VIDEO | What do we want for our homes and neighbourhoods in 2034?

Property professionals from a wide range of sectors – including incoming Homes England interim chief executive Eamonn Boylan – gathered to re-examine how we can design our communities for the future in this roundtable discussion hosted by TP Bennett.

You can hear our panellists’ main takeaways from the conversation in the video at the top of this article.

Participants

• Alex Vogel, senior development manager at Muse
• Andrew Leaver, director at TP Bennett
• David Kemp, director at Turner & Townsend
• Eamonn Boylan, interim chief executive of Manchester City Council
• Euan Kellie, director at Euan Kellie Property Solutions
• Graeme Mill, head of design at Placefirst
• Rachel Summerscales, project officer at Greater Manchester Community Led Homes
• Sandy Kelly, asset director of development and sales at Onward Homes
• Tom Webber, regional development director at Latimer by Clarion
• Vicki Odili, director of sustainability at TP Bennett
• Chaired by Julia Hatmaker, editor of Place North West

Key talking points

From the outset, there was a clear consensus that the built environment needs to rethink the way it engages with community stakeholders and residents. To truly deliver on utopian visions for 2034 where our homes are affordable, sustainable, and truly meet local needs, projects should be co-designed with the community, rather than inflicted on them.

The group also agreed that accessibility needs to be factored in from the get-go, with consideration paid to the public realm. The same goes for sustainability, with those around the table encouraging the use of Passivhaus principles where they are suitable.

But before we get swept up in glittering ideas and fads, it is critical we get the basics right. That means being realistic about the infrastructure that can and cannot be delivered via Section 106 agreements. It also means shifting our focus away from the number of homes built to what it will be like living in them and the problems that may come up down the line.

When it comes to planning and policy, more stability and consistency are required to help deliver these homes and regeneration plans. Having a clear sense of direction will enable project teams to take a longer-term approach to schemes.

There also needs to be less prescriptive development in favour of a more guided approach – it was agreed that design guides are a great avenue for this. Design guides enable the local authorities to be proactive in their planning, but still allow for flexibility as times change and priorities shift.

For more from this roundtable discussion, you can simply watch the video at the top of this article or on the Place North West YouTube channel.  Learn more about TP Bennett by visiting tpbennett.com.