News
Kelly to raise the bar on Design standards
20th July 2006
Communities and Local Government Secretary Ruth Kelly has called on developers and local authorities to give greater emphasis to good design.
In a keynote speech at the Housing Design Awards, which showcase the very best examples of new homes across the country, she said that design was fundamental to creating strong and cohesive communities.
Ruth Kelly presented the overall winner award to the Accordia scheme in Cambridge. A previous winner at its design stage, the high density project includes a mixture of family sized flats and town-houses with large lawns and communal areas. The development fits around existing green spaces and trees with new ones added to increase privacy.
She also presented the historic winner award to The Ryde in Hatfield, a Housing Design Award winner in 1967 that has stood the test of time. The Ryde was a pioneering new town project which combined innovative use of space and daylight with high densities and was a trail-blazer for co-operative home ownership.
Ruth Kelly said: "Quality design is fundamental to creating strong, cohesive communities in which people feel comfortable and proud to live. As these great examples show, good design is the key to getting the right housing where it is needed; it means attractive places with a mixture of size and tenure, high environmental standards and green spaces too.
"We need to build more homes to meet demand, which requires higher densities which makes good design even more crucial. Design and Access Statements and our Design for Manufacture competition show that the Government is raising the bar. We also want developers to push standards further so that local authorities can insist on, and say 'yes' to, better buildings and places."
Ruth Kelly also announced today the winning bid for the final site in the Government's successful Design for Manufacture competition in Merton. The bid by the SixtyK Consortium will be an exemplar in sustainable development with over 70 per cent less carbon emissions compared with 2002 standards including renewable technology, a combined heat and power facility and rainwater collection and recycling.
The Government is urging all local authorities to use the lessons from the competition to deliver well designed homes for around £60,000 in their areas. The next phase of the competition is being developed to set further challenges to build eco-communities in a way that makes sustainable development more affordable.
New national statistics also published today show that the proportion of new homes built on brownfield land has reached a new record high of 74 per cent up from 56 per cent in 1997 and well above Government's 60 per cent target. The average density of new developments is at 41 dwellings per hectare (dph) up from 25 dph in 1997. Planning policy prioritises brownfield development to protect green spaces and prevent urban sprawl.
From next month all but very minor planning applications will require a statement of design and access principles. The statements will raise the profile of design and access issues and strengthen the powers local authorities have to insist on better design.
Many local authorities are also making use of design codes which are locally agreed rules that set out specific three-dimensional design requirements to guide the physical development of a site or place. Research shows that Design Coding has increased the quality of new developments and places and can lead to a more efficient and transparent development process.
The Housing Design Awards have been sponsored by the Government since 1948 and are also promoted by the National House-Building Council, Royal Institute of British Architects and the Royal Town Planning Institute and also in partnership with the Housing Corporation. Chair of the Awards Committee Graham Pye said it had been a pleasure to visit and review this year's entries which have maintained and in some case improved upon the acheivements of recent years.
Source: Department for Communities and Local Government
