Suburbs are the challenge of our generation, says taskforce

England’s suburbs have been overlooked by policymakers, according to a parliamentary inquiry, and are now suffering from increasing tensions around being asked to accommodate large amounts of new development. The findings of the Suburban Taskforce, which was established in 2020 with support from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for London’s Planning and Built Environment, paints a picture of areas rich in heritage and culture but largely unrecognised for their diversity. It also reveals tensions between local context and strategic priorities as communities grapple with managing the implications of demographic, technological and climate change. Rupa Huq, co-chair of the taskforce, said suburbs were now “the challenge of our generation”. She said: “England’s suburbs have too long been overlooked by policymakers. Scratch beneath our established stereotypes and you will find a diverse mix of places each with rich veins of culture, heritage and local pride. The taskforce has spent two years painting a picture of England’s suburbs as they are today and it is clear they unquestionably now deserve to be the focus of our attention.” The taskforce has called for a rethink on how permitted development rights are used as a means of delivering new homes, the introduction of national policy guidance for small-scale applications in suburban areas and a look at how local employment opportunities may be created following the changes in working practices brought about by the pandemic. “The suburbs are an important seam in our national culture which must not be overlooked,” said taskforce co-chair David Simmons. “They are very often complicated and diverse spaces, but always very special to those who live and work there. “What might appear somewhat generic from car or train windows, often as a result of when they were built, are in fact the crucibles in which individuals and communities are constantly defined and redefined. While there appears to be a widely held, if poorly defined, sense that many suburbs are approaching ‘tipping points’, in terms of either their growth or decline, there is also clear cause for celebration.” To send feedback, e-mail samantha.mcclary@eg.co.uk or tweet @samanthamcclary or @EGPropertyNews Read the report An Inquiry into the Future of Suburbs here >> Photo: General Images/UIG/Shutterstock