By explanation we hope to attract residents who appreciate good design, social conscience, respect for the natural world, and a desire to live their lives sustainably. A good Code should ensure there are no surprises for residents while encouraging them to play their part in building community. It’s about defining and protecting values in every sense.
There will often be tensions within a neighbourhood but a Code provides a set of rules which go beyond the limited remit of a planning authority. It provides a means to monitor and to regulate change within the Mountbatten Park community. Not dissimilar to the way in which a Conservation Area might operate. One where the Residents’ Association will have control backed by The Ashfield Estate which retains the legally enforceable covenant controls sensitive to what neighbours really think.
One way to describe this is about building democratic consensus within an empowered community so that it is able to value, to protect, and to cherish all the qualities of the vision set out in the Code. There will be interpretations and changes may be proposed but only those which preserve or, we hope, enhance will be permitted.
The Mountbatten Park Design and Community Code sets high standards and clear aspirations providing the foundation for building a community which we hope will serve as a good example of legacy development.
