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Every new home should have access to a fruit tree, says Building Beautiful commission

Every new home built in the future should have access to a fruit tree, a new report from the government-backed commission aimed at driving beauty in new housing developments has suggested.

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Every new home should have a fruit tree, says commission on beauty in housing (picture: Getty)
Every new home should have a fruit tree, says commission on beauty in housing (picture: Getty)
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Every new home should have access to a fruit tree, says Building Beautiful commission #ukhousing

A government report criticises Homes England for “a lack of qualitative standards attached to funding offers, including their affordable housing strategic partnerships” #ukhousing

“Today’s report is important for many reasons, not least because of the powerful argument it makes that a sense of place still matters,” says @RobertJenrick #ukhousing

Published today, the final report from the government’s flagship Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission said that house builders should be encouraged to plant one fruit tree per house, partly to “reconnect children with nature and with the sources of their food”.

In a release that accompanied the report, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said that the commission supported the idea that “every home should have its own or access to a fruit tree”.

A total of 130 recommendations were made via the report, including that a review of Homes England’s remit, targets and investment timeframes should be undertaken to increase the focus on quality and long-term placemaking.

The report said the commission has heard “many concerns” about Homes England’s approach to quality and design, including “a lack of qualitative standards attached to funding offers, including their affordable housing strategic partnerships”.

It added: “This means that grant funding can be used by housing associations to buy ‘off the shelf’ from house builders without any minimum standards.”


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The Building Better, Building Beautiful commission was established in 2018 to advise government on how to promote the use of high-quality design for new build homes and neighbourhoods.

The report was led by the late Conservative philosopher Sir Roger Scruton, who died earlier this year, and Nicholas Boys Smith, the commission’s chair.

The report also criticised the government for its policy on permitted development and recommended that better standards be required, for example by moving minimum home or room sizes into building regulations.

Permitted development, which allows offices to be converted into homes without planning permission, has been heavily criticised for facilitating the creation of homes with limited space and access to amenities.

The commission also said there should always be a member of cabinet who is a “champion for place” and recommended that the deputy prime minister or chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster could fill this role.

In addition, a minister for place should be created at the minister of state level, according to the report.


Related Files

Building Better Building Beautiful final report.pdfPDF, 5.7 MB

Speaking at the launch of the report in London today, housing secretary Robert Jenrick will say: “Today’s report is important for many reasons, not least because of the powerful argument it makes that a sense of place still matters – and, arguably, in our fast-paced, globalised world, matters perhaps more than ever.

“It recognises that our identities go hand in hand with the places and neighbourhoods in which we live and work.

“That’s why beautiful, high-quality homes must become the norm, not the exception.”

He will add: “I too want to see a return to planting more trees. We set out in our manifesto that we will expect all new streets to be lined with trees and are working to make this commitment a reality…

“And the report is right that local authorities will need to play a leading role in this design revolution. We will need to ensure they have the right skills and leadership to fully carry out their role as placemakers.”

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