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The Historic and Built Environment
Fundamental elements of the townscapes and the
built environment in the East of England are:
• Urban Design - The region boasts some very
attractive urban environments, achieved
through successful urban structure together
with individual building design. The East of
England has been at the forefront of new town
development including the early 20 th century
garden city at Letchworth and the post war
modernist development of Harlow New Town.
• Open Spaces – Attractive urban areas need
green landscapes and open spaces where people
can gather. These range from market places,
churchyards and village greens, to larger urban
parks. In many instances, such as The Backs in
Cambridge, these spaces are crucial in defining
the identity of a settlement.
• New Landmark Buildings - Examples such as
Foster’s Stansted Airport Terminal, the Willis
Faber & Dumas Building in Ipswich, and the
Millennium Library in Norwich have the power
to put the region on the map.
• Everyday Building Design – Housing is particularly
influential in affecting the character of
settlements. Much post-war development has
been unexceptional but examples of good design
can be found across the region, for example at
Loddon in Norfolk, and Rushmere in Suffolk.
• Public Buildings - The library in Halesworth
and the new council offices in King’s Lynn
have been recognised for their quality. The
Lowestoft Waste Water Treatment Centre and
the Learning Resource Centre at the University
of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, provide examples of
recent good modern architecture.
• Enhancement Schemes - Quality in the public
realm is critical to the attractiveness of towns
and cities. Enhancement schemes, such as
the removal of excessive street furniture and
re-paving at South Quay in Great Yarmouth,
have begun to offer real improvement. Traffic
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management has helped make the historic
centre of Cambridge more tranquil and friendly
to the pedestrian.
Whilst much new built development in recent
times has been of undistinguished quality,
contributing little to local character and distinctiveness,
there are some good examples in the
region of thoughtful and high quality design,
such as the new library at Halesworth. Designed
by Suffolk County Council Architects Dept, it won
a Civic Trust Award Commendation in 1999.
Assessment of the Current State
© English Heritage
The building industry was transformed in the
20 th century, introducing new technologies and
becoming more mechanised. The result has been:
• Loss of traditional craft skills.
• Limited sources of locally distinctive materials.
• Inappropriate and sometimes damaging
repair methods.
There are many examples of good modern design
in the region to celebrate, but these tend to be
isolated. New buildings are often unsympathetic
to the local urban environment. Creating a ‘sense
of place’ in the new settlements of the region has
proved difficult.
Widespread dissatisfaction with the quality
of urban developments in recent years led to
the establishment of the Urban Task Force and
subsequent Urban White Paper. The East of
England suffers from urban problems despite there
being no large cities:
• Development that takes little account
of its context.
• Standardised, characterless new housing,
built to low densities.
• Poor quality design in many commercial
and public buildings.
• Bland large-scale developments,
lacking urban design quality.
• Degraded, unmanaged urban parks.
• Questionable pedestrianisation and
highway works.
The Historic and Built Environment
The Regional Environment Strategy for The East of England
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