Government sets out new vision for creating 'high quality' homes and neighbourhoods

The Government has set out how it will deliver on its vision and promise for making homes and neighbourhoods high quality, safe and more sustainable places to live in.

Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw and Housing Minister Ian Austin today published an action plan on how the Government intends to work with its partners, in particular the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), CABE and English Heritage, as well as with the industry, to deliver the ambitions set out in World Class Places.

The action plan was first announced at a reception for architects at No 10 on 12 November when the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown said: “I think the sheer imagination that architecture brings to bear, the idea that we are building something bigger than the sum of its parts is what makes architecture and design so important to our society.

“I don’t think people yet realise just how important architecture and design are going to be to our economic, as well as to our cultural and social future.”

Ben Bradshaw, who is also the Government’s Design Champion, said: “As the Government’s Design Champion, I don’t need any persuading about the added value of good design, or the importance of the quality of the places in which we live our lives.

"Our World Class Places document set out our priorities for improving places and spaces, and today’s action plan details how we are going to support those involved in delivering those commitments.

“Commitments that will mean everyone can live, work and be educated in places that are more welcoming, that are more convenient, that are kinder to the environment and that also respect our heritage and the efforts that have gone before us to create wonderful, beautiful buildings. It’s a great challenge – but one that will bring great results.”

Housing Minister Ian Austin said: “We cannot afford to build homes that will have to be knocked down within a generation because they’re unsuitable, badly designed or badly built.

“We want to ensure that whenever new homes and communities are being planned, the top priority must be the need to create a safe, attractive and sustainable environment for people to live in.

“The measures we have set out today show the Government’s commitment to improving the quality of homes, and ensuring the good design will create the sorts of places that people will want to live in now and in the future.”

"With increasing demands on our communities such as a growing population, concern for the environment and a commitment to retaining the character and uniqueness of our architectural heritage, there is great need for building not just more new homes, schools, parks and buildings but ensuring that they are high quality places in which everyone can live, work and enjoy.

"Making sure that first rate design standards are at the heart of everything we build will be key to making our communities world class places."

The actions included in the plan published today include:-

• Improving design standards of all new Government-funded building programmes building on where this has worked successfully so far for example in the DCSF school building programme.
• Strengthening local leadership and skills needed to deliver quality through training to help local leaders assess design quality easily.
• Support through the HCA’s single conversation in the regions and the ‘Total Place’ initiative to test ways in which local authorities can work efficiently to deliver quality places whilst still meeting other important local objectives.
• Putting the public at the centre of decision making by enabling greater public ownership of local assets such as parks and open spaces through, for example, the Advancing Assets and Community Builders programmes.