Enclave a design gem

Published: 12 November, 2010

• THE Lords has been debating this week whether the bonfire of the quangos – the axing and merging of hundreds of public bodies – is unconstitutional. Concerns have been raised that the speed and the extent of the cull risk throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

One body that lost its funding is urban design watchdog the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE).

Earlier this year, CABE started a debate on “ordinary places”, which include areas around big city centres. It found that cost and time were preventing locally distinct schemes from being designed  and built.

We were able to point to a simple solution, as we live in a distinct local gem that could provide an attractive blueprint for future homes – Northview in Holloway, a residential enclave whose design as a natural community has worked for decades (see it at www.northview.org.uk).

CABE’s head of evidence said: “We like unheralded examples of good design. We’ll investigate Northview, and do tell us about any other examples of design you think need to be promoted.”

CABE has now lost its funding. We hope that, whatever happens, the opportunity to learn from local examples of tried and tested sustainable design will not be lost.

CHRISTY LAWRANCE
Secretary, Northview Residents’ Association