Well-known Norwich architect and a Vice President of the Norwich Society, Michael Innes was elected President of the Norfolk Association of Architects (NAA) at its AGM this month. He had previously been president of the NAA, from 1981 to 1983.
Mr Innes has had a 40 year long career as a Norwich architect and some of his local landmark design work has included Castle Mall, South Norfolk House, St George’s Plain redevelopment of the old Colegate shoe factories, the BUPA, (now Spire) Hospital and most recently, the refurbishment of Norwich Market. Now retired from LSI Architects, a practice he founded together with Chris Lambert, and John Scott, he acts with the practice on occasional individual projects.
In a short address at the AGM, Mr Innes commented: “This is a particularly important time for architects to be corporate and thoughtful. We need to participate in the urgent process of defining a sustainable pattern for a new kind of growth. The pursuit of this debate will constitute the substance of my first year as President.”
Mr Innes continued: “Looking at housing growth allocations in particular, the current attempt to satisfy externally imposed quotas for numbers in isolation from other factors is a recipe for continuing decline in the environment, and a very long way from establishing a new sustainability.”
Mr Innes asked, “Why does the planning system so often disappoint?” He questioned why public policy should be so often out of step with its own declared principles. He quoted Barack Obama, April 09 “We cannot rebuild this economy on the same pile of sand. We must build our house upon a rock “. As with other aspects of current politics, a full debate is justified.
