Dundee Civic Trust proposes the creation of a Dundee Design Review Panel to support high‑quality, sustainable and design‑led development across the city. Although Dundee is a UNESCO City of Design, it currently lacks an independent, multidisciplinary mechanism for assessing the design quality of planning proposals. Modelled on the Edinburgh Design Panel, the initiative would be developed collaboratively with Dundee City Council, professional institutes, universities, UNESCO City of Design Dundee, and community representatives, aligning with National Planning Framework 4.
The panel would offer independent expert advice at the pre‑application stage, helping design teams strengthen proposals, reduce planning risk and improve outcomes while complementing statutory planning processes. Chaired by a senior planning officer, it would comprise voluntary specialists from relevant disciplines and meet monthly or bimonthly. Priority would be given to developments with long‑term impact. Written reports would be published, and applicants would be expected to demonstrate how they addressed the panel’s recommendations.
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