Lords housing demand inquiry to hear evidence on the design and quality of new homes

At 10am the Committee will hear from:

• David Birkbeck, Chief Executive Officer, Design for Homes
• Professor Ricky Burdett CBE, Professor of Urban Studies and Director of LSE Cities and Urban Age, London School of Economics and Political Science
• David Orr CBE, Chair, the Good Home inquiry, Centre for Ageing Better.

This evidence session will be streamed on Parliament TV.

Questions the Committee is likely to ask include:

• What should be done to improve the quality and design of new homes? Could and should the Government improve standards in home design?
• What are the most common problems with the quality and design of new homes?
• Are the new design codes sufficient to increase the quality and design standards for new homes?
• To what extent do planners consider the public realm and placemaking in their approach to approving new housing developments?
• Where do the opportunities lie for building high quality, beautiful, and sustainable new homes?
• How can skills shortages in design be addressed?

More about this inquiry 

The Built Environment Committee is considering the key factors shaping the type, tenure and quality of housing needed in the UK. It is looking at a range of challenges to meeting housing demand including skills shortages in the construction industry and some specific aspects of the planning system.    

The Committee’s work can be followed on its website and via Twitter.

In its last session, the Committee took evidence from: Jonathan Manns, Executive Director, Rockwell Property; David Bainbridge, Director of Planning, Savills; and Victoria Hills, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Town Planning Institute. You can watch the session here.