New Placemaking Charter Launched for The West of England

Design West have worked with the West of England Combined Authority, led by Metro Mayor Dan Norris, to develop a Placemaking Charter for the West of England.

The aim of the Charter is to help ensure that the region gets the quality, well-designed and affordable homes and places that communities deserve, ensuring that happiness, health and wellbeing are placed at their heart.

The new Charter will bring local councils and other public authorities, developers, communities and partners together under a shared ambition to create high quality places across the West of England.

The Placemaking Charter was developed through engagement with over 200 stakeholders including the West of England councils, community groups, developers and experts from across the built environment profession. The Charter is based on five core principles for successful places:

• Future-ready

• Connected

• Biodiverse

• Characterful

• Healthy and inclusive

Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “The West of England is an amazing place to grow up and grow old in, but I know it can be even better and central to this is setting some really ambitious principles for the places we want to see and create. Building a strong and sustainable future requires getting serious about how we design the buildings we live and meet in and the infrastructure that ties us all together”.

Some of the region’s leading planning and development experts gathered at Design West, a key partner in producing the Charter, to endorse the document.

Dr Anna Rutherford, Director of Design West said: “Great placemaking takes collaboration and a shared vision. The West of England has led the way in partnership working across the region, across sector and society, to develop a Placemaking Charter that sets out our shared ambitions and expectations for future development. The Charter is a critical tool in championing quality homes and healthy lives for all, whilst rising to the challenge of the Climate Emergency.”

At the launch, Dr Patricia Greer, Chief Executive of the West of England Combined Authority, was joined by the Government’s Chief Planner, Joanna Averley; President of the Royal Town Planning Institute, Tim Crashaw; Director of Design West, Dr Anna Rutherford and senior leaders from the region’s development industry.

Key representatives from the industry demonstrated their commitment to creating healthy, happy places that will have a positive impact on the region’s efforts to tackle the climate and ecological emergencies; with over 30 organisations signing up to the Placemaking Charter principles across the day.