New housing should be built on existing land
09/08/2006 - Top architect criticises the Governments plans for new homes
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Architect Sir Terry Farrell has criticised the so-called Sustainable Communities Plan, which he claims "lack vision", he has instead, suggested that millions of homes should not be built on newly concreted areas of the South East but should be built in London and along the Thames. The Government has said it wants more than half-a-million new homes in the East of England over the next two decades. Ruth Kelly is currently reviewing plans and is responsible for the current plan, having inherited it from John Prescott. Sir Terry has told ministers that the area of development should be land stretching between the East End of London and Dartford, Kent.
Sir Terry was recently interviewed by the Daily Telegraph where he describes the initial plans announced by John Prescott as "woolly". The areas are; the Thames Gateway, Ashford, Kent, the M11 corridor and Milton Keynes. In the interview he said: "I am very, very critical of those who say London is full up and we should build into Kent and up the M11. What are we doing up there when London needs regenerating? We have to make London work. "I don't think people grasp how much land there is in the Thames Gateway. You could fit another central London between the River Lea and Dartford Bridge. At the moment a lot of it is substantially empty. "You would not need to build at high densities to fit them all in, just the density of Kensington and Chelsea. Look at the empty space. One forgets how big these areas, such as the Lea Valley, are." He continued: "A lot of it was once more urban than it is now. It is right by Canary Wharf and you are stranded in wilderness with dragonflies and cheap old factories around you."
