The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has reacted to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ (DLUHC) new plan to fund the remediation of dangerous cladding and building safety failings.
RIBA President, Simon Allford, said:
“This new plan should provide some welcome relief to the many homeowners who have unduly suffered at the hands of our flawed building safety regime – and we welcome that. We remain concerned however that the new funding mechanism will not raise enough money to fully address the widespread fire safety or structural defects that exist up and down the country. The extension of the Defective Premises Act will also seriously impact the availability of insurance for the entire construction sector, impacting not only architects who are needed to help design remedial works, but also others who have never worked on high-rise housing projects.
While the new collaborative procurement guidance signals progress, that too will require much stronger Government oversight to prove effective, because despite awareness of risks, too many construction projects confuse cost, value and safety.
To help the construction sector to move forward, the Government must, accepting of its role as the regulator that allowed this crisis to arise, devise and enforce a properly funded and sustainable solution.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- Media contact: Abigail.Chiswell-White@riba.org.
- The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a global professional membership body that serves its members and society in order to deliver better buildings and places, stronger communities and a sustainable environment. Follow @RIBA on Twitter for regular updates.
