Richard Cook calls on the sector to embrace its role as 'placemakers'

Richard Cook, Clarion’s group director of development, issued a rallying call to the sector to drive up standards for residents in new developments.

Speaking yesterday (25 September) at the National Housing Summit, he stressed that on large sites housing associations must from the outset play a leading role in shaping new communities to improve the quality of new homes.

Richard said:

"There are too many of examples up and down the country of ‘identikit’ housing developments, which are not inclusive and do not adequately serve the needs of the people who live there."

He added:

"In order to build communities and places that thrive, housing associations should embrace the opportunity of becoming a master developer. As a master developer, we can shape places that work for our residents and communities that succeed over the long-term."

Demanding high-quality homes

Clarion’s Graylingwell Park scheme was cited as an example of how a development can deliver lasting benefits to a community. This Chichester scheme is not only creating 792 much-needed new homes across different tenures, it is benefiting the wider area through community spaces, and sports and retail facilities.

During the speech Richard also emphasised the need for housing associations on section 106 acquired sites to be more demanding of housebuilders to ensure the homes that they are delivering are of the highest possible quality.