AoU signs joint statement calling on the government not to remove its commitment to the Garden City principles from the NPPF
Over 50 organisations – including councils, professional bodies, trade associations, charities, developers and designers – are calling on the government to reinstate a reference to Garden City principles in the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), demonstrating its continued support for those delivering new Garden Villages, Towns and Cities.
The current NPPF requires that local authorities consider whether opportunities for large scale development, such as new settlements or extensions to existing villages or towns, that follow the principles of Garden Cities, are ‘the best way’ of achieving sustainable development. The draft revised NPPF, published for consultation on 5 March 2018, has deleted reference to these important standards.
The NPPF provides essential guidance for local authorities in their decision-making processes and is vital in securing high place-making standards. A commitment to the Garden City principles is not set out anywhere else in government policy.
Meeting the nation’s housing needs involves more than just delivering housing units; we need to create beautiful places which offer a wide range of employment opportunities and genuinely affordable homes, while enabling more sustainable lifestyles. The Garden City principles can deliver all this and are underpinned by a financial model which not only enables fast delivery but puts people at the heart of delivering new places and provides resources for the long-term stewardship and maintenance of a high-quality public realm and high-quality community facilities.
Re-committing to the Garden City principles in the NPPF is the starting point to unlocking a new generation of highly sustainable places that meet housing, employment and quality of life needs while promoting innovation. We recognise the Prime Minister’s personal commitment to building communities the nation can be proud of, and we urge the government to ensure the Garden City principles are reinstated in the NPPF.
Read the joint statement here.
A list of current signatories is provided below. If you would like to support the statement please contact Katy Lock at the TCPA: katy.lock@tcpa.org.uk or on 0207 930 8903.
1 The Academy of Urbanism
2 AECOM
3 Ashford Borough Council
4 Association of Public Service Excellence
5 Bolsover District Council
6 Bournville Village Trust
7 Braintree District Council
8 BRE
9 Brentwood Borough Council
10 Care & Repair England
11 Chartered Institute of Housing
12 Cherwell District Council
13 Colchester Borough Council
14 Cornwall Council
15 County Councils Network
16 DAC Beachcroft LLP
17 David Lock Associates
18 East Herts District Council
19 Epping Forest District Council
20 Essex County Council
21 Fareham Borough Council
22 Garden City Developments CIC
23 Harlow Council
24 Hertfordshire County Council
25 HTA Design LLP
26 The International Longevity Centre
27 Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust
28 The Landscape Institute
29 The Land Trust
30 LUC
31 Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation
32 Maddox Associates
33 Mid Devon District Council
34 Milton Keynes Council
35 National Housing Federation
36 The Nene Park Trust
37 North East Derbyshire District Council
38 North Dorset District Council
39 North Essex Garden Communities Ltd
40 The Place Alliance
41 Places for People
42 Portsmouth City Council
43 Redrow
44 Royal Institute of British Architects
45 Shelter
46 South Cambridgeshire District Council
47 Stafford Borough Council
48 Stevenage Borough Council
49 Tendring District Council
50 Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design Ltd
51 Town and Country Planning Association
52 UK Green Building Council
53 Urban Design Academy
54 Urban Design Group
55 URBED (Urbanism, Environment and Design) Ltd
56 Uttlesford District Council
57 Wei Yang & Partners
58 Wokingham Borough Council
Feature image Welwyn Garden City by CMGLEE via Wikipedia
