TrustNews Mar 20

Planning the built environment

There have been three publications issued which are worth reading:

• ‘Living with Beauty’, the report of the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission (see article 'Design - an essay').

   

• Planning report by the Policy Exchange think tank;

   

• Manifesto by the Civic Voice organisation of which we are a member (see article 'Civic Voice').

   

 

All these reports revolve around how to deliver a better system of improving the way in which the built environment is delivered, coincidentally all three documents have been published at roughly the same time, and all three documents can be accessed via the web.

 

The reports consider that the current planning system, which is now 70 years old, is no longer ?t for purpose; this is exacerbated by a lack of resources and expertise in many local authorities. The current planning system very often impedes the delivery of innovative, well-considered design solutions.

 

The government was responsible for promoting two of the publications, however one does wonder whether the departments and ministers concerned do read them and then act positively in a way that would encourage vastly improved creative results in order to achieve distinctiveness in schemes which are built for everybody’s delight and satisfaction.

 

One of the main growth areas are housing estates. Most lack any sense of community. The reports home in on the planning system that delivers these projects, and suggests ways the government could encourage the quality and visual delight of schemes. However we are now on our tenth Housing Minister since 2010; they never seem to be in post long enough to grasp an understanding of a creaking planning system which does need an overhaul.

 

Keith Leaman