CEO’s Blog
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Bonfire of the quangos?
This month the coalition in Westminster continues to charge ahead, scattering quangos and trampling on projects at such a ferocious speed that it is hard to keep up. The Sustainable Development Commission is now to disappear, we learn, along with Building Schools for the Future. Rather pointedly the Welsh Assembly Government took the opportunity to announce a major funding package of £144.8m in new capital projects for schools and school grounds across Wales. This was closely followed by major funding announcements on new support for the regeneration of Ebbw Vale and £15.8m for outdoor and adventure tourism.
All of which makes Wales look like a fortunate island in a sea of general uncertainty. In Northern Ireland, the grim saga of large-scale cuts that threaten landscape architects in the Department of the Environment rumbles on. We are in correspondence with a number of Assembly members who are working to ensure that proper provision of quality landscape services survives whatever drastic changes are eventually decided on.
Back in England, in recent weeks, the LI has been in discussion with the Royal Town Planning Institute and other organisations on the future of strategic planning. The word “regional” is banned from the vocabulary of Conservative cabinet ministers, and anything that inadvertently makes reference to the “r” word will get short shrift. However, planning at a landscape level cannot be adequately addressed by working exclusively within the boundaries of individual local authorities, since all kinds of things including climate change, biodiversity and major infrastructure cannot be sensibly dealt with at exclusively local scales. We are seeking an early meeting with DEFRA ministers to discuss how to make strategic plans in the context of localism.
The future of CABE is now in some doubt, and there is a debate going on about the future of design reviews. Perhaps CABE will stop doing them (in which case, who will?), or perhaps it will stop doing everything else and just focus on them. In a couple of days, DEFRA is launching the consultation on the Natural Environment White Paper, which will no doubt result in more massive shake-ups that have an impact on the work of landscape architects...
...and closer to home, some really good news. By the deadline for entries to the Future Vision Awards, we had received a very encouraging 57 entries. For the LI Awards, there were a healthy 106 entrants, down just two from last year’s figure of 108. The last remaining Awards scheme open for you to enter this year is the UK Landscape Award. Entries close at the end of August and, so far, 26 schemes have registered.
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Cutting red tape – getting better value
Many thanks to the members who responded to our recent survey ‘Our Future Profession’. The results have been discussed at Council and will be used as the basis for shaping our future strategy for the next 3–5 years. I will be posting a summary of the results on the website soon, together with some suggestions for what the implications are for the LI.
Read ‘Cutting red tape – getting better value’ in full -
The Budget – it’s not all bad
Most of yesterday’s budget was about raising taxes and cutting spending, but not everything in it was bad news for landscape architecture. The budget reaffirmed David Cameron’s commitment to making his administration the greenest government ever, and it contained a number of proposals that made it ‘moderately green’.
Read ‘The Budget – it’s not all bad’ in full -
Future shock – future solutions
The new government’s programme continues to take shape, and so far there seems to be little reason for rejoicing among landscape architects.
Read ‘Future shock – future solutions’ in full -
Monitoring the changing political and economic environment
You will be aware of our communications survey which closes on Friday of this week. In addition to the opportunity to win £100 of Amazon vouchers, you will be giving us a great deal of help in planning our communications over the next couple of years.
Read ‘Monitoring the changing political and economic environment’ in full -
A curate’s egg
As the new UK government starts to take shape, we have an interesting task on our hands. Though the full new cabinet has not been announced, Chris Huhne (LD) will be the new Energy and Climate Change Secretary and Eric Pickles (Con) will be Communities Secretary. It is not yet known who the Environment Secretary will be.
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Picturing the future
What will the landscape architecture profession look like in five years’ time? Does the traditional partnership model have a future? How much is the scope of landscape architects’ work going to change because of, or in spite of, the recession? What external factors are going to influence the future of the profession?
Read ‘Picturing the future’ in full -
The worst of times?
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." These certainly are not the best of times, but are they the worst? Have we got past the worst already or are things set to improve over the coming year?
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The year of green infrastructure
Today is the first day of the new financial year, so an appropriate moment to reflect on what has been achieved over the past 12 months.
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The knowledge
London taxi drivers are famous for their ability to navigate the capital’s maze of streets. In fact, neuroscientists discovered that the region of the brain called the hippocampus was larger in these cabbies than the average person. The LI has not yet suggested funding a similar study examining the brain capacity of the average landscape architect, if there is such a being, but it has provided a rich resource that will feed the mind.
Read ‘The knowledge’ in full -
Your feedback please
Welcome to the updated website. Regular visitors will notice we have made some subtle, but significant changes. These have been implemented to make it more accessible for members and here are some of the highlights.
Read ‘Your feedback please’ in full
Latest headlines
- Latest Journal focuses on European Landscape Convention
- Joined-up thinking
- Communications survey
- Placemaking focus groups
- Business is getting the message about biodiversity
- Climate change policies for London
- Shortlisted for success
- Deadline for UK landscape prize approaches
- In defence of history
- Membership subscriptions
- Open call for design panel members
