I’ve noticed that the UK Landscape Architects are under represented, therfore I’ve written a few a few points below that may be of interest:
I run a small practice which specialised in environmental planning and have noted a few points on recent projects in the UK:
Payground designs: (austrity measures) new playground projects now cut.
I worked on Environmental Impact Assessments for solar farms in the south of England. The government cut the feed in tariff therefore solar farms no loner financially viable (even though the sun shines).
Lottery funded works: such as redevelopment on village ponds, greenspace and small scale environmental projects are only open to bigger practices or larger environmental consultancies with a track record. I am therfore blocked out as as small practice under the guidelines for lottery funding. The ‘Big Society’ concept promoted by the government is not applicable for small scale environmental designers on many of these projects.
The future:
The UK goverment to pass the new legislation ‘in favour of development’. The result will be developers (both oppertunists and professional developers) will be submittting planning application in green belt and rural areas across the UK. The previouse policy was for presumption to develop ‘brown field’ sites (i.e. redundant land in cities or other land that has been disturbed by by some kind of industrial development).
There is the possibility for landscape architects and environmental planners to get more directly involved with developers. The relaxing of the planning laws could lead to oppertunity for creating better social and natural environments.
However, the remaing environmental and planning legislation must remain in place (and be developed) to ensure we keep our green an pleasant land.
Anthony Clarkson
ACLA ltd
Web: ACLA.org.uk
Published in Blog
