The Design Council has launched a national consultation on the future of design support. The review was launched on the first day that the Design Council officially merged with CABE. The review will be authored by Peter Bishop, visiting professor in Architecture and the Built Environment at Nottingham Trent University and until recently the Group Director of Design, Development and Environment at the London Development Agency.

As part of the review MADE will be co-hosting an event with Design Council CABE at our premises in central Birmingham on 20th May. Further details will follow soon. Anyone unable to join us on the 20th should email their views to Rachel Fisher at Design Council CABE. 

The consultation, which will run from April to June, will elicit a wide range of industry views to assess how best to drive high-quality design at the heart of regeneration, renewal and community planning. It will inform a root and branch review of CABE services, which will include recommendations of new market models for design reviews and design support that meets the needs of the public and communities in the UK.

The UK-wide consultation will engage a wide range of professions and sectors including architecture, planning, surveying, landscape, housing developers, construction industry and others. It will be supported by an external Advisory Group, which will act as a sounding board to ensure the consultation is as comprehensive and effective as possible within the time period available.Chaired by Paul Finch, the Advisory Group will offer connections to different parts of the sector to ensure that diverse views are expressed, and provide guidance and expert input. An in-house expert support team will include the new Design Council CABE Director of Design, Diane Haigh.

Announcing the consultation and review David Kester, Chief Executive of the Design Council said: “Design Reviews and other forms of support such as enabling within local communities are an essential component of the planning and development system. There is a bedrock of experience and knowledge across the sector that we can build on for the future, and it’s essential that we do so. This consultation is a rare opportunity to listen to people’s opinions and suggestions, and create a system that is truly responsive to the needs of our communities, economy and changing planning system.”

Peter Bishop’s report is scheduled to be published by late summer 2011.