We don’t normally give much credence to Daily Telegraph towns rankings, as they tend to be pretty subjective. But this week’s list of Britain’s prettiest and ugliest towns does show an interesting trend in their analysis of the worst towns.
Three of the top four ranked as the ugliest towns (Cumbernauld, Telford and Slough) are new towns and the language that’s used to explain their inclusion in this list is pretty excoriating. Whether its Telford’s “risible personality free architecture”, “dour retail parks and cookie-cutter urban sprawl” or Cumbernauld’s “concrete savaged centre” described as “soulless and inaccessible, something like Eastern Europe before the wall came down”, the message is clear: towns with no clear identity to speak of are struggling.
This is particularly timely, as the Government is about to unleash a host of new towns and the New Towns Taskforce call for evidence closes next week.
We are all firm supporters of the Government’s ambitious housing targets – and applaud Keir Starmer’s piece in the Times this week, which challenges Whitehall, Councils and housebuilders to raise their ambitions. But in the process we need to make sure we don’t rush to make the same mistakes as the past.
That means new towns aren’t just functional places. They need to be what people want and have a clear identity, sense of place and soul.
And let’s not forget what Nye Bevan, one of Labour’s most celebrated figures, once cautioned. “While we shall be judged for a year or two by the number of houses we build, we shall be judged in 10 years’ time by the type of houses we build.”
If we get new towns right we will not only strengthen Britain’s identity and sense of belonging. We may also turn the page on an era of concrete monstrosities and put the Carbuncle Cup out of its misery.
#Newtowns #housing #regeneration #community #placemaking
Business Development Manager at Gaskell Safety
1moWishing you the best