Four of the UK's most respected names in architecture, planning and property development are to advise the Mayor of London Boris Johnson on delivering design excellence across the capital.

Architects Richard Rogers and current RIBA President Sunand Prasad, Chair of the English Heritage Advisory Committee, Joyce Bridges, and Joint Chief Executive of the Argent Group, Roger Madelin will all make up the Mayor's new Design Advisory Panel.

The panel will be chaired by Sir Simon Milton, Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning and will meet with the Mayor, the Mayor's Advisers and senior officers several times per year as required. It will act as a sounding board for the Mayor for both London-wide design strategies and high profile projects and schemes and advise both Design for London and Greater London Authority officers on a range of projects to champion design in major developments in London.


The Mayor is also recruiting a wider group of experts to establish a Design Advisory Forum which will provide broader advice to the Panel and Design for London, drawing on the knowledge and experience from their own specialist areas including housing, urban design and engineering. It is hoped the Forum, which will be recruited through open advertisement, will attract applications from new talent and less well known individuals, who will also provide input into specific and high profile Design for London projects.

Mr Johnson said: "Great design has been the hallmark our great city from our historic palaces and squares to our modern offices. However, in striving for design excellence we must ensure we have a constant supply of new ideas and fresh thinking and that is why these two new resources of experienced advisers and younger talent prepared to challenge traditional thinking will be invaluable to me and my teams as we evaluate new proposals and improve our capital's buildings and infrastructure."

(CD/JM)