INDUSTRY UPDATES
INDUSTRY UPDATES THIS MONTH, FC&A HAS ASKED KEY PROFESSIONALS WITHIN THE ARCHITECTURAL AND CONSTRUCTION REALM TO VOICE THEIR VIEWS ON THE PRIME MINISTER’S ECONOMY SPEECH.
AL AN J O N E S, RI B A P RESI D E NT:
“I welcome the recognition for ‘urgent action’ from the Prime Minister and hope the announcements are the first of many needed to address the shortcomings of the UK’s physical and social infrastructure. However, I am extremely concerned by the proposal to enable even more commercial buildings to change to residential use without the need for a planning application. The Government’s own advisory panel referred to the homes created by this policy as ‘slums’. It is hard to reconcile the commitment to quality with expanding a policy that has delivered low-quality, unsustainable and over-crowded homes across England. I urge the Prime Minister not to waste this opportunity and to re-build a more sustainable and resilient economy, ensuring that quality and safety remain at the heart of investment.”
C L ARE B O ND , PART II ARCHITECTURAL ASSISTANT AT SARAH WIGGLESWORTH ARCHITECTS:
“‘Build back better’ – it seems the Government now only communicates with us via the rule of three. The PM’s announcement begins with the need to regenerate existing buildings and this retro-first approach initially seemed to align with his ‘clean, green recovery’. That said, the proposed changes to the planning system promote regeneration at the cost of our small businesses (likely those hit during COVID-19) and high-street, rather than through improvements to current housing stock or getting tougher on sustainability requirements for new builds. Increased funding opportunities are much needed, but why does the Home Building Fund only apply to those creating new homes? As ever, more information please Boris!”
AL AS TAI R HA M I LTON, PART NE R AT PI CK E VE RA RD :
“The Government’s £5bn funding programme is welcome news, but fast and efficient delivery will be essential to its success. Quick, simple routes to market and access to skills and capacity are vital, and frameworks will play a key part here. The so-called ‘build back better’ agenda is also important. We mustn’t forget to drive the quality agenda at the same time to ensure we are building greener and more sustainably, achieving net-zero emissions, delivering on social value and biodiversity net gains while using the latest technologies to do that. The ‘Kickstart’ scheme will create jobs and help address the industry skills gap as we look to build our future, while investment in training throughout the supply chain will help support that legacy.”
FC&A – AUGUST – 2020
6
