Foreword by Cllr Linda Woodings…

The diversity and distinctiveness of Nottingham’s shopping experience is a source of pride for the city. Nottingham has a wealth of historic buildings, some with their splendid original shopfronts intact, enhancing that shopping experience. Sadly the overall quality and design of shopfronts steadily declined from the mid 20th century, resulting in a plethora of oversized plastic fascias and uninspiring frontages. The City Council has worked hard to reverse this decline and advocate good design. The bar is being raised further with the Design Quality Framework. With rapid changes in our high streets, our skilled professional capacity and expertise needs to be as effective and joined up as possible to best influence design quality. New shopfronts will be inspired by their setting and by good design.

This guide introduces a small number of design concepts and tools to help designers contextualise their proposals to the Nottingham setting. The creative process of designing is achieved by the application of well-known tools and personal expression. It will be expected that designers and applicants will read the guidance even before commencing their concept designs. This will free up valuable resources expediting the pre-application and planning process and creating certainty at the earliest possible point. Training on how to interpret, implement and evaluate schemes based on the design criteria in this guide, and a range of other services, are available.

We would like to thank The Heritage Fund (Carrington Street Townscape Heritage) and Historic England  (Nottingham Heritage Action Zone) for supporting the writing of the Shopfront Design Guide.

Introduction

Shopfront Design Process

Nottingham City Council strongly recommend that applicants engage in the pre-application process, to make the design process smoother and faster, and reduce the number of planning conditions. To see what pre-application fees apply to your scheme click here. The City Council works with a staged design process. Once proposals are agreed/signed off by the case officer, applicants can submit information to progress to the next stage.

I. Concept Design

Is the building Listed, in a Conservation Area or on the Nottingham Local List? This will guide the amount of information required at the detailed design stage. Many of the principles outlined in this guide are equally applicable to both historic shopfronts and builidngs and to new shopfronts on any building. To find out use Nottinghamshire Insight Mapping.You may also find the Elements of a traditional shopfront and the Timeline of Nottingham shopfronts useful. Where feasible, early investigation beneath the surface of the existing shopfront will better inform discussions over new design.

• Age and architectural style of existing building

• Architectural style of proposal

• Size and volume of proposal

• Proposed main access points and fenestration

• Is advertisement consent required? Adverts and signs

• Is building regulations approval required? Building regulation approval

• Are there highways access issues (including trees, for example if installing awnings)?

II. Developed Design

• Understanding the history of the building - historical research proportional to status of building

• Proportions and composition of proposal

• Proposed palette and textures

• Sustainability

III. Detailed Design

• Details (doors and door furniture, lobbies, stallriser, gutters, gates, frames, reveals etc.)

• Lighting

• Defining materials and colours

• Proposed signage

• Waste storage

• Services

Shopfront Design Criteria

The key criteria that Nottingham City Council will focus on at a fundamental level is included here.

The design criteria are provided for elements that are particularly relevant to shopfronts. Conservation of existing historic features is a priority and reinstatement of lost historic features most often results in the best design. However good contemporary design is also encouraged (whilst retaining existing historic features). This could mean reinterpreting a traditional design or introducing good quality new materials.

Please click on each criteria.

1. Composition & proportions

All of the components of the design need to work together alongside the parent building to create a coherent result. Proportions are dimensions of the shopfront, and how they relate to each other and to the parent building.

2. Palette & textures

Relating the proposal to the colours already existing in the setting/context and how these might appear at different times of the day and with changing seasons. It also refers to relating the proposal to the range of porosities and patterns that already exist in the setting and context.

3. Materials

The choice of materials, their quality and appropriateness, and how these relate to the setting and context. The use of sustainable materials is preferable.

4. Shop windows

Glazing needs to be in proportion with the shopfront and can also be used in different ways to add interest to a design.

5. Architectural & decorative details

Management of architectural and decorative details, their quality and appropriateness, and how these relate to the setting and context.

6. Technical quality - signs, lighting, security, canopies, ventilation & access

Technical details should be carefully considered components of the design, not an afterthought.

Shopfront Appraisal

Nottingham City Council officers will appraise the design of shopfronts at pre-application and application submission stages on the basis of the Shopfront Design Criteria. Conservation of existing historic features is a priority and reinstatement of lost historic features most often results in the best design. However good contemporary design is also encouraged (whilst maintaining existing historic features).

Officers will appraise the proposals to establish how well the design principles were managed to achieve the desired outcome. Feedback will be given to applicants on the basis of this appraisal system.

We recommend the Appraisal Tool is used to evaluate the design to ensure that Design Criteria is met. This will ensure as speedy design-making as possible and that design quality is achieved.