Government agencies pledge commitment to improving design quality following first survey of affordable housing design

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and CABE, have teamed up today to pledge their joint commitment to drive up the design quality of new homes, following the publication of the first national design survey of new affordable housing in England.

The findings of the Affordable Housing Survey, produced by CABE and commissioned by the Housing Corporation, now part of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), show mixed results.

Based on the assessment of 218 schemes from the Housing Corporation’s 2004/06 and 2006/08 funding rounds, the findings show nearly two thirds (61 per cent) to be ‘average’, with 18 per cent of schemes either ‘good’ or ‘very good’. A fifth of schemes (21 per cent) were assessed as ‘poor’.

Some aspects of the schemes were frequently strong: these included architectural quality, the quality of the surrounding public realm and the tenure and accommodation mix. Many schemes also outperformed statutory minimum criteria, such as building regulations.

But the survey assessed the whole place, not only the buildings, and found other aspects of some schemes to be weak. These included a lack of distinctiveness and having a design that does not respond to its context. Some schemes were difficult to navigate around, or had limited access to local amenities. Around 20 per cent of schemes were marked down as a result of these issues.

In a joint statement, Richard Simmons, Chief Executive of CABE and Sir Bob Kerslake, Chief Executive of the HCA, said: “We all want public housing to blaze the trail for good quality, sustainable design. This survey shows that too much social housing has not been good enough in recent years. High standards are crucial to improving quality.

“We expect that the next survey will show better results as schemes increasingly take account of the criteria contained in Building for Life, the national standard for well designed homes and neighbourhoods, as stipulated by the Housing Corporation’s design standards in 2007. The schemes in this audit were not subject to that discipline. New ones will be. The HCA will continue to promote high standards of quality in all the housing it funds, and to raise aspirations so that the rest are as good as the best.  CABE will continue to support the HCA and RSLs across the country to make this a reality.”

The report recommendations include closer working between RSLs and local planning authorities and enforcing minimum design standards, including Building for Life. The HCA currently requires partners to adhere to the ex-Housing Corporation design standards and ex-English Partnerships quality standards for schemes on its land.

A Design and Sustainability Advisory Group is currently being set up by the HCA to provide independent strategic policy advice to the agency. The Group will provide an ongoing independent perspective on the extent to which the HCA’s statutory duties in respect of good design and sustainable development are being delivered.

For further information please contact Gemma Bird in the HCA press office, on 020 7881 1054 / gemma.bird@hca.gsx.gov.uk or Dominy Bird in the CABE press office on 020 7070 6772 / dbird@cabe.org.uk

Note to editors

1. The Affordable Housing Survey findings are based on site visits and desk-based assessment of 218 schemes, which is a nationally representative sample of the output of RSL development partnerships commissioned under the Housing Corporation’s 2004-06 and 2006-08 investment programmes, the standards for which were set in 2003 and 2005 respectively.
2. The Affordable Housing Survey can be downloaded from www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/publications
3. The HCA is working towards developing a set of design and quality standards, which will be published for consultation in Summer 2009.

About the Homes and Communities Agency

The Homes and Communities Agency is the single, national housing and regeneration agency for England.  Our role is to create opportunity for people to live in high quality, sustainable places. We provide funding for affordable housing, bring land back into productive use and improve quality of life by raising standards for the physical and social environment.

The HCA brings together English Partnerships, investment functions of the Housing Corporation, and the Academy for Sustainable Communities, with major delivery programmes of Communities and Local Government.

During the next three financial years the HCA controls a budget of £17.3bn.

About CABE

CABE is the government’s advisor on architecture, urban design and public space. As a public body, we encourage policymakers to create places that work for people. We help local planners apply national design policy and offer expert advice to developers and architects. We show public sector clients how to commission buildings that meet the needs of their ssers. And we seek to inspire the public to demand more from their buildings and spaces. Advising, influencing and inspiring, we work to create well-designed, welcoming places. www.cabe.org.uk