The Urban Affairs Sub-committee of the House of Commons Select Committee on Transport, Local Government and the Regions has resolved to undertake an inquiry into Tall Buildings.

Witnesses are invited to submit memoranda to the Sub-committee before 17 December 2001. It is unlikely that memoranda submitted after this date will be published. (Witnesses who wish their memoranda to be treated in confidence should contact the Committee Clerk in advance.) Witnesses should also note that decisions about who to call for oral evidence are likely to be taken on the basis of the evidence received by this date.

The Sub-committee will wish to examine the following:

• the role of tall buildings in achieving high densities in residential areas; the provision of offices for certain types of global companies; and as a means of enhancing the beauty of our cities;
• the sustainability of tall buildings, in particular in terms of construction, transport and long term flexibility of use
• where tall buildings should be located, including:
• what restrictions, if any, should be placed on the location of tall buildings, and how far they should be allowed to block existing views; and whether they should be clustered or dotted;
• whether in the present movement to erect new tall buildings we are in danger of repeating the mistakes of the 1960s;
• whether those making decisions are sufficiently accountable to the public;
• whether the Government should have a more explicit policy on the subject.

Witnesses are requested to submit memoranda of up to six A4 pages on computer disk in either ASCII, Word or Word Perfect 8 with a single additional hard copy; witnesses without access to a computer are respectfully requested to take particular care that submissions are legible. Memoranda submitted to the Committee should be kept confidential until published by the Committee.

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