{"id":91428,"date":"2018-04-26T15:23:31","date_gmt":"2018-04-26T15:23:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=2c7d921b55ae2cb51d3f057d81c6073b"},"modified":"2018-04-26T15:23:31","modified_gmt":"2018-04-26T15:23:31","slug":"speech-housing-ministers-speech-at-the-design-quality-conference-2018-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=91428","title":{"rendered":"Speech: Housing Minister’s speech at the Design Quality Conference 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n

Well good morning, can I welcome you all to this conference, the first on design quality we\u2019ve hosted as a Ministry.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to thank my team of officials for all their hard-work and creativity in making today happen.<\/p>\n

Of course, we couldn\u2019t have done it without our sponsors, so a huge thanks, and I want to name them as we are very grateful, to:<\/p>\n

Nigel Longstaff from Barratt<\/p>\n

Tony Pidgley from Berkeley Homes<\/p>\n

Adrian Penfold from British Land<\/p>\n

Melanie Leech from BPF<\/p>\n

Helen Gordon from Grainger<\/p>\n

Rosie Toogood from Legal and General Modular Homes<\/p>\n

Dan Labbad from Lend Lease<\/p>\n

and, Mary Parsons from Places for People.<\/p>\n

And thanks to all of you for coming today.<\/p>\n

Just over a month ago, the Prime Minister stood here in this room and launched our ambitious planning reform package to help us deliver the homes our country so sorely needs.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a commitment that we\u2019re already delivering on, with over 217,000 new homes delivered in the last year,
\nAnd over a million homes delivered since 2010.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve helped thousands of people onto the housing ladder, through Help to Buy and the recent cut in stamp duty for first time buyers.<\/p>\n

And are making renting fairer, safer and more secure for tenants.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s also become clear to me in the short time that I have been in this job, that it\u2019s not good enough just to build more homes.<\/p>\n

We need to build better homes.<\/p>\n

Homes that embody the high standards of quality and design, that are at the heart of strong communities\u2026<\/p>\n

And that is what today\u2019s conference is really all about for us,
\nChampioning the great work that many of you doing \u2026 to create attractive, thriving, places to live \u2026
\nAnd ensuring that, whether you are a home-owner or a renter, quality design is available to everyone,
\nThat it becomes the norm, rather than some exception.<\/p>\n

UK as global leaders<\/h2>\n

Whenever I discuss the role of design in home-building,
\nI can\u2019t help feeling that the objective, the aim of building homes on the scale we need in this this country,
\nAnd at the same time making them wonderful, vibrant places to live,
\nShould be seen as mutually reinforcing goals \u2026 not competing priorities.<\/p>\n

Steve Jobs once said:<\/p>\n

\n

Design is a funny word.
\nSome people think design means how it looks.
\nBut of course, if you dig deeper, it\u2019s really about how it works.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And if that\u2019s true of your phone it must be even more important when it comes to your home.<\/p>\n

How our homes feel, how they look it is not some \u2018nice tack-on\u2019 if you like, an additional extra,
\nIt is inextricably interwoven with how they function in practice and how we feel about them,
\nAnd how our individual homes fit in with our neighbourhoods and wider community.<\/p>\n

So design really matters, it\u2019s a practical thing it\u2019s not just abstract.
\nIt lies at the heart and soul of the housing challenge.<\/p>\n

And I was excited to open this conference,
\nBecause I know from all the innovative talent we have got in this room,
\nThat we\u2019ve got a really strong foundation to build on.<\/p>\n

That flows from the history we have got in this country and we have a long history as world leaders in architecture and urban design \u2026
\nBut also having and forging new innovative ways of looking at housing design for the future.<\/p>\n

The calibre of entrants to the Housing Design Awards, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, is a testament to that \u2026
\nAnd there are the many excellent examples of housing being delivered across the country,
\nBy Housing Associations, by councils, by developers,
\nAnd through the growing Build to Rent market.<\/p>\n

I recently visited Heyford Park in Oxfordshire.
\nIt\u2019s a good illustration of the strides we are making.
\nIt really feels like a community,
\nFrom the moment you stroll past the new local school,
\nAround the well-designed streets \u2026 in a beautiful setting, Underpinned by well-planned transport links, so it really feels like it is set-up to thrive for the future.<\/p>\n

We should take great pride in our design heritage and feel inspired by it \u2026 as we gear up to deliver those 300,000 homes that we will need by the middle of the next decade to meet the demand in this country.
\n300,000 each year.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s going to be a real challenge,
\nA lot of opportunities for all of you to hone and fine-tune your design skills along the way,
\nSo we build the homes we need,
\nThe homes people fall in love with,
\nAnd the homes that communities welcome,
\nThere\u2019s no question it\u2019s a great challenge.<\/p>\n

But I think, and I sense from people in the room that I have already talked to, that there is many of us that actually out of this challenge we can really find a great opportunity.<\/p>\n

And, if we are going to seize that opportunity and meet the challenge, it is clear to me that quality matters.<\/p>\n

And just as innovation in smart phones has emancipated hundreds of millions through better technology, better information, better communication links.<\/p>\n

So too, high quality design in housing shouldn\u2019t just be the preserve of those with deep pockets,
\nBut within the grasp of everyone in this country who dreams of moving into their own place, whether it is to rent or to buy.<\/p>\n

First time buyers and social housing<\/h2>\n

Take first time buyers.
\nThey are investing a huge amount of money,
\nThey are toiling harder than ever to get a foot on the housing ladder.
\nI think it\u2019s right they expect a beautiful home, a beautifully designed home, in return,
\nWhether it\u2019s a studio right they way through to a larger family house.<\/p>\n

Lower incomes should not mean low grade quality.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s something that has really been brought into a sharper focus for me,
\nDealing with the situation in the aftermath of the horrific events at Grenfell and the work we\u2019re doing, which is a part of that, on the forthcoming Social Housing Green Paper.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve just completed a national programme of meetings with social housing tenants, we\u2019ve been taking wider views online and we have been able to listen and share views with all of those people who live and breath the life as social housing tenants.<\/p>\n

Many spoke to me believe it or not, you might not intuitively expect it, but many spoke to me about the pride they take in their homes,
\nBut they also talked right across the country, from Basingstoke to North Kensington, they also spoke to me about some of the stigma associated with social housing.<\/p>\n

I am convinced that design has a role to play, in inspiring the way social tenants feel about their homes,
\nAnd piercing some of frankly pretty offensive stereotypes people perceive about those communities.<\/p>\n

For everyone in this country, the way our homes look and how they make us feel is central to our quality of life,
\nEssential for the vibrant and resilient communities we want to build.<\/p>\n

Now I know it sounds a bit soft and fluffy but there\u2019s hard evidence to back up this concept.<\/p>\n

How design quality affects supply<\/h2>\n

Design quality has an important role to play in boosting supply. It is not just about quality, but it is interlinked with the number homes we build,
\nLooking at good practice from some of our large-scale developments demonstrates that taking a long-term view,
\nMaking sure that you have got great design,
\nAlong with the right targeted infrastructure investment,
\nDelivers more of the places where people really want to live,
\nAnd can also help in the process reduce some of the local opposition we have historically seen in this country.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s face it, the more attractive the new homes are,
\nThe more likely we are to carry communities with us,
\nAnd the less pressure there will be on local authorities to oppose residential development.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s got to be the win-win we\u2019re striving for in this room.<\/p>\n

I have got no doubt that a focus on quality can drive up the quantity of new homes delivered.<\/p>\n

We can see that from the fine examples of developments being built using modern methods of construction,
\nWhether it\u2019s Kidbrooke Village in Greenwich or Smiths Dock in North Shields.<\/p>\n

And nor should high quality design necessarily cost more.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s one of the key points that we need to demonstrate through research as government, and you need to demonstrate in your practice in terms of rolling out and deploying modern methods of construction.<\/p>\n

Impact on social factors<\/h2>\n

Good design can help us deliver more homes more swiftly, that\u2019s important too.
\nAnd it can also improve people\u2019s health and wellbeing.<\/p>\n

According to Public Health England, high-density living along with good community facilities is associated with increasing positive social interaction. Again that is another illustration if you like of the way smart design can deliver a win-win.<\/p>\n

Of course, proximity to outside spaces matters too \u2013 particularly in the context of density.
\nAnd our parks and green spaces, there is no doubt, the evidence is clear, helping increase health, fitness and mental wellbeing as well.<\/p>\n

So raising the bar on design can help tackle wider issues and indeed it can help tackle wider social issues too.
\nThe regeneration of Coventry\u2019s Spirit Quarter saw crime in the area going down, and at the same time the percentage of students leaving school with five or more GCSE grades A* to C go up.<\/p>\n

Government action<\/h2>\n

So those are just some of the reasons why this conference is so valuable,
\nFor promoting better community engagement, innovation and learning from best practice elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Much of the work will be done by the techies \u2013 the architects, the developers, the engineers and the local planners.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s clear to me the government has a role to play as well. We are putting high quality design at the very heart of what we are doing and it is central really to the mission we\u2019ve got to get Britain building.<\/p>\n

It starts with our planning reforms, which include the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). I\u2019m sure you have all had a chance to have a look at and study in great detail.<\/p>\n

The revised NPPF strengthens the focus on high-quality design.<\/p>\n

The framework places a renewed emphasis on achieving well-designed places by setting out that new development should add to the overall quality and quality of life of an area,
\nAnd that permission should be refused if there is poor design \u2013 that is a really important step.<\/p>\n

Community engagement<\/h2>\n

We want to see development guided by what people want locally, Not some dull homogenous, design that has been pulled out of a bureaucratic top drawer in an office miles away from the community where the people affected are actually going to live it.<\/p>\n

The NPPF promotes early engagement with the community and promotes the use of tools and techniques, using IT an other things, to asses design quality.<\/p>\n

Through the revised NPPF, there will be fewer opportunities for local authorities to lower the expectations or to fail to deliver on the expectations and indeed on their plans.<\/p>\n

We can see already how this approach will add value, for example in the Garden Settlements programme.<\/p>\n

Take Tresham. People from the local area attended workshops to help develop the strategic masterplan, so that was a really important example of where the community were involved from the outset,<\/p>\n

Or Didcot Garden Town, there was an interactive website to encourage more people to get involved in shaping the community as it developed.<\/p>\n

And I think in the same spirit, if you look at the programme on Neighbourhood Plans they will go a long way to increasing the amount of influence the local community has on well-designed development,
\nWe have got 560 plans that have been signed off, over 2,400 groups starting have been starting the neighbourhood planning process since 2012. So that is something that is really gathering momentum.<\/p>\n

And I am excited by the sector-led initiatives as well, initiatives like Beauty in my Back Yard,
\nWhich is a great way of harnessing IT to help communities participate effectively in local planning,
\nSo that good design gets off the drawing board and gets onto the building site.<\/p>\n

Innovation and international practice<\/h2>\n

As with Beauty in my Backyard, innovation is crucial to creative design,
\nAnd I feel that the SMEs in this sector, the new entrants the challengers in the market are often strong drivers of greater creativity and innovation in this area.<\/p>\n

So, I am quite keen to learn, as well as the market leaders in the field, \u2026 and, I should add, not just those the UK, I think we have got a lot to learn from some of the innovative practice abroad.<\/p>\n

Many Northern European countries, including Denmark, Sweden and Norway have interesting national policy framework to encourage high quality design in home-building.<\/p>\n

I can see in my own community some of the Scandinavian designs are really popular.<\/p>\n

Beyond Europe, in Australia they uphold good design through clear guidance on expected quality of neighbourhoods and homes.<\/p>\n

Last year the Better Placed policy was launched in New South Wales in Australia. It aligns, it is quite similar with our view that design is not just what a place look like, but also how it works and feels to the people already living in it.<\/p>\n

So in central park in Sydney, they matched higher density with social areas for people to share a meal, to meet or just to mingle.<\/p>\n

And, here at home, we\u2019re promoting innovation by encouraging market diversification, particularly through the Home Building Fund.<\/p>\n

So far 11 schemes, all employing modern methods of construction, have been awarded nearly \u00a31 billion of funding to deliver innovation.<\/p>\n

One of these is Crowthorne in Berkshire, where the delivery of over 1,000 homes has been accelerated using modular methods of construction.<\/p>\n

I hope that all the SMEs invited here today, along with the larger developers, will be pioneers, really blazing the trail in this area, in delivering the most attractively designed homes for our communities.<\/p>\n

Good practice<\/h2>\n

And of course I have to mention our new, more assertive housing agency, Homes England because Nick Walkley and his team will be at the heart of our efforts. He has got an excellent team at Homes England and they have got a huge opportunity I think to deliver on our aspirations on better design of new garden settlements,
\nBacked up by \u00a322 million pounds worth of capacity funding for local authorities leading these projects to boost their capabilities \u2026. And that includes getting the design right.<\/p>\n

These garden towns and villages amount to 24 new locally-led communities, with the potential to deliver over 220,000 new homes. It\u2019s a really big slug of supply that goes with the quality we want to see.<\/p>\n

Supporting local authorities<\/h2>\n

Local councils too, they are an essential vehicle for delivering better design too and that is what our NPPF revisions are all about.<\/p>\n

Many local authorities told us they really buy into this, they share our ambition for setting high standards of design, but they did say they needed a bit of support in order to realise those aspirations.<\/p>\n

We listened to that feedback.<\/p>\n

And we launched the Planning Delivery Fund last year and awarded 26 local authorities over \u00a35 million to boost their resources and deliver increased design quality in their areas.<\/p>\n

The bids focused on resource to develop masterplans and to accelerate housing delivery \u2026 another illustration of the win-win we want to achieve between quality and quantity of the homes.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

So, with your help, high quality design is well and truly on the map,
\nIt is central to our vision of how we can build the homes Britain needs,
\nWhilst carrying local communities with us,
\nAnd reviving that dream of home ownership we want to see for the next generation.<\/p>\n

This conference today is an important milestone along that journey, it\u2019s not the point of arrival, but the point of departure.<\/p>\n

And it is really an opportunity to showcase your talents,
\nTo look at brilliant examples of inspirational design, both in this country and also across the world,
\nAnd to link up the innovation and creativity of the private sector,
\nWith the linchpin roles councils and, of course, government have to play as well.<\/p>\n

Above all, I wanted to take the time out to open the conference really just to demonstrate to all of you that you have a government that is really serious \u2026
\nAbout delivering not just the number of homes that we need in this country,
\nBut also the kinds of homes that families dream of.<\/p>\n

Thank you all very much.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Housing Minister Dominic Raab’s speech at the Design Quality Conference 2018.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91428"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=91428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91428\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=91428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=91428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=91428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}