The Government has published an interim report on how to promote and increase the use of high-quality design for new build homes and neighbourhoods. In Creating Space for Beauty, the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission sets out the work carried out so far ahead of the final report, which is expected in December 2019. This report will “recommend practical measures to help ensure new housing developments meet the needs and expectations of communities, making them more likely to be welcomed, rather than resisted, by existing communities.”
Particularly important for heritage is the Commission’s commitment to preserving Britain’s heritage through ‘planning’ and preventing loss. Included in examples of this is the listing of St Pancras Station to prevent its demolition. The potential of heritage to bring about improved well-being, environmental and economic benefits is also mentioned as an important consideration for the Commission.
The report currently highlights the differential VAT treatment of repair and restoration building work as something that should be “harmonised so as not too continue discouraging the repair and reuse of existing buildings and places”. This links to the recommendations the Heritage Alliance set out in our Fiscal Manifesto 2019: Backing the Bedrock.