The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) has called for more unfettered designs to be used in development projects.

According to CABE, the government’s advisor on architecture, making sure artists play a part in the design process could significantly enhance regenerations projects.

The announcement follows the two-year PROJECT initiative, which aims to promote the role of artists in development schemes.

An independent evaluation found that artists often raised the quality of projects and in some cases even fundamentally changed the way developers worked on schemes.

The report states that artists bring an “innate curiosity” to the project and investigate aspects of the local environment that the “design team may not be engaging with”.

Richard Simmons, CABE chief executive, said: “PROJECT has demonstrated that simply offering an artist a seat at the table is not enough.

“Instead they need to be properly involved in a scheme, so they can deploy their creative skills effectively. Our hope is that those who specify and fund schemes will be intrigued by the ways in which strategic involvement with artists can improve developments.”

PROJECT supported 30 separate local artistic initiatives, with grants ranging from £2,500 to £15,000.

Alan Davey, chief executive of Arts Council, said: “PROJECT delivers some great examples of how but an impact art can have on the way we live.

“Plan with art in mind, build it into our everyday environment and our lives could be transformed for the better.”