A new report by the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission (BBBBC) has suggested various changes to promote and increase the use of high-quality design for new build homes and neighbourhoods, including the possibility of a new minister.
The report, Living with Beauty, outlined eight priorities for reform including planning, neighbourhoods, regeneration, communities, management, education, stewardship and nature.
The BBBBC emphasised that "beautiful placemaking should be a legally enshrined aim of the planning system. Great weight should be placed on securing these qualities in the urban and natural environments".
This would include making "beautiful placemaking" a part of sustainable development in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and associated guidance as well as being encouraged via ministerial statement.
The report has also encouraged that communities become more involved with the planning process. Currently the focus is on consultation in the planning process, which the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission believe should be moved to a process of co-design.
Suggestions in the report have been welcomed by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) with Victoria Hills, chief executive of the RTPI, stating:
"I warmly welcome the BBBBC's proposal that every local council should have a chief place-maker at the top table. The RTPI has been campaigning for the past two years for the role of chief planning officer to be rightfully restored at a senior level on local, regional and national Government. This would help to overcome silo-working and provide better co-ordination."
Members of the RTPI are also likely to support these new ideas after a survey of members in 2019 revealed at least half of professional planners said they had limited influence on housing design, while a massive majority of 87% said they wanted more of a say.
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