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Communities and Local Government Committee - Inquiry into the skills capacity within local government to deliver sustainable communities
Memorandum by the Royal Institute of British Architects
Introduction
The RIBA is one of the most influential architectural institutions in the world, and has been promoting architecture and architects since being awarded its Royal Charter in 1837. The 30,000-strong professional institute is committed to serving the public interest through good design. It also represents 85% of registered architects in the UK through its regional structure as well as a significant number of international members. Our mission statement is simple - to advance architecture by demonstrating benefit to society and promoting excellence in the profession.
The RIBA has long been highlighting what we see as a chronic lack of planning skills within local government, and believes that the development of planning skills and resources within local planning authorities must be a priority. The RIBA's A Manifesto for Architecture in 2005 and subsequent mid-term report in 2007 called for investment in a planning system where planners are valued and equipped with a sound understanding of design. We believe that architects and other design professionals cam play a valuable role in adding value to the important decisions that must ultimately be made by planning authorities.
The problem
The CLG Committee's acknowledgement of the lack of sufficient skills in planning is welcomed by the RIBA. We feel that this shortfall is particularly felt in the area of design. Design is about much more than aesthetics. It is functional, sustainable and gives pleasure. It attracts people, investment and activity to places, and brings social, environmental and health benefits. It must therefore be one of the most important considerations in the delivery of new development and should be entrenched within the planning decision-making process.
Many problems encountered by developers and architects alike arise out of a chronic lack of skills and resources within local planning authorities. Research by CABE has shown that only 49% of local authorities have a qualified urban designer in their planning department (and only 32% of planning departments contain a registered architect.) [1]
Meanwhile developers and architects continue to find themselves at the sharp end of refusals on spurious design grounds while homebuyers also suffer as poorly-designed schemes are nodded through the planning process. There is also a lack of confidence among local planning authorities to refuse poor schemes on design grounds - in 2003 (the most recent year for which figures are available) only 26% of local authorities refused planning permission on design grounds in more than 20 instances.[2] The recommendations to come out of local design review panel meetings can give planning officers the confidence to refuse schemes that have unconvincing design quality.
Most local authorities except that there is a need for further design skills within their planning departments. In this often overstretched environment design matters can be overshadowed. The RIBA believes that local design review panels offer the kind of skills and expertise that many planning departments would otherwise be lacking.
Local design review: a vital skills resource
Design review panels are panels made up of architects and other design professionals with the role of advising local planners during the planning process and, in many cases, during the pre-application process. During structured meetings they meet with developers and their design teams to examine the design elements of the planning proposals.
If used well in the planning process, far from becoming another layer of planning bureaucracy, design review can speed up the process, give certainty to developers and avoid the mistakes of poor design.
Many local authorities have been successfully running a local design review panel for number of years, the RIBA has been closely involved in setting many of these up in response to a demand that is certainly there: 86% of local planning authorities state there is a need for further design skills within their planning departments while 62% of RTPI members agree. While 29% of local authorities have access to a design review panel, 69% of authorities which do not have access to one have said that they would prefer to have such access.[3]
The costs of establishing such panels are far outweighed by the costs of fighting planning appeals that arise out of poor-quality planning decisions.
The benefits of using local design review panels include:
· raising the standard of design through informed criticism of proposals · encouraging a productive and informed dialogue between applicants, local authority decision-makers and design experts · fewer appeals as better decisions are made based on objective advice from experts.
Entrenching good design in the planning system
Both the Barker Review of Land Use Planning (which informed the Planning White Paper leading to the Planning Bill) and the more recent Calcutt Review of Housebuilding Delivery endorsed recommendations by the RIBA for the systematic use of design review within the planning process. We want an assurance that the Government will take these recommendations forward. In doing so, we call upon the Government to make local design review panels available to all local planning authorities for all types of new development.
The RIBA has called for increased investment in the training of councilors in vital planning skills. We feel that understanding of design issues amongst many councilors is poor. We have seen how a local design review panel can inform and advise a planning committee with the kind of design expertise that elected members cannot be expected to have.
Conclusion
The RIBA therefore proposes that:
· Local design review panels should be made available to each local planning authority to advise planning officers and councilors on the design merits of development proposals
· Local panels should include not only architects, but also other relevant professionals such as conservationists, landscape architects and public arts specialists where appropriate
· Local planning authorities should retain the final say on whether consent should be granted. But where a design review panel is satisfied with the design aspects of a planning proposal that is subsequently rejected on design grounds by the planning authority, their findings should carry weight at any subsequent appeal
· Design review should be open and transparent, and panels should find ways in which they can engage with local communities and consider local people's views about proposed development
· Design review panels should operate against robust, clear and consistent criteria. The development of design criteria would be a suitable role for CABE, working in partnership with other organisations such as the RIBA, Royal Town Planning Institute and the Local Government Association
[1] CABE, Review of local authority planning departments, 2003. [2] ibid. [3] ibid. |