Protecting urban beauty

Urban development policies are geared too much towards green spaces at the expense of "everyday" urban beauty, said former director general of the National Trust, Dame Fiona Reynolds.

In agreement with findings from think tank ResPublica, she told the Today programme that too often urban development neglects beauty, especially in poorer areas.

“Give communities the right to negotiate the beauty of developments,” said Dame Reynolds.

The idea is not against development but to "improve the quality of development."

Beauty is not definable but it is negotiable, she said.