More Ball Games Please

This is the message Wayne Hemingway, founder of Red or Dead gave to delegates in his opening address at the 23rd CIH SW Housing Event at the Palace Hotel in Torquay from 18th to 20th April.

Wayne told delegates, "My company, Hemingway Design, desires to develop homes for real people in real places stemmed from the sad fact that we could see stupidity wherever we looked in modern housing developments in the UK. Places where children aren't allowed to play ball games on the grass and the car is king. We are building Britain's slums of the future."

Wayne outlined his plan to create places, environments not houses, where people want to live and put down roots, giving them an incentive to upkeep and input into their environment. He told delegates that houses should come last in the development and landscaping should come first so more money can be spent developing better play and recreation areas.

"We need to get away from the no can do culture," said Wayne. "We should allow people to put their own house in order. We need to help people to help themselves and get involved."

Notes for Editors

The mission of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) is to "maximise the contribution that housing professionals make to the well being of communities."

CIH is based in Coventry and has regional branches all over the UK and In Hong Kong. The South West branch of the CIH covers the whole of the South West from Swindon to Cornwall, from Bristol to Dorset.

The key aims of the CIH South West are:
To support and encourage students and members in the South West
To promote membership of the CIH
To develop joint working with associated professional bodies
To raise awareness of housing issues in the South West

For further information please visit the CIH website at www.cih.org or contact Gill Smith Publicity officer, CIH South West - call 01202 466527.