1 Introduction
1. The Commission for Architecture and the Built
Environment (CABE) was set up by the Government in 1999 to raise
the profile of architecture and urban design and the design quality
of new developments. It is five years since the organisation was
set up and with the Government promoting a major housebuilding
programme, we decided it was an appropriate moment to hold an
inquiry into its effectiveness.
2. We announced our inquiry on 15 September 2004.
The terms of reference were to consider:
- CABE's overall priorities for
investment and development
- The work of its Design Review Panel in terms
of
- the criteria used in reviewing
schemes
- the consistency in the application
of the criteria
- the choice of schemes reviewed
- CABE's relationships with other national and
local agencies
- The future role for the organisation
3. We received 40 written submissions and held two
evidence sessions. We would like to thank our specialist adviser
Rob Cowan, the director of the Urban Design Group, for his guidance
and assistance and all those organisations who made written submissions
or gave oral evidence to this inquiry.
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