The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has responded to the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Budget to Parliament.
RIBA President Ben Derbyshire said: “I’m pleased and relieved that at a time of huge challenges and after weeks of speculation the Chancellor has recognised the need for more radical action to address the housing crisis. The RIBA has been calling for the housing borrowing cap to be lifted and for recognition of the importance of investment in infrastructure in addressing the housing crisis for many years. I’m pleased that the Government has listened to the RIBA and other voices."
RIBA’s response on housing in the Budget
“This is a welcome set of announcements, but we will need to see a greater focus across government to meet the scale of the challenge. The Chancellor was right to recognise that politicians have not done enough to tackle the housing crisis over recent decades.
It will be years before many of these initiatives lead to new homes being built so we urge the Chancellor to reconsider some of the restrictions – particularly the delay in lifting affordable housing borrowing caps for councils until 2019-20.”
RIBA’s response on infrastructure news
“The state of the UK’s overloaded infrastructure remains a huge barrier to growing the productivity of our economy, but with the right decisions, investment can help kick-start economic growth and housebuilding. The proposals for new garden towns and investment in the Cambridge-Oxford-Milton Keynes corridor must be used as an opportunity to promote good design and high-quality new homes that act as a beacon to other new developments.”
RIBA’s response on Brexit developments
“Like the Chancellor, architects are planning for a range of possible Brexit outcomes, but what they really need is certainty from Government. With the lack of clarity about Britain’s future outside the EU continuing to hang over the head of the sector – from Europeans worried about whether they will be able to stay and deciding to leave, to not knowing what our future trade and customs relationship with the EU will be – the whole sector is unable to plan. Delivering on the welcome policies that the Chancellor has outlined to solve the housing crisis and get Britain building will need a confident architecture sector which can continue to rely on the best available talent from around the world and which has the certainty it needs to make long-term decisions.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- For further information contact Howard Crosskey howard.crosskey@riba.org +44 (0)20 7307 3761
- 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. www.architecture.com. Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA
