The RIBA has today, 14 April 2015, responded to the launch of the Conservative Party’s 2015 General Election Manifesto. Discussing the issues of Housing, Planning, Schools Building and Flood Defences – all key components of the RIBA’s #BuildaBetterBritain Campaign – RIBA President Stephen Hodder said:
On Housing:
‘It is vital that the pressure to tackle the housing crisis doesn’t lead to sub-standard homes. The RIBA supports the principle of more low cost homes on brownfield sites but high quality design and infrastructure are essential if these homes are to meet the needs of communities now and in the future.’
On Planning:
‘The next Government should review the National Policy and Planning Framework (NPPF) to ensure that it balances both economic sustainability and social and environmental factors. We remain deeply concerned by the loss of expertise from local authority planning teams and its impact on the quality of new developments.’
On Schools Building:
‘We hope that the Conservative’s commitment to school funding will enable improvements to the quality of the UK’s school buildings. We face a growing shortage of school places, and 80% of our school buildings are in poor condition, failing the students and teachers trying to learn and teach in them. Well-designed buildings improve well-being and cut maintenance costs – vital to the long-term future of the UK’s education system.’
On Flood Defences:
‘We welcome the party’s announcement that they will build 1,400 new flood defences. However, we need to go further. The next Government should provide real security for communities in areas affected by flooding by introducing legislation committing successive UK governments to build flooding resilience as a strategic priority for the long-term. There should also be a guarantee that new homes won’t be built on flood plains.’
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members www.architecture.com
2. Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA
3. For more information or interview requests, members of the press should contact: Gagandeep Bedi, Press Officer, RIBA: gagandeep.bedi@riba.org 020 7307 3814
Posted on Tuesday 14th April 2015
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