Planning authorities have no access to architectural advice. Three-quarters of Local Authorities have no access to architectural advice and 40% have no support on urban design matters, according to new figures. Almost two-thirds have no landscape advice according to a study by the Place Alliance in July.
Planning authorities have no access to architectural advice: The report, called the Design Deficit, is based on freedom of information responses from almost three-quarters of England’s planning authorities. Based on the responses of 235 local authorities across England, the research concluded:
1 – IN-HOUSE CAPACITY HAS STABILISED BUT REMAINS VERY LOW
2 – FUNDING AND RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES LIMIT AMBITIONS
3 – THE USE OF DESIGN REVIEW AND DESIGN CODES IS VERY VARIABLE BUT RISING
4 – PROACTIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ON DESIGN IS RARE
5 – DESIGN GUIDANCE IS VALUED BUT DESIGN TRAINING LANGUISHES
The report summarises the findings of a short survey of urban design skills and approaches within England’s local planning authorities, and how they have changed over time. A response rate of 71% was achieved. Reviewing the evidence, it is possible to conclude that whilst urban design and related skills in local authorities have stabilised, they remain at a low ebb and far below where they need to be in order to address the ambitious national agenda on raising the design quality of new development. Signs of the growing use of design review and design codes are positive, but recruitment of design officers into local government remains challenging, proactive community engagement in design is minimal, and design related training remains basic.
The statistics raise questions about the ability of councils to implement and enforce the government’s beauty agenda which was relaunched in July. The report’s author and chair of the Place Alliance, Matthew Carmona, professor of planning and urban design at the Bartlett, said the figures were “particularly concerning” given the move to a design-led planning system.
“While the decline in design skills seems to have stabilised, the availability of urban design skills remain at a low ebb and far below where they need to be in order to address the ambitious national agenda on raising the design quality of new development. The fundamental problem was one of funding, Early signs of the growing use of design review and design codes are positive but recruitment of design officers into local government remains challenging, proactive community engagement in design is minimal, and design-related training remains basic. The stark conclusion of the Design Deficit is that at the current rate of change it will take until 2077 to have at least one urban design officer in every local planning authority in England. This is despite numerous reports over many years, including that of the Building Better Building Beautiful Commission, identifying the lack of design skills in local authorities to be a key barrier to raising the general standard of urban design across the country.”
The report was launched at an event attended by housing secretary Robert Jenrick and chief planner Joanna Averley who were both panellists at a Policy Exchange and Create Streets debate on Tuesday on the revised NPPF and the design codes which are now part of it. Jenrick hopes that by “embedding beauty” in the planning system fewer people will object to new development and housing can be delivered in far greater quantities.
Recommendations include the need for government to establish a dedicated funding stream for raising design skills in local planning authorities and receipt of this funding should be tied to local authorities submitting a plan for resourcing in-house design expertise over the long term.
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The Urban Design Skills Survey Report
https://placealliance.org.uk/research/design-deficit/
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