Design Council Homes Taskforce launched to support 1.5 million homes target within UK climate commitments

[edit] Background

Design Council Homes Taskforce was launched on 17 July 2024 to support the new government in creating 1.5 million homes within UK climate commitments.

• The Design Council has established the Design Council Homes Taskforce, to act as a trusted partner to the new government on their announced house building programme.
• Creating 1.5 million homes within legal climate commitments is a critical design challenge, say the Taskforce.
• The Design Council Homes Taskforce is a group of eight design leaders including Sadie Morgan OBE, Sunand Prasad OBE, Hanif Kara OBE and other industry figureheads.

The new UK government will have support from industry experts in addressing the design challenge of delivering 1.5 million homes within Britain's legally-binding climate commitments, the Design Council Homes Taskforce has said.

The new Taskforce established by the Design Council, the UK’s National Strategic Adviser for Design, has written to the Secretary of State Angela Rayner to welcome the Labour government’s housebuilding plans to deliver 1.5 million new homes by 2030.

[edit] Letter to the Secretary of State

The letter reads:

“Dear Secretary of State,

Congratulations on your new role as Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. As the UK’s National Strategic Advisor on Design we stand ready to support you. We will harness the strength of our 250 leading experts across the built environment design disciplines behind your housing priorities. Your new government marks an exciting moment of change, and the start of a new era of UK housebuilding. Solving Britain’s housing crisis is an urgent challenge and critical strategic opportunity.

Experts across the built environment industries have vital experience which the new government can leverage to deliver on your Manifesto commitment to build “more high-quality, well-designed, and sustainable homes and creating places that increase climate resilience and promote nature recovery”.

Creating 1.5 million homes within legal climate commitments is a critical design challenge. By placing quality at the heart of its housebuilding programme, ensuring low carbon construction of new homes and maximising the upgrading of existing buildings, the government has a unique opportunity to unlock unprecedented growth in sustainable housing development and refurbishment, while keeping within the UK’s carbon budgets. Great design is how we will not only build the homes we need but ensure they are fit for purpose and long lasting while regenerating our communities and the environment.

As the National Strategic Adviser on Design, the Design Council has supported successive governments since our inception. We have established the Design Council Homes Taskforce (DCHT), so we can act as a trusted partner to your government on housing, development and refurbishment, and climate.

We hope we will be able to meet in the coming weeks to discuss how we can work with you to deliver the homes Britain needs.

Your Sincerely,

The Design Council Homes Taskforce

Amandeep Kalra, Hanif Kara OBE, Louise Wyman, Minnie Moll, Paul Monaghan, Phineas Harper, Sadie Morgan OBE, Sunand Prasad OBE, Yolande Barnes”

[edit] Comments on the initiative

Minnie Moll, Chief Executive, Design Council said:

“It is simply impossible to solve the British housing crisis without design. Great design will ensure new homes are fit for purpose and long lasting, while remaining within our legally binding climate commitments under the Paris Agreement. With strong political and design leadership it is absolutely possible to meet UK housing needs, while benefiting our communities and the environment.”

Hanif Kara OBE, Design Director at AKT II said:

"In the face of tripartite challenges of ecology; economy and massive social change Design can support the commitment to deliver the great housing that our society has the right to. I look forward to supporting the taskforce "

Amandeep Kalra, Associate Director at Be First, said:

“This taskforce is perfectly timed and greatly needed. We urgently require housing, and we must create quality places while also delivering units at pace. Building new homes is a clear ambition but we must also focus on improving the homes we already have. It is time to invest real energy into making our existing homes more liveable and less carbon-intensive. I am excited to join this Taskforce alongside industry leaders to lend our energy, expertise, and influence to this vital initiative.”

Phineas Harper, Design Council Expert, said:

“The Labour Government is absolutely right to tackle the UK housing crisis head on. Conventional development can be extremely polluting, producing significant greenhouse gas emissions. The Government will benefit from working with outstanding architects and urbanists who understand how to design and build low carbon homes at scale without overshooting Britain’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.”

Paul Monaghan, Executive Director of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris said:

“The Design Council with its 250 experts spread across the country are uniquely placed to assist in this new drive to create beautiful, sustainable and affordable homes for the future. It’s a pleasure to be part of this Taskforce.”

Sunand Prasad OBE PPRIBA, Chair of the UK Green Building Council said:

“We have learnt a great deal over the last couple of decades about how to create liveable, desirable and sustainable homes and neighbourhoods. The Design Council is uniquely placed to draw on this knowledge to help deliver the Government’s home building ambitions in a high quality and regenerative way.”

Prof. Sadie Morgan OBE, Director of dRMM said:

“We cannot begin to solve the housing crisis without creative thinking and innovation. The design profession is ready and willing to help. I welcome the opportunity to a part of the Design Councils task force and contribute to the built environment industries' search for those solutions.”

Louise Wyman, Head of UK Public Sector for CBRE said:

“The Design Council’s Housing Taskforce welcomes Labour’s commitment to address the housing crisis and increase housing supply. We look forward to collaborating with Government and the housing sector on creative solutions for delivering high quality, well-designed and sustainable homes at pace.”

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