The parliamentary Suburban Taskforce has today unveiled an Update Report summarising its workstreams and emerging considerations since it formed in March 2020. This includes key feedback from its public “Call for Evidence” and initial data analysis. The cross-party Taskforce was established, with the backing of the Government, to shine a light on the suburbs in order to identify and secure the clear, long-term and properly resourced policies needed to support thriving, sustainable and inclusive suburban areas. The Taskforce has spent the past twelve months reviewing evidence on the state of Britain’s suburbs in order to make recommendations to the Government on policy initiatives to enhance them. It is co-chaired by Dr Rupa Huq MP and David Simmonds MP, assisted by UCL as Knowledge Partner and with an expert Advisory Board chaired by leading British urbanist Jonathan Manns, Executive Director at Rockwell. The Taskforce has collated and reviewed quantitative data, such as those related to land use, built form, population, transport and infrastructure. It also held a public “Call for Evidence” which ran from August to October 2020 in addition to hosting a range of workshops and meetings with Government Ministers. The emerging analysis suggests that suburban areas can be seen as distinct from urban or rural locations but cautions against a one-size-fits-all approach and indicates that it may be more appropriate to understand them against a spectrum of characteristics. It also highlights the continued relevance of long-established ‘suburban debates’ about their relationship to urban centres and management of growth pressures, in addition to the potentially transformative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Commenting on the recent update, Dr Rupa Huq MP stated: “Almost exactly to the day, a year ago a bunch of MPs from three parties met to start the ball rolling with the Suburban Taskforce. Since then, suburban society has changed in ways unimaginable at the time with working from home for white collar staff, a new appreciation of space, and lockdown all subsequently normalised. “As this interim report shows densification, sustainability, decline of pubs, all bracketed under need for renaissance and anticipation of the new normal were all identified. This provides a solid basis for the next phase of this groundbreaking work to build on… and I personally can’t wait.” Jonathan Manns, Executive Director at Rockwell and Chair of the Suburban Taskforce’s Advisory Board added:“England’s suburbs are long-overlooked and the potentially transformative impacts of Covid-19 on the way we live and work make this cross-party review yet more pressing and relevant. There has been strong engagement to-date, supported by fresh new data, which is shining a light on the importance of managing change in a way that is both contextual and popular. The next steps will be to focus on the implications of the evidence-gathering stage for policy-makers and decision-takers.” www.suburban-taskforce.org About the Suburban Taskforce The Suburban Taskforce is an independent inquiry into the state of the suburbs and charting a course “Towards a Suburban Renaissance”. It is a cross-party parliamentary taskforce, comprising representatives of both Houses of Parliament, from all political backgrounds. It seeksto set out an agreed agenda for change. Its goals are: To illuminate the nature of social and economic activity in the suburbs. This is to include patterns of work, life and play and associated conditions in terms of investment, expenditure, built and natural environment. To illustrate the potential differences between suburban areas and those which are either more central or more rural, in addition to wider spatial distinctions which may exist, for example between larger and smaller settlements. In doing so, to inform our understanding of what constitutes a “suburb” in 21st Century Britain. To identify policy mechanisms and interventions which may assist in supporting the long-term sustainability of suburban areas. This will have particular regard to supporting polycentric centres, not least through fiscal considerations such as taxation and investment and the management of change through the planning system. The Taskforce currently comprises the following members: Co-Chairs: Rupa Huq MP (Labour) and David Simmonds MP (Conservative) Vice-Chairs: Jon Cruddas MP (Labour) and Gareth Bacon MP (Conservative) Lords Liaison: Baroness Susan Kramer (Liberal Democrat) Current Members Karen Buck MP Seema Malhotra MP James Murray MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP Steve Reed MP Sam Tarry MP About the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for London’s Planning and Built Environment The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for London’s Planning and Built Environment will act as the Secretariat to the Suburban Taskforce. It was inaugurated in October 2015 to provide a cross-party forum for consideration of planning and development matters in London. It has been Chaired since inception by Dr Rupa Huq, MP for Ealing Central and Acton. It was convened by Jonathan Manns, Executive Director at real-estate developer Rockwell and widely recognised as one of the country’s leading urbanists, as an important step in helping develop a coherent political voice on key issues affecting the future shape of London. About UCL UCL is the number one London university for Research Strength, recognised for its academic excellence and global impact. The Bartlett School of Planning is one of the leading research-led planning schools within Europe. As Knowledge Partner to the Suburban Taskforce, UCL’s support will be coordinated by Dr Lucy Natarajan and assisted by Dr Dimitrios Panayotopoulos-Tsiros. About the Advisory Board An independent Advisory Board has been assembled to assist the Suburban Taskforce in its work. The Advisory Board is Chaired by Jonathan Manns; Board Director at Rockwell, Visiting Associate Professor at UCL and Convenor of the APPG. Representatives from both professional built environment organisations and civil society include: Richard Blyth, Royal Town Planning Institute; Nicholas Falk, URBED Trust; Katie Perrior, InHouse Communications; Will Tanner, Onward; Tony Mulhall, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors; Peter Murray, New London Architecture; Phineas Harper, Director of Open City, and Prof. Laura Vaughan, Professor of Urban Form and Society and the Director of the Space Syntax Laboratory at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL.

The Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) has launched a series of briefings exploring how Project Speed can improve delivery of hospitals, schools, homes and rail. The output from four industry roundtables hosted by ACE in partnership with construction firms Laing O’Rourke, Mace and Reds10, as well as Network Rail and housebuilder Thakeham, the briefings explore how the industry can meet aspirations to deliver “faster, better and greener”. Taking inspiration from the rapid delivery of NHS Nightingale hospitals, the briefings explore practical steps that need to be taken to unlock delivery. Case studies shared from across the UK demonstrate the tangible measures that can already be taken to make Project Speed a reality. Common themes that emerge from the four briefings on rail, homes, hospitals and schools include: Strengthening the evidence base and use of data in project development and decision making. The digitising of previously paper-based process such as planning consultations, assurance and approvals processes. Focusing projects on an new approach to value-based decision making which goes beyond the purely financial. A recognition that making time for good design can significantly improve health, education, housing and transport outcomes. Hannah Vickers, chief executive of ACE said: “I have no doubt that we have the vision, creativity, and problem solving skills to meet the Project Speed challenge head-on, which is why we brought the industry together for our roundtables.” “The briefings will form the basis of our engagement with Westminster over the coming weeks and months as we reinforce the message that our members, and the industry more widely, are key partners for Government if Project Speed is to become a reality.” The industry roundtable discussions covered a range of issues that are seen as vital to speeding up delivery in each sector: Hospitals – Programmes rather than distinct projects, project sequencing and early detailed design, and digital design models. Schools – More collaborative and value driven design and procurement, how a product mindset is needed to deliver with Modern Methods of Construction, and making use of live ‘performance’ data. Homes – The importance of the planning regime to this debate, how to create a sustainable vision, digitising the process to speed-up delivery, and the use of design codes and guides. Rail – How to best focus design on the start of projects, the role of the design integrator and a ‘one team’ approach, and how digital approaches lead to more efficient assurance. The four Project Speed briefings are available for everyone to download now at: www.acenet.co.uk/project-speed

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has launched a new Guide for Construction Quality, focusing on quality management during the site production and assembly stage of construction projects. As we move into 2021, quality remains one of the CIOB’s main priorities, and is Mark Beard’s focus during his Presidential year. “Our members are the standard-bearers for quality in the construction industry,” says Mark. “The vast majority of building work that takes place is of high quality, but our customers have a right to expect more. Regrettably, many parts of our industry are stuck in old ways of working, and for this reason, I urge members to champion the CIOB Quality Guide, to embed it into your businesses and to help everyone in our industry rediscover the pride in doing the job right first time. As an industry, we need to go beyond the bare minimum and seek out the highest possible quality standards. By embracing the CIOB’s new Guide for Construction Quality, we can and will achieve better.” The Guide promotes an approach to quality management that begins by identifying those issues that impact on quality on site, assessing their likelihood and impact, and proposing practical measures that can be taken to either mitigate or remove them. It is intended to be a practical guide for use by practitioners working collaboratively throughout the construction supply chain. Paul Nash, Chair of the CIOB’s Quality Implementation Group, said: “By focusing on quality during the site production and assembly stage of a project, this guide aims to raise the bar for improving quality on site. The report of the independent inquiry into the construction of the Edinburgh Schools and, more recently, the evidence we have heard from the Grenfell Inquiry, have underlined why a guide such as this is needed now more than ever if we are to ensure that the buildings we create are safe for those who use them. Along with the Code of Quality Management, this Quality Guide is part of the CIOB’s ongoing commitment to raise standards and promote best practice in quality management and building safety in our industry.”