In the latest issue of Context, No 162, devoted to the heritage of New Towns, Katie Parsons of Historic England explores how the organisation is working to encourage good design and to ensure that heritage issues and the lessons of the past will not be overlooked in the planning of the new garden towns and garden villages.
Katie Parsons writes:
The government is embarking on an ambitious growth agenda to deliver housing using the new town model. This will be known as the Garden Communities Programme. A renewed focus on new towns stems from the government’s objective to deliver not only housing numbers, but also well-planned, high-quality development. Historic England is working to encourage good design and to ensure that important heritage issues will not be overlooked in the town planning of these new settlements. Heritage has an important role to play in the government’s growth agenda and in placemaking. A good understanding of the historic environment and its importance matters. This involves, first, looking at the success and failures of our existing new towns, especially regarding their future management; and, second, understanding the historic environment of places where new towns are to be located…
Local authorities are enthusiastically embracing the idea of new garden communities and the MHCLG sets out a good foundation for their planning. Many local authorities have already set out their intentions to create new garden towns and these are currently making their way through the local plan process. Good town planning begins with inception, and time and care should be taken to understand past mistakes so that they are not repeated. Equally, past successes should be understood so that new garden communities can remain successful places that bring long-term benefits and thrive with character at their heart.
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