Why Perth?
My best mate married an Australian woman and moved to Perth in the 1980s, so we’ve been travelling there every year for two decades. Perth is a wonderful example of a fairly large city that concentrates on live-ability and quality of life. OK, they have a wonderful climate and beaches to die for, but they don’t just rely on the natural resources. The properties there, like our flat, are so much better than the UK. The balconies are huge and the design and construction are of a high quality as standard. Also, they are making genuine progress in avoiding going down the unsustainable, car-dominated route that American cities have adopted. In Perth the buses are free and reliable, the trains are clean, efficient and well policed, and cycling and walking the city is also a joy. Like other successful cycling cities such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam, you can get just about anywhere in Perth on your bike. I love cycling around with my youngest, who’s ten, and not having to worry about cars. Also, he can go out from our apartment and play on the slides, in the cricket nets, kick a football or pop off to the shops on his own. He thrives on the freedom in a way that I did when I was his age. It’s a freedom that, sadly, is being lost by much of his generation in the UK.

So you’re a keen cyclist?
I am one of the patrons of Sustrans, which is a UK cycling and sustainable transport charity. We recently won lottery funding and the money will be used in making Britain a more walkable and cycleable place.

What else are you up to?
My wife and I also run a company called Shackup, which has just launched a range of sustainable sheds, water butts and foldable bicycles. We’re also working as architects on The Bridge in Dartford, a development of 1,500 new homes being built overlooking the Thames near the Queen Elizabeth II bridge.

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