09-07-19 – Following the launch of the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission’s interim report, ‘Creating space for beauty’, Fiona Howie, Chief Executive of the TCPA, said:
“The Building Better Building Beautiful Commission’s interim report rightly places great emphasis on the value of placemaking rather than just house building, and argues that beauty should be considered in relation to buildings, places and where places are located. We are also pleased that the interim report builds on a number of themes raised in the Raynsford Review of Planning, published in November 2018, which informed the evidence we presented to the Commission. These themes include underfunding of local authority planning departments, a loss of public trust in the development process and the need for meaningful community engagement in planning.
“We hope that the interim report will raise awareness within government of just how important planning, design, building and regeneration is for people’s health and wellbeing.
“Looking ahead to the final report, and drawing on the emphasis in the interim report on communities, we encourage the Commission to set out a clear recommendation for a statutory purpose for the planning system that focusses on outcomes for people. In light of the Commission’s emphasis on the need for a ‘level playing field’, we also hope the Commission will recommend the introduction of a Healthy Homes Act. Such legislation would set out principles defining what constitutes a decent, beautiful home and make sure that new housing, and the communities it is located within, support people’s health, safety, wellbeing and life chances.”
Notes to editors
- The Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission’s interim report, ‘Creating space for Beauty’, can be found here.
- The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) is an independent campaigning charity calling for more integrated planning based on the principles of accessibility, sustainability, diversity and community cohesion. For more information on the TCPA, click here.
- For further information, please contact Jack Mulligan at the TCPA on 07341554465 or [email protected].
