Big names call on government to adopt RetroFirst reforms
A host of big names in architecture and the built environment have called on the government to adopt the recommendations of the AJ RetroFirst campaign
A letter to the Times newspaper, published on Saturday, said the government ‘cannot ignore our wasteful addiction to demolition and rebuilding’, particularly amid preparations for the UK to host the COP26 climate summit later this year.
The letter was signed by 35 individuals including Doreen Lawrence, Norman Foster, David Chipperfield, Thomas Heatherwick, Amin Taha, Sadie Morgan and former environment secretary John Gummer.
The letter said adopting the three recommendations of the RetroFirst campaign – cutting VAT on refurbishment to 5 per cent or less; amending planning guidance and the Building Regs to promote reuse of existing buildings; and insisting all publicly funded projects look to retrofit solutions first – ‘would not only underline the UK’s leadership
Lockdown sent house prices berserk as cooped up home-workers fled for bigger properties in the country. And while they won’t rise quite as much this year, they’re not going to crash, says Merryn Somerset Webb. Here’s why.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is facing fresh scrutiny today after four ex-directors spoke out publicly for the first time about a crisis that has engulfed the body in recent weeks.
The four directors fired from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) broke their silence this weekend as the organisation appeared to do a U-turn on its response to the scandal.Amarjit