Archinect - News

Theresa May resigns: 'The country's left in limbo,' responds RIBA President Ben Derbyshire

2019-05-24T14:16:00-04:00

The news of British Prime Minister Theresa May announcing today that she would move out of 10 Downing Street on June 7, following a lengthy period of political disarray over the UK's post-Brexit future as well as criticism over her handling of the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy, did not come as an overwhelming surprise anymore.

RIBA President Ben Derbyshire most likely had his response, on behalf of the country's architecture industry, ready to go in his desk drawer for the past weeks, and the time to publicly release it had come now.

"The news that Theresa May will step down as Prime Minister leaves the country in limbo while the clock ticks down to the latest deadline of 31 October," comments Derbyshire. "While much is uncertain, one thing remains clear – a no deal is no option for architecture or the wider construction sector. Whoever becomes the next Prime Minister must focus on taking the country forward with policies beyond Brexit that tackle the major challenges facing the co...

UK abolishes stamp duty for all first-time homebuyers under £300,000

2017-11-22T14:38:00-05:00

The government will abolish stamp duty for all first-time homebuyers on homes under £300,000 in a move that will save home purchasers up to £5,000, but the government's spending watchdog warned it could push up house prices.

Philip Hammond, the conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced stamp duty changes in the 2017 Budget that would abolish the tax for all first-time buyers on homes under £300,000. The move is seen as an effort by the ruling Conservative party to win over younger voters, many of whom are struggling to get on the property ladder.

The treasury expects the change to amount to an average tax cut of £1,600 for a million first-time buyers over the next five years. However, according to analysis by the Office for Budget Responsibility, the cut will lead, in the medium and long term, to house prices rising well beyond the costs of the initial savings. While intended to help those enter the housing market, the watchdog's analysis found that existing homeowners will be the ones to come out as the big winners.

RIBA responds to Prime Minister Theresa May's pledge for an extra £2 billion to be spent on affordable housing

2017-10-04T12:56:00-04:00

In a speech made at the Conservative Party conference today, UK Prime Minister Theresa May pledged an extra £2 billion to be spent on affordable housing. This is in addition to the government's existing £7 billion affordable housing fund, which awards grants to local governments, housing associations, and private housebuilding to subsidize affordable housing. While a step in the right direction, many argue that the promise is still wholly insufficient in meeting the country's need.

The Royal Institute of British Architects was one such organization that responded to the Prime Minister's speech by strongly criticizing the proposal. RIBA President, Ben Derbyshire pointed out that "earlier this week the RIBA awarded Neave Brown the Royal Gold Medal, architecture’s highest accolade, for his outstanding work in building high quality affordable housing, cherished by local communities. Social housing like this plays a vital role in ensuring that we have a society that works for everyone. ...

Grenfell Tower Fire: Corbyn calls for empty flats in the adjacent area to be requisitioned as evidence grows that negligence responsible for the blaze

2017-06-16T13:47:00-04:00

Reports indicate that a cladding, banned in the United States, added to the Grenfell Tower was largely responsible for the intensity of the fire that claimed at least 30 lives earlier this week in North Kensington. It was just £2 cheaper per square meter than an alternative, fire resistant version. Disturbingly, the cladding was added to appease wealthy residents nearby, states Emma Dent Coad, the Kensington MP, and to ‘regenerate’ the area through development.

Anger has risen as the fire increasingly looks less like a tragic accident and more and more like the result of outdated regulations and funding cuts. For example, sprinkler systems are not mandatory in public housing blocks—raising fears that some 4,000 similar blocks are at risk of similar tragedies. It is important to note that black and minority ethnic people are disproportionately housed in such flats.

When a fire erupted in 2009 in another tower block, analysis made clear inadequate measures were being taken to address fi...

RIBA responds positively to Corbyn's new manifesto for Labour

2017-05-16T15:43:00-04:00

In mid-April, the Prime Minister Theresa May reversed her earlier stated decision and called for a snap election—a move that surprised many. While some called the move opportunistic, others supported the early election, including Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Labour, the opposition party. The Labour Party currently trails behind the Conservative Party, led by May, in national polls. Today, Corbyn released a manifesto, intended to make clear his party’s positions and to drum up support for the embattled party.

The manifesto, dubbed “For the Many, Not the Few”, takes strong positions. Around £50B sourced primarily from taxes on corporations and the country’s wealthiest citizens would be used to fund major new public programs, from housing to education to healthcare to transit. The manifesto rules out rises in VAT, national insurance, and income tax for all but the top 5% of earners.

For some, the manifesto is seen as stridently leftist. By all accounts, it represents a stark difference to th...

As the UK and US shift rightwards, architects react

2017-01-17T12:38:00-05:00

The last year has seen a dramatic political shift to the right in the Western world (and elsewhere), marked in particular by Brexit and the election of Donald J. Trump. Alongside the former, the Tories secured a firm grip on the UK, with Prime Minister Theresa May stepping in to fill the void left after David Cameron’s departure. In the United States, the Republican party has an equally secure hold over the country and its future, controlling all three branches of government.

With this turn to the right, the built environment will undoubtedly change significantly. Cuts to government-subsidized housing are expected in both countries. Meanwhile, much-need infrastructural updates may—or may not—be on the horizon in the U.S., as they were one of the primary campaign promises of the President-elect.

Therefore, it’s not really a surprise that architects on both sides of the Atlantic have voiced opinions on the direction their countries are heading. Two architectural organizations have just ...

May government abolishes climate change department

2016-07-14T19:49:00-04:00

The decision to abolish the Department for Energy and Climate Change has been variously condemned as “plain stupid”, “deeply worrying” and “terrible” by politicians, campaigners and experts. One of Theresa May’s first acts as Prime Minister was to move responsibility for climate change to a new Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

"Only on Monday, Government advisers had warned of the need to take urgent action to prepare the UK for floods, droughts, heatwaves and food shortages caused by climate change."

In related news: