New research indicates value of £34 million may be added to 144 development schemes by Places Matter! programme.

An increase equivalent to 2% on the value of built projects in the Northwest as a result of the Design Review process, suggests potential added value of some £34 million to £1.8 billion worth of development schemes if projects are fully implemented.

Places Matter! Design Review consists of a panel of 41 respected built environment professionals providing expertise from a range of fields. Design Review panel meetings allow local authorities, clients, developers and design teams to present their schemes and benefit from the discussion and constructive advice of the panel.

Earlier research by Places Matter! into the Economic Value of Good Design has shown that good design can add an increase of up to 20% in rental and capital value. Design Review allows design improvements to be made at a stage in the process where changes can be cost neutral yet add significant value to the scheme.

Commenting on his experience as a client using the Design Review service, Ben Brinicombe, Property Regeneration Manager for Derwent & Solway Housing Association, said: “I have found the involvement of the Design Review Panel to be invaluable and it has significantly enhanced the design process for Derwent Close. I believe that the tougher stance has proved useful in this case as it ensured our architects worked extremely hard to turn around the scheme from being "fair" to "very good."  I hope that with the final few tweaks we can get it up to "Excellent"!”

The research by AMION Consulting has been published in the Places Matter! Annual Review 2009/10 and measures the impact of Design Review on the potential capital values of 144 development schemes in the Northwest.

In 2009/10 the Places Matter! Design Review Panel reviewed 87 development schemes representing £1.09 billion of investment in the Northwest, and engaged with 38 of the 42 local authorities.

In addition to the above, during 2009/10 Places Matter! has:

• Published findings to demonstrate that well designed buildings and public spaces outperform poorly designed developments during a recession
• Provided training for every local authority in the Northwest to provide Building for Life Assessors to ensure that new housing developments deliver high quality homes for local people
• Delivered training on good street design
• Worked with 14 – 19 year olds in Liverpool and Manchester to provide them with a taste of careers in the built environment.

For 2010/11 Places Matter! is seeking to ensure that the services it delivers continue to meet the needs of local communities and built environment practitioners in the Northwest. To have your say on future services visit www.placesmatter.co.uk/customer-survey and complete a short questionnaire.

Commenting on the achievements of the Places Matter! programme to date, Richard Tracey, Head of Environmental Quality at the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), said: "These figures clearly demonstrate the significant economic impact that good design can make to a development scheme. Design Review has helped to create better quality places in the Northwest, supported people to gain better skills and maximised the value of many development projects. I am pleased that the NWDA has been able to support Places Matter! which has delivered a very high value for money from our investment in this Northwest wide programme”

Annie Atkins, Places Matter! Programme Director, added: “It’s important that we get the right designs for the right places.  In the last year Places Matter! has worked with the majority of local authorities in the Northwest to safeguard the quality of design and ensure development reflects the economic and physical context as well as the aspirations of local people.”