From the president

Andrew Catto ponders on the valuable contents of this issue of ACANews

We all know that not changing the brief is the secret to getting anything done even close to time and budget. 2022 however is not going according to plan. Last year the Covid recovery got the blame for inflation and materials shortages. Now thanks (not only) to the invasion of Ukraine we have shortages, inflation and a slump in new commissions all at once whilst householders and developers alike ponder if they can afford to build at all.

Some change however brings opportunity. Control of my local council changed last month for the first time in 44 years. The previous Housing chair wanted to pull everything down as beyond repair. The new one wants to insulate it all. But nobody told the planning department who are still busy rejecting external insulation and heat pumps.

Building Safety Act is now here to change all our lives and hopefully not just with more paperwork and ever spiralling PII premiums. Richard Harrison has been representing the ACA from through the Bill’s gestation and rightly gets the front page of this ACA News to explain the changes. There’s more from David Mosey on page 39 about getting procurement right in the new context.

The DLUHC have been busy. The Levelling Up and Regneration Bill promises to change how we work, but maybe not so much as we once thought. The big bold ideas from last year’s White Paper on planning reform have been quietly dropped but a lot of it still survives bundled up here, including an increase in planning fees and faster timetables (but more consultation too?) for revising local plans. The ACA’s regular planning expert (and architect and Past President) Andy Rogers has more detail on page 6.

In the last issue I wondered if the ever expanding range of development allowable by Prior Notification was really ‘permitted’ if the local council can refuse it on the grounds of appearance? In London it seems to be that the Local Council, who know your scheme’s too big but really want the CIL money, will knock a bit off. The Mayor then calls it in, adds more floors to increase the affordable (which isn’t) housing ratio, after which the DLUHC in turn call it in and refuse for poor design and / or not green enough. Real planning reform, and enough staff to run it, can’t come soon enough, but this isn’t it. As well as Andy’s regular insight on planning reform it’s always a pleasure to read Max Winthrops’ customarily amusing yet practical look at HR matters something all practices need to keep in mind. This time with cakes and lemonade as well bondage equipment and ferries. Take a look on page 12. His comment that part of the problem is the way we legislate almost brings us full circle to the Building Safety Act and piecemeal planning reforms I have touched on above. I was fortunate to be in the room for the CULS Planning and Levelling Up-Date on 8th March. One of the benefits of ACA membership is when it provides access to events like this with an excellent line up of influential and informed speakers. The

One of the benefits of ACA report, starting on page 20, membership is when it provide gives a flavour of the huge range of topics covered, butaccess to events like this with an better still to hear and see the excellent line up of influential and speakers live on the day along informed speakers with fellow professionals and many potential clients. Check the regular email bulletins from the ACA for more events and CPD opportunities and ensure that your colleagues get these too by signing up on the ACA website – at no cost. Thanks to British Home Design and Move Architecture for contributing two different and interesting projects to the gallery (page.16), to Karashetskyy Architects’ for news of their restaurant in Lviv and commiseration to Anthony Carlile for his gem of a guest cabin that ‘got away’. I challenge our long term members to prove that we too have some great projects to share. Lastly my thanks to fellow council member John Assael for sponsoring this edition of ACA News. With his RIBA experience, John’s input to Council is invaluable. We need more like him –you? Do consider joining us on line for one meeting soon (no strings) for some lively discussion And please don’t forget to respond to the ARB’s consultation on PII – link on p.48. This goes to the core of making a success of practice and affects architects more than most. n