Housing secretary Robert Jenrick has appointed Nicholas Boys Smith to establish a design body to advise the government and ensure beauty in local communities.
The advisory group will support the overhaul of the planning system, in the largest reform since the Second World War.
Boys Smith is the co-chair of the government’s Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission, which made 130 recommendations to reform planning earlier this year.
He will now chair the steering group, which will advise the government as it seeks to deliver new zoning measures and fast-track development and help local communities to create binding design codes.
Jenrick has also appointed Historic England commissioner Charles O’Brien as the government’s listing heritage adviser to conserve historic buildings.
In August, the housing secretary revealed the government’s long-awaited planning white paper, which proposed a “landmark” reform to the planning system, proposing new local plans and zoning measures to replace planning applications.
The planning reform has been widely criticised amid fears it could lead to local quality housing and threaten high streets, even impacting on the health of residents. However, the government argues the reform will cut through red tape to boost housing delivery and SMEs.
Speaking at a conference today, Jenrick said: “For the first time in this country, we are embedding beauty, design and quality in the planning system.
“The creation of a new design body will empower communities to demand developments are built to local preferences and reflect the character and identity of their communities – assigning ‘anywhereville’ developments to history.”
Boys Smith added: “New places should be the conversation areas of the future: popular, beautiful, sustainable and supportive of public health and wellbeing.”
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