§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he intends to take to implement the recommendations made by his Environmental Board that his Department should investigate methods of improving the level of technical awareness of design problems of elected members of local authorities.
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§ Mr. Freeson:My officials are at present considering this recommendation.
§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he accepts the recommendations made in paragraphs 20 and 21 of the report of his Environmental Board about the design standards of access roads and footpaths, and the enforcement powers relating to them; and what action he proposes to take in that regard.
§ Mr. Freeson:My Department's Design Bulletin 32, which has been circulated to all local authorities in England, gives design advice on residential roads and footpaths, which is in line with the recommendations of paragraphs 20 and 21 of the report of the Environmental Board. This advice was commended to local authorities in DOE Circular 72/77 and Department of Transport Circular 5/77. We shall be monitoring the response.
§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take to implement the recommendation of his Environmental Board that the house building industry should be more closely involved in the preparation of design guides.
§ Mr. Freeson:The House Builders Federation has recently sent me a memorandum on design guidance. I shall soon be sending it and other interested bodies a draft circular for their comments before its issue to local authorities.
§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take to implement the recommendation in its recently published report of his Environmental Board that issue of advice by his Department on the form and content of design guides should be a priority in view of the statement by his chief planner to the Environment Sub-Committee of the Expenditure Committee on 14th January 1977 that it was being urgently looked at, and in the process of being drafted—8th Report, 1976–77, Vol. II, column 683; and when it will be published.
§ Mr. Freeson:The Environmental Board has commented on the draft circular, and the amended draft is being sent to interested bodies for comment; it will 855W be published when their views have been received and considered.
§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will outline the division of responsibility for research work into problems of housing, design and urban planning between the Housing Development Directorate of his Department and the urban planning, design and environmental design divisions of the Building Research Establishment; and by what co-ordinating machinery he ensures that their work does not overlap.
§ Mr. Freeson:On technical aspects of housing design and the immediate environment, the Building Research Establishment (BRE) is responsible for research and its application, and the Housing Development Directorate (HDD) for development. In general, the BRE is concerned with longer-term research. The HDD uses this work in its own studies and in producing advice, guidance and codes for all providers of housing, particularly local authorities. Some projects are executed jointly.
Both the HDD and the BRE carry out socio-economic research, though the HDD's concern is more with providing support for immediate policy needs. The HDD has no responsibility in relation to urban planning. There is well developed liaison between the two at all levels, and regular co-ordination of their work through the Department's research requirements machinery.