The design of new housing developments in England is overwhelmingly ‘mediocre’ or ‘poor, with less-affluent communities the worst affected, according to a national audit conducted by UCL. The report audited over 140 housing developments built across England since 2007 and was conducted for CPRE, the countryside charity, and the Place Alliance.

Sue Percy, Chief Executive, CIHT said:

“The results of this study are not a surprise and supports our view that there is an overwhelming and urgent need to improve the design and integration between transport and planning for housing. CIHT’s Better planning, Better transport, Better places advice shows a need to embed a clear place-based vision that has sustainable transport, health, climate change and environmental needs integrated from the start.’

‘We believe that any new developments, including housing, must have a sustainable transport strategy at the planning stage that can be incorporated into the final design, providing viable and inclusive transport links and sense of place for new homes. This also needs to be underpinned with adequate resources for both the construction and maintenance of the highway asset.

CIHT was represented on the advisory group, along with individuals from CPRE, Home Builders Federation, UK Green Building Council, Civic Voice, ARUP, Design Council, Academy of Urbanism / URBED and Urban Design Group.

The report found that one in five developments should have been refused planning permission outright. The developments poor design was contrary to the advice given in the National Planning Policy Framework. A further 54% should not have been granted permission without significant improvements to their design having been made first.
More than half of the audited developments should have been amended to improve a sense of place and help pedestrians and cyclists, the report added. This comes after the Department for Transport’s National Travel Survey shows that people in the UK want to reduce car use. The survey shows that 74% agreed that "everyone should reduce how much they use their motor vehicles in urban areas like cities or towns, for the sake of public health".

Professor Carmona urged the government to make mandatory Manual for streets (MfS), produced by the Department for Transport in 2007, and Manual for Streets 2 (MfS2), produced by CIHT in 2010, have become the standard reference guidelines for the development of sustainable street design. They have promoted the consideration of all modes of transport, alongside car use in the design of public space and are well respected in the sector.

CIHT is currently in discussions with the Department for Transport to collaborate on new guidance, Manual for Streets 3. The new guidance will update the requirements for network planning and design to meet the needs of all users of streets and roads.

Notes for editors

Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation

CIHT is a membership organisation representing over 14,000 people who work in the highways and transportation sector.

CIHT members plan, design, build, operate and maintain best-in-class transport systems and infrastructure, whilst respecting the imperatives of improving safety, ensuring economic competitiveness and minimising environmental impact.

CIHT supports its member's professional endeavours by:
• offering training, information, professional development and support
• promoting the value added to society by the profession
• being the focused voice to Governments and other decision makers on transportation expertise and knowledge.

For more information please contact:

Daniel Isichei, Director of Communications, Daniel.Isichei@ciht.org.uk t: +44(0)20 7336 1567 m: 07912 122573 www.ciht.org.uk