Urban design studies for rural communities to be supported and 'fast tracked' through public funding

Sir Bob Kerslake, chief executive of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), has welcomed the recent joint CLG/DEFRA announcement that 36 rural councils are to be supported with £1m of cash and expert support to help them design and plan thousands of new homes.

'We welcome the Rural Masterplanning Fund announcement,' he said, 'as the first time that rural councils have received this kind of tailored funding to help them develop places their local residents want, it’s a hugely significant move towards helping provide a longer-term and much-needed boost to the well-being of rural communities across the country. These areas face particular challenges in maintaining a decent supply of homes that are affordable for local people even on modest incomes.

'We are committed to helping our local authority partners deliver sustainable developments for their communities, and this funding will go a long way to helping them achieve this. We will continue to work closely with CABE on the ongoing management of the Fund to ensure that the right level of support is on hand.'

The councils receiving funding bid for the money through a design competition run by CABE and the HCA. Through the HCA’s consultancy panel, local authorities will be able to appoint specialist consultants to carry out urban design studies or masterplans for individual sites without having to undertake an OJEU process. Since the HCA consultants’ panels have already been pre-qualified, they can be appointed following a fast track process. This work is separate to the programme of work already being carried out by the HCA and CABE with local authorities.