An All Parliamentary Group on Building Communites has been launched to discuss design and placemaking decisions towards solving the UK’s housing crisis
In a meeting held on Monday 18th June 2018, Bob Blackman MP was voted chair of the group while Liz Twist Labour MP and Stephen Hammond Conservative MP were elected as vice-chairs. Mark Prisk Conservative MP was voted in as the group’s secretary.
The aforementioned members will be joined by: Lord Shipley (Liberal Democrat), Sir Graham Brady MP (Conservative), Baroness Brown (Crossbench), , Lord Hodgson (Conservative), Andrew Lewer MP (Conservative) and Matt Western MP (Labour). The cross-party group of MPs and Peers will now meet in the autumn for its first session.
Guiding the group’s success is The Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) who will provide secretariat services for the APPG. They will discuss proposals that have been submitted in ACE’s report, Unlocking Housing: Reinvigorating Local Communities through Placemaking.
Commenting on the launch, Bob Blackman MP, the APPG on Building Communities chair said: “I’m delighted to chair this new group which will take the discussion around good design and placemaking to the next political level.
“We need to find new ideas to tackle the housing crisis and build the homes the country needs. I firmly believe that only a holistic approach which marries community engagement, placemaking and strategic infrastructure spending will enable this.”
ACE chief executive Dr Nelson Ogunshakin OBE said: “ACE is pleased to provide the secretariat for the APPG on Building Communities.
“The group’s formation is a vindication of ACE’s work in championing good design and infrastructure and ACE members should be excited that their views will be heard, discussed and debated in parliament.”
The APPG on Building Communites is financially supported by ACE members AECOM, Mott MacDonald, Peter Brett Associates, Ramboll, Waterman and WSP.
Heathrow, a non-member supporter has also offered their advice to the group.
