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| Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission | |
|---|---|
| Name | Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission |
| Formed | 2018 |
| Jurisdiction | United Kingdom |
| Headquarters | London |
| Chief1 name | Roger Scruton |
| Chief1 position | Chair (2018–2020) |
| Chief2 name | Nicholas Boys Smith |
| Chief2 position | Commissioner (Chair, interim 2020– ) |
Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission The Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission was an advisory body established to promote high-quality architecture and urban design in the United Kingdom through recommendations to ministers and public bodies. It produced reports and guidance intended to influence planning policy, decision-making by local authorities such as Manchester City Council and Cornwall Council, and national legislation including proposals debated in the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Commission worked alongside institutions such as the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Royal Institute of British Architects, and the Civic Trust.
The Commission was created in 2018 following advocacy by figures including Roger Scruton, Nicholas Boys Smith, and commentators in outlets linked to debates involving Theresa May and the Conservative Party (UK). Its formation responded to public inquiries after projects in places such as Barking and Dagenham, King's Cross, and Oxford prompted discussions referencing precedents like Garden city movement, the New Towns Act 1946, and commissions such as the Civic Trust Commission on Architecture and the Built Environment. Ministers in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities endorsed an independent review to align development with priorities reflected in documents related to National Planning Policy Framework.
The Commission's remit included advising on aesthetics, sustainability, and community engagement across contexts from Greater London Authority strategic sites to rural parishes like St Ives, Cornwall. Core objectives echoed themes from reports by the Town and Country Planning Association, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, and the UK Green Building Council: promote beauty in design, elevate craftsmanship linked to traditions such as in Bath, and encourage place-sensitive development akin to Poundbury. It aimed to influence planning instruments involving local plans, Section 106 agreements, and conservation policies connected to bodies like Historic England.
Initial leadership included philosopher Roger Scruton as chair, with commissioners drawn from figures associated with the Royal Town Planning Institute, the Royal Institute of British Architects, academics from University College London and Oxford University, and practitioners from practices with portfolios including work in Cambridge and Bristol. Governance arrangements involved reporting lines into ministers in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and liaison with agencies such as Homes England and the National Infrastructure Commission. Advisory input was sought from civic groups like the National Trust and the Countryside Charity, CPRE.
Major outputs included a final report that recommended measures such as clearer design codes, greater use of pattern books, and support for local design review panels similar to mechanisms in Hampstead and Richmond upon Thames. Recommendations referenced precedents like the London Plan and instruments used by New York City Department of City Planning and Paris urban design frameworks. The Commission advocated reforms to planning processes that intersected with statutes such as the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and proposed incentives comparable to those used by Homes England and the Welsh Government for quality-led development.
Several recommendations were taken up in government consultations and reflected in policy shifts within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and subsequent documents presented to the House of Commons Library. Local authorities from Leeds City Council to Islington introduced design codes and review processes citing the Commission’s guidance, and professional bodies including the Royal Institute of British Architects incorporated elements into continuing professional development. The Commission’s ideas informed funding streams and delivery models used by Homes England and influenced debates in the House of Lords on amendments to planning legislation.
Controversy arose following the appointment and later resignation of Roger Scruton, generating debate in outlets and forums associated with The Guardian, The Telegraph, and coverage referencing disputes involving cultural commentators and institutions such as the BBC. Critics from groups aligned with the National Trust and the CPRE questioned aspects of the Commission’s approach, while academic commentators from University of Cambridge and Goldsmiths, University of London critiqued perceived ideological overtones. Concerns were raised in relation to planning equality issues discussed in contexts like Runnymede Trust reports and by members of the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee.
The Commission left a legacy in mainstreaming design codes, pattern books, and local design review panels adopted by councils such as Bristol City Council and Manchester City Council, and influenced education modules at institutions like Bartlett School of Architecture and Royal College of Art. Its influence persists in policy instruments used by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and in debates engaging professional bodies including the Royal Town Planning Institute and the Royal Institute of British Architects. The Commission’s corpus of guidance continues to be cited in planning appeals, local plan examinations, and academic literature from sources such as Town Planning Review and university presses.
Category:Urban design