New commission will champion beautiful buildings

Communities Secretary, James Brokenshire MP, has launched a new commission designed to champion beauty in the built environment.

The commission has been brought together as an integral part of the drive to build the homes communities need, by developing a vision, plus practical measures, to help ensure new developments meet the needs and expectations of communities, making them more likely to be welcomed rather than resisted.

This move follows the government recently rewriting the planning rulebook to strengthen expectations for design quality and community engagement when planning for development. The new rules also ensure more consideration can be given to the character of the local area.

The ‘Building Better, Building Beautiful’ Commission will take that work further by expanding on the ways in which the planning system can encourage and incentivise a greater emphasis on design, style and community consent. It will raise the level of debate regarding the importance of beauty in the built environment.

The commission has three main aims:

• To promote better design and style of homes, villages, towns and high streets, to reflect what communities want, building on the knowledge and tradition of what they know works for their area.
• To explore how new settlements can be developed with greater community consent.
• To make the planning system work in support of better design and style, not against it.

Communities Secretary Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP said: “Most people agree we need to build more for future generations, but too many still feel that new homes in their local area just aren’t up to scratch.

“Part of making the housing market work for everyone is helping to ensure that what we build, is built to last. That it respects the integrity of our existing towns, villages and cities.

“This will become increasingly important as we look to create a number of new settlements across the country and invest in the infrastructure and technology they will need to be thriving and successful places.

“This commission will kick start a debate about the importance of design and style, helping develop practical ways of ensuring new developments gain the consent of communities, helping grow a sense of place, not undermine it. This will help deliver desperately needed homes – ultimately building better and beautiful will help us build more.”

This announcement comes as a month long series of events coordinated by think tank Policy Exchange, to showcase the importance of beauty in the built environment, begin.

Welcoming the announcement Policy Exchange Director Dean Godson said: “We know from our research and polling that local support for development increases across all income groups when beauty is made a priority and this commission represents a fantastic first step.

“Placing beauty at the heart of housing policy is the biggest idea in a generation.”

Sir Roger Scruton has been appointed to Chair the commission, with further commissioners to be announced in due course.

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