Baroness Thornhill (LD)

I should just say, “I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Lansley”, and sit down but I shall speak briefly to my Amendment 145A, which is supported by the noble Lords, Lord Carlile of Berriew and Lord Lucas, and my noble friend Lord Teverson—not to mention the Royal Institute of British Architects, which worked up this amendment. I thank them all and regret that, due to the hour, with the exception of the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, they are not here to give their contributions. It is absolutely clear that strategic development strategies are a key positive plank in this Bill. I agree with much of what the noble Lord, Lord Lansley, has said, both earlier and now. There was also a lot of good commentary in our debates on the previous groups, which I refer to personally in hoping that the Government will take much of it on board. At present, the Bill does not require the SDSs to set out a design vision that turns developments into real places. They might sound technical—the discussion that we have had so far has been very technical, in terms of having this here and that there—but, at their heart, they are about people and place. They allow us to step back, look to the future and plan with purpose. A design vision is a clear articulation of what an area should be in future. Too often, we have made decisions in isolation, with housing here, employment there and schools somewhere else—and transport between them as an afterthought—without working out how they all fit together. However, life does not work in silos. Families need homes near jobs, children need safe routes to schools and communities need high streets that thrive, as well as green spaces to enjoy—that is, places we can be proud of. Without that vision, what are we left with? A scattering of housing estates, with a road scheme here and a retail park there. It may be functional and meet targets but it is utterly soulless; it is about numbers being ticked off a list, not communities being built to last. A proper design vision is not a frilly bit; it is the framework within which everything else sits. It is the difference between creating thriving neighbourhoods and repeating the mistakes of the past. We all know what happens without one: car-dominated estates with no green spaces, no heart and no chance of belonging. Sadly, there is a lot of evidence to back this up. If this Bill is to mean anything, it must be rooted in a clear design vision; otherwise, we will be remembered not for building communities but for building mistakes. It will set out direction and principles for quality development. Including the requirement for a design vision would strengthen the Bill by putting design quality at the heart of strategic development. To put it simply, without design, it is like pouring concrete without foundations—it will not stand the test of time.