"Time for Design" - TrustNews December 1985
The "Time for Design" initiative was launched by the National Development Control Forum last February. It represents a response from local government to a challenge from Michael Heseltine, when he was Secretary of State for the Environment, to show that planning authorities have a role to play in improving the quality of design of our surroundings.
The aims of the "Time for Design" initiative are to improve the quality of design in the environment and to increase public awareness and appreciation of good design. The Forum decided to develop this by inviting six authorities to become "good design authorities" and make a concerted effort to improve the quality of design in their areas. The six authorities are Coventry, Croydon, Knowsley, Lancaster, Nottingham and Winchester.
The initiative runs for three years. No brief has been given to the participating authorities as to what form their contributions should take: each authority has been asked to set out its own ideas as to how it can best further the aims of the initiative.
The Winchester Initiative
Design Statements
All applicants who submit a planning application are being asked on a voluntary basis to make a written statement of the design principles they have adopted. It is hoped that these statements will assist officers and members to gain a better understanding of the considerations that the designer has taken into account when preparing a scheme. It will also offer evidence of the range of appreciation of design matters taken by both the professional and non-professional designer.
Design Awards
The awards will be made from nominations made by Parish Councils for schemes in their areas, and by the Trust for schemes in Winchester. The awards will be in the form of a plaque that can be fixed to the building or scheme. The exercise will be monitored to discover the type of design which is favoured and analyse the range of attitudes as to what constitutes good design.
Drawing Presentation Award
An annual cash award of £100 is to be made to the designer of one of the nominated schemes whose application drawings are judged to be the best and most accurate representation of a scheme. In this way it is hoped that the award will encourage a higher standard of presentation of schemes by designers.
Central Car Park
A design competition for a shopping and car parking development is proposed, and the experience gained from this exercise could be used to set up guidelines for other local authorities confronted with similar situations.
Whiteley
Standards of design of development in this growth area are to be monitored.
Calendar of Events
This will list meeting-concerned with design matters organise by amenity societies, professional bodies, etc. and open to the public, together with other events organised specially.
The Trust's Contribution
You will see from the Programme that the Trust is cooperating with the City Council in the organisation of talks and discussions on design themes.
We have also been asked to nominate what we consider to be the three best residential and three best non-residential schemes in the wards of Winchester for the Design Awards.
Members' suggestions for Award nominatior will be most welcome. The closing date for their receipt by the Secretary (Win. 713072) is 28th February. A selection will then be made for submission to the City Council. It has been suggested to us that schemes which can be reasonably appreciated from public, rather than private, areas should be considered.