During the 80s there were
many objectors to the Euro Tunnell, yet the benefits have been substantial
Tunnel bill, with over 4,000 petitions in the House of Commons and 1,457 registered in the Lords as it made its way through the Select Committee. The process of debating this lasted over 15 months, compared with just two days in France, where a public ‘Presidential declaration’ was declared. Criticism in the UK focused
not just on the economic expenditure, but also the visual impact of the chalk spoils as material was removed from the site. Yet since its completion in 1994, the positive impact the tunnel has had in terms of spin- off projects has been immeasurable and certainly not planned. It created the opportunity for Stratford City, which then became one of the deciding factors in London winning the 2012 Olympic Games and it certainly has made Kings Cross more desirable.
What this really comes down
to is not so much growth versus localism, but the opportunity for better communication between developers and local communities that will be directly affected by proposals. The planning system in its current form is complex, largely unknown and inaccessible to the general public. By simplifying the process and looking at ways to convey the information to suit a modern audience, you can better engage with them – they could even commission their own plans and proposals. By adopting a variety of media platforms such as video, we could make it easier to inform local communities about individual planning proposals. From a sustainability
perspective, planning can be both pro-development and growth as long as environmental considerations are given in the
widest sense and conservation of our green spaces has rightly risen to the top of the agenda. The core philosophy of ‘People, Planet and Profit’ is a good basis on which to judge sustainability credentials; does the community want this, does it make a contribution to the surrounding area, and is it economically viable? But there exists a common misconception that greenbelt land should be left out of the equation entirely in terms of construction. To totally dismiss this would be foolish to my mind. Brownfield sites should be
exhausted in our cities, alongwith those that exist in the green belt which are already set up to accommodate residential and commercial developments, such as formerMinistry of Defence siteswhere hard-standings and access to services such as electricity andwater already exist.
Our industry THE EXPERTS...
experts provide a compelling
insight into the topical issues of the day
STEVEN BARKER CHAIRMAN, ROBINSON LOWFRANCIS (RLF)
Steven has 35 years experience working within the construction and property
sector. Formerly Senior Partner of RLF, he led the modernisation and growth of the business from a two office QS firm to a multi disciplinary firm operating out of eight offices. Steven has specific expertise in commercial, leisure, retail and high- end residential areas. Notable projects over the years include project managing the JJB stadium, several headquarter office buildings, commercial fit outs and major department stores such as House of Fraser at Bluewater and Oxford Street.
JOHN NORDON HEAD OF DESIGN INTELLIGENCE, WOODS BAGOT
John is an experienced designer and has worked on many completed projects as
well as winning and being placed in major international competitions over the last 15 years. His work has been exhibited at the Bristol Architecture Centre, the New London Architecture Centre, 100% Design and the London Architectural Biennale.
Decisions on large-scale
infrastructure projects should not be the reserve of experts. What is required in the UK is a sensible approach to engaging everyone in the planning process so we can all have the opportunity to be involved in creating and shaping the places in which we live. Hopefully this will be achieved through the government’s localism agenda, but as with all consultation processes, negotiating with the polarised few will be necessary before we can truly engage the apathetic masses.
Our panel of architects are experts in their field and have experience in a vast area of architectural design including; landscape, public sector and private residencies. If you would like to contribute as a panelist email:
rebcecca.gibson@
onecoms.co.uk
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