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Agenda item

Minutes:

Pat Willoughby presented a report which provided a context for the preparation of a Regional Design Charter together with some thoughts on its purpose and application. She advised that the principle of securing improved design quality was a key part of the WMCA’s role in housing delivery, inclusive growth and place-making and the preparation of a Regional Design Charter had been agreed as a key deliverable for 2019 previously.

 

She advised the Board that the message regarding the importance of the quality of design needed to be emphasised to the development industry and that the purpose of the Design Charter was to supplement, but not supersede or replace existing documents of individual Local Planning Authorities. It was not intended to be a code, framework or guideline but would be a document that the WMCA could refer to when financial assistance and/or land was sought by prospective developers. The Officer Working Group would continue to develop the Charter which would hopefully be published in summer 2019. The Chair referred to paragraph 3.2 of the report and emphasised that the Charter was in addition to existing design policy documents.

 

Councillor Daren Pemberton supported the development of the Charter but reminded the Board that this could not ever be considered to overrule the policy documents of Local Planning Authorities. He enquired as to the level of discussion required with the development industry. He also counselled caution against unintended consequences when prospective developers could attempt to use the Charter against the individual policy documents of Local Planning Authorities. Pat Willoughby explained that the Charter would contain general principles relating to place-making and improving the quality of life. She assured the Board that different characteristics would be applied across the region in order to acknowledge the subtle nuances as appropriate. The document would be non-statutory but capable of being classified AS A material planning consideration in the determination of planning applications.

 

Councillor Ian Courts suggested that the task was much bigger than was currently realised and commented that it be reduced to three core elements as follows:

·         External design;

·         Space standards; and

·         Place-making – setting around houses.

He commented that there were responsibilities on the WMCA on an environmental front to ensure good quality design in order to protect health and wellbeing. Landowners needed to be influenced and persuaded of the need for good quality design with minimum standards being set by the WMCA, which in turn, could be reflected in the price of land and viability of development proposals. The Chair commented that if viability was prejudiced financial assistance could be provided by the WMCA.

 

Councillor Richard Overton commented that he supported any movement to define minimum standards and cited the example of some town centre developments which could be considered to be prejudicial to health and wellbeing. Gareth Bradford reported that there was a need to define ‘high quality design’ and on opportunities which could exist to showcase such developments.

 

Resolved:

1.    That the proposed elements and application of a Regional Design Charter following the commitment in the Housing Deal, for the WMCA to develop and implement a new Regional Design Charter in 2019 and thus continuing to improve design quality and place-making across the West Midlands be noted;  

2.    That it be noted that the report had been considered, and the broad contents endorsed, for submission to this Board by the Housing and Land Steering Group.

Supporting documents: