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RIBA take campaign to party conferences

After a storming start, the HomeWise, the RIBA’s campaign for better homes will be on the road next week, as the political party conference season begins.

Housing and planning will be at the top of the political agenda – the Coalition Government has introduced a range of measures designed to significantly increase the supply of new homes and the reforms to planning through the Localism Bill and National Planning Policy Framework are still being hotly debated both in parliament and the press.

The RIBA will be holding 'fringe' events at all three party conferences entitled 'Leaving Legoland: Can we build the new homes we need?' The debate will focus on the big policy changes currently underway on housing and ask “whether the need to increase the quantity of homes means we have to sacrifice quality.

The RIBA’s all star line up for the three conferences includes:

Liberal Democrats – 6.30pm 20 September

Angela Brady (Chair), President, RIBA

Andrew Stunell MP, Minister for Communities and Local Government

Lord Taylor of Goss Moor, Chair, National Housing Federation

Cllr Richard Kemp, Liverpool City Council

Dr Tim Leunig, Chief Economist of CentreForum

Labour – 6pm 26 September

Peter Hetherington (Chair), The Guardian

Jack Dromey MP, Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government

Ken Livingstone, Labour Party candidate for London Mayor

Ruth Reed, Immediate Past President, RIBA

John Slaughter, Director of External Affairs, Home Builders Federation

Conservative – 6pm 3 October

Nicholas Watt (Chair), Chief Political Correspondent, The Guardian

Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, Minister for Housing

Cllr Sir Merrick Cockell, Chairman, Local Government Association

Tom Bloxham, Chairman, Urban Splash

Angela Brady, President, RIBA  

 Grant Shapps MP