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Office for Place to be scrapped

The Government has decided to close the Office for Place and pass its responsibilities back to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

The Office for Place was originally a small team within the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

In July 2023, the previous Government set out to turn it into an arm's-length length body aimed at assisting the "creation and stewardship of popular, healthy, beautiful and sustainable places".

Announcing the closure in Parliament, the Housing Minister, Matthew Pennycook, said: "Alongside spending decisions taken at the Budget and the re-setting of departmental budgets, the Deputy Prime Minister and I have […] concluded that support to improve the quality and design of new homes and places can be more efficiently and effectively delivered by the Department itself.

"The Office for Place will therefore be closed down and the expertise of its staff redeployed within the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), across the country."

Pennycook stated that the decision does not suggest the Government is "downgrading" the importance of good design and placemaking, or the role of design coding in improving the quality of development.

"Rather, by drawing expertise and responsibility back into MHCLG, I want the pursuit of good design and placemaking to be a fully integrated consideration as the government reforms the planning system, rolls out digital local plans and provides support to local authorities and strategic planning authorities," he said

The Ministry has also decided to close MHCLG offices in Birmingham, Exeter, Newcastle, Sheffield, Truro and Warrington over the next two years, while also expanding its offices in London, Wolverhampton, Darlington, Manchester and Bristol.

A MHCLG spokesperson said: “The department will continue to have offices in every English region, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and all staff affected will be able to continue in their roles in one of these locations.”

Adam Carey