§ 15. Mr. GapesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action the Government are taking to improve the quality of urban design. [68278]
§ Mr. CabornThe Government take every opportunity to encourage higher standards of urban design and will be considering what further measures might be appropriate when the Urban Task Force reports in the early Summer. In the meantime, the Government are encouraging good design by publishing good practice guidance, including: "Places, Streets and Movement", a companion guide to "Design Bulletin 32", published last autumn, which aims to improve the design of housing layouts; and a more general "Good Practice Guide on Design in the Planning 147W System", which we expect to publish in the Spring. In addition, design competitions were held for the Millennium Villages in Greenwich and Allerton Bywater, which demonstrate he Government's commitment to encouraging better quality development.