Building in Arcadia

Chapter 7A new approach to assesment

This chapter draws conclusions from the evidence of the previous chapters that suggests that, led by national policy makers, society is beginning to re-visit its reluctance to develop in the countryside, but decision-takers lack the confidence to define and require good design for rural development. It proposes a new methodology – the Rural Development Assessment – as an alternative to the existing methods that are divided along professional lines and can result in conflicting advice. The assessment clearly sets out the impacts – the potential benefits and harms of a proposal – in relation to the countryside and the existing communities, to inform a balanced planning judgement on the desirability of the proposal. ...