the start