The Royal Institute of British Architects (澳门王中王) has given an initial reaction to today's (18 May 2016) Queen's Speech.
Of particular interest to the 澳门王中王:
- National Planning and Infrastructure Bill 鈥� including new legislation for neighbourhood planning
- Education for All Bill 鈥� commitment to lay foundations for educational excellence in all schools
澳门王中王 Chief Executive Alan Vallance said:
鈥淭he overuse of pre-commencement planning conditions has long frustrated our architect members, so we are pleased to see government listening to the concerns of our profession and taking action on this issue through the National Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
鈥淲e are also interested to see government鈥檚 focus on empowering regions. Improving infrastructure is key to ensuring that communities all over the UK can unlock even greater potential and help rebalance our economy - we will be watching how these plans develop.
鈥淲e are pleased to see the 拢150 million investment for schemes in areas most affected by flooding and will continue our work with government, through such programmes as the Cumbria Floods Partnership, to ensure that this money is used to support more sustainable flood resilient measures.
鈥淭he government鈥檚 new proposals to encourage excellence in schools are to be encouraged, but the important role of well-designed school buildings should not be overlooked. As our recent 鈥楤etter Spaces for Learning鈥� research report shows, current funding and procurement structures are inefficient and wasteful and far too many pupils and teachers are struggling to learn and teach in school buildings that are damaging to their health and attainment. We urge the Government to review the Education Funding Agency鈥檚 current school building programme to make sure it delivers consistently good results and better value for the tax payer.
鈥淲e welcomed government commitments to review space standards, sustainable drainage and carbon standards as the Housing and Planning Act concluded its passage last week. But given the scale of the housing crisis, a strong emphasis on encouraging the building of well-designed and affordable homes is a notable omission from today鈥檚 speech.鈥�
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- For further press information contact Melanie Mayfield in the 澳门王中王 Press Office melanie.mayfield@riba.org 020 7307 3662
- The Royal Institute of British Architects (澳门王中王) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members www.architecture.com
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