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FROM THE EDITOR
A
s the Planning and Infrastructure Bill continues to grind its way through Parliament, RIBA is celebrating having secured an amendment to ensure design quality is “at the heart of new development.”
The fact that this is something being celebrate, as a tenet that needs to be enforced by planning legislation, is a bit of an indictment of the state of our building culture in the 21st century. However, it’s necessary, according to RIBA, as the UK rushes towards taking small bites out of a colossal 1.5 million homes target.
The move uses the new Spatial Development Strategies within the Bill as the vehicle for this enforcement, as the legislation will, following RIBA’s amendment, “require SDSs to include a design vision, a clear articulation of what an area or project should be like in the future, developed with the local community and stakeholders.”
RIBA continued with its hyperbole, saying the amendment was “vital for high-quality design to be prioritised in the strategic planning process, and would ensure new development meets the practical needs of residents and communities, while embedding the principles of safety, sustainability and accessibility.” These are bold, potentially optimistic statements. Perhaps more pragmatic is the assertion that RIBA has “secured support for the amendment from the Design Council, the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) and NLA, and support from Peers across the political spectrum.” So this might mean it has a head of steam in the Lords, but what will its legislative teeth look like? And who will vet that ‘design vision’?
The amendment was tabled by Liberal Dems’ Housing Spokesperson in the Lords, Baroness Thornhill, who RIBA says it’s “working closely with to amplify its call to prioritise high-quality development.” The legislation will hopefully be entering its fi nal stages of debate now Peers have returned from their long summer break.
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CIAT President, Eddie Weir, said: “Integrating design visions within SDS gives communities the opportunity to shape local development at an early stage, building support for new homes, amenities, and infrastructure.” Incumbent RIBA President Muyiwa Oki added that without the “requirement for a design vision in the Bill, there is no guarantee that good design will be delivered.”
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His incoming successor, Chris Williamson, has, rather than trumpet the Bill’s hoped-for ‘guarantee of design quality,’ pointed towards the worrying headwinds for the practice – singling out AI. However, he does believe that architects can “meet the challenges head on,” and “turn them into opportunities.” This, plus issues Williamson pinpoints of mounting fi nancial pressures, I’d suggest, will be the gatekeepers of whether or not the ‘design visions’ survive into reality.
James Parker, Editor
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ECLIPSE LEISURE CENTRE, STAINES The UK’s fi rst large-scale Passivhaus leisure centre is a community-focused win by GT3 Architects
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Staines’ new Passivhaus leisure centre champions sustainability, accessibility, and strong community-led design.
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