Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Con)

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Thornhill, and the noble Lords, Lord Carlile of Berriew, Lord Lucas and Lord Teverson, for tabling Amendment 145A, which I wholeheartedly support. As I touched on earlier in my remarks on Amendment 123, design and what buildings look like is so important. It can enhance the community, being sensitive to existing architecture and local housing layout that uses local materials. To be sustainable, we must build homes that people will still want to look at and live in years from now. Too often, developers are building houses that do not differ between communities and places. Although provisions are in place for local authorities to insist on local styles, that is frequently sacrificed in favour of lower costs per home. I would argue that we should encourage new housing to be carried out more by small local builders, who should be more responsive to local need and invested in local communities. As noble Lords know, developers are allowed to appeal if they do not get their planning permission, yet locals are not allowed to appeal against poorly designed and badly-thought-through applications. We need to ensure that local people are listened to and brought alongside the process. There is no set standard for consultation; it could take months and be very well run and detailed, or it could be just a tick-box exercise on one weekend when everyone is on holiday. Are consultations always heeded? I am concerned that people are consulted then just ignored. This amendment seeks to rectify these issues by including a design vision into the spatial development strategy. It is vital for high-quality design to be prioritised in the strategic planning process to ensure that new development meets the practical and visual needs of residents and enhances communities. I am pleased that this amendment is endorsed by so many key bodies who work in the sector.