The Royal Institute
of British Architects (RIBA) has published a new set of recommendations ahead
of the final publication of Sir Oliver Letwin MP’s Independent Review of Build Out.
The final Review,
which is expected to be published next week, will look at the cause of the gap
between housing completions and the amount of land allocated or granted
planning permission in areas of high housing demand.
The RIBA’s report
identifies the necessary political conditions for building more high-quality
housing. It makes recommendations for how quality and supply can be increased
through better placemaking, with a greater diversity of tenures and types of
homes alongside improved planning, delivery and maintenance.
The report sets out
ten characteristics of housing developments where people want to live, illustrated with valuable case
study evidence demonstrating the relationship between design quality and the
rate of supply in the delivery of much needed, well-built affordable homes.
RIBA President Ben
Derbyshire said: “The first stages of Sir Oliver Letwin’s Review provided a
refreshing re-examination of the housing market and I look forward to seeing
the conclusions.
Unlocking housing
supply through improved design quality is essential to ensure we build places
that will last, and where people want to live. I hope the RIBA’s
recommendations will inform the Letwin Review and reinforce its impact.
With the lifting of
the housing borrowing cap, the onus is now on local authorities and their
partners to rise to the challenge and ensure that the next generation of
housing developments raises the bar when it comes to quality and
sustainability.”
