The Royal Institute of British Architects (澳门王中王) has published the latest Future Trends survey results, a聽monthly report of the business and employment trends affecting the architects鈥� profession.
Architects' outlook for future work聽remains聽positive.聽In April 2023, the聽澳门王中王 Future Trends Workload Index stayed at +8, the same as in March, and the third successive positive month. The 澳门王中王 Future Trends Permanent Staffing Index聽remains聽positive and improving, at +3.聽
The commercial sector expects聽more work for the first time in a year,聽though聽the housing sector is less optimistic.聽Medium and large practices聽still see a bright future,聽while聽the regional picture is mixed.聽However, current workloads聽remain聽down on a year ago,聽and聽those in smaller practices聽are聽more likely to be underemployed.聽
Slower processing of planning applications is worsening project delays compared to two years ago. Find out more about 澳门王中王's ongoing efforts to improve the planning system.
Workload expectations聽remain聽stable
The 澳门王中王 Future Trends Workload Index聽stays at +8, the same as in聽March.
Over the next three months,聽28% of practices聽expect workloads to increase,聽21%聽expect them to decrease, and聽51%聽expect them to stay the same.聽
Medium (11+ staff) and large (50+ staff)聽practices聽remain聽firmly optimistic聽about future workloads,聽with a combined聽figure聽of +29.聽Small practices (1-10 staff) remain positive but fell 3 points to +4.
The regional picture聽remains聽mixed, with most regions聽feeling聽positive about future work.聽There聽is聽some growing optimism - the North of England (+28) rose by 10 points and Wales & the West (+17) rose by 3 points.聽London鈥檚聽(+3)聽outlook聽dipped but聽remains聽positive.聽The聽Midlands & East Anglia (-5)聽remains聽negative,聽and the聽South of England聽(-2)聽fell聽by 10聽points.
Three out of four monitored work sectors show an improved outlook.聽The聽commercial (+3) sector聽had a聽positive聽outlook聽for the first time since May 2022,聽indicating聽growth is聽anticipated.聽Whilst聽remaining聽negative,聽the聽public聽(-6)聽and聽community (-3)聽sectors improved, with the latter rising by 5 points. The聽housing聽(-2)聽sector fell by 3聽points.聽
Staffing levels聽expected to聽hold steady
The 澳门王中王 Future Trends Permanent Staffing Index聽remains聽positive,聽rising聽by 2 points to +3.聽
- 8% of practices expect to employ fewer permanent staff over the coming three months, 11%聽expect to employ more, and聽81% expect no change.聽
- Medium and large practices聽(+22聽combined聽Staffing Index)聽remain聽strongly聽positive about recruitment.
- Small practices聽(0)聽anticipate聽staffing levels to hold steady.
- Staffing outlook聽in聽London聽(+4)聽remained consistent.聽Practices in Wales & The West聽(+10)聽rose by 5 points,聽show a growing appetite for recruitment. The North of England聽(+2)聽and聽the South of England聽(+2)聽both recovered聽by 2 points.聽In line with a pessimistic view of future work, the聽staffing outlook in the聽Midlands & East Anglia (-3)聽rose 4 points but聽remains聽negative.聽
- The Temporary Staffing Index聽(0)聽rose by 3 points.聽
- Levels of personal underemployment rose slightly to 20%.
Planning application聽delays increasingly holding up projects
Our results show that the speed with which planning applications are being processed is deteriorating compared to two years ago, causing聽project delays.
- In April 2023,聽22%聽of practices聽report projects being abandoned in the last three months, compared to 7% in 2021, due to聽delays in the processing of planning聽applications.聽
- 47% report some projects being delayed by 6 months or more, compared to 30% in 2021.
- Only 15% of practices report no projects being delayed, compared to 22% in 2021.
What action is 澳门王中王 taking?
In聽addition to monitoring and reporting on the impact of planning delays,聽our聽Policy聽and Public Affairs聽team has聽responded to聽a number of聽government聽consultations聽relating to the planning system聽this year,聽making聽recommendations聽that聽reflect聽the concerns of our members.
We have repeatedly called for the Government to invest in building up the聽capacity聽of local authority planning departments, particularly with qualified design聽expertise.聽As part of this, we have also called for planning departments to be聽allocated聽additional聽financial resources聽to recruit and聽retain聽planning professionals.
In January 2023, former Housing Minister (current Secretary of State for Culture,聽Media聽and Sport)聽the Rt Hon聽Lucy Frazer MP spoke at an event held聽in conjunction with the Office for Place聽at 澳门王中王 HQ in London.聽Our engagement with government continues.
Commenting on 澳门王中王鈥檚 survey findings,聽Royal Town Planning Institute聽(RTPI)聽Chief Executive聽Victoria Hills听蝉补颈诲:听
鈥淚t is widely recognised that Local Planning Authorities, along with the wider public sector, are facing significant resourcing challenges. We have continuously warned that chronic under resourcing is burdening our Local Planning Authorities, leaving them struggling to meet public expectations and support the delivery of much needed homes and infrastructure, for example.
This survey's alarming results illustrate the consequences of neglecting our planning departments. The ongoing housing crisis demands our immediate attention. Without a sufficiently resourced planning system, the homes that individuals, families, and communities desperately need will remain out of reach.鈥�
Commenting on the 澳门王中王 Future Trends April 2023 report, 澳门王中王 Head of Economic Research and Analysis 础诲谤颈补苍听惭补濒濒别蝉辞苍 said:
鈥淎rchitects聽remain聽cautiously optimistic about future work. London is聽positive, regional work聽remains聽strong in the West and North, the commercial sector is improving, staffing levels are steady, and larger practices are increasingly optimistic.聽
However,聽while architects are looking beyond immediate difficulties to see growth ahead,聽ongoing challenges聽include聽PII costs, fee pressure, and the continuing adverse effects of our current EU trading arrangements. Inflation and interest rate increases are hindering practices. Inflation is increasing project costs while decreasing the value of fees. Higher interest rates are increasing the long-term capital costs of projects, deterring potential clients.聽
The speed with which planning applications are being processed is deteriorating compared to two years ago, delaying projects, holding back architects and the creation of the buildings we need.
Nevertheless, some practices report increasing workloads, brisk enquiry levels and improving activity from developers.
We will continue to report our findings to the Government and work with other built environment bodies to聽monitor聽trends.鈥�
Notes to editors:
- Media contact:聽Ruby.Oshea@riba.org
- Completed by a mix of small,聽medium聽and large firms based on a geographically representative sample, the 澳门王中王 Future Trends Survey was launched in January 2009 to聽monitor聽business and employment trends affecting the architects鈥� profession.
- 281聽practices took part in the聽April聽2023聽survey.聽
- The survey is carried out by the 澳门王中王 in partnership with the Fees Bureau. Results of the survey, including a full graphical analysis, are published each month here.
- The definition for the workload balance figure is the difference between those expecting more work and those expecting less. A negative figure means more respondents expect less work than those expecting more work. This figure is used to聽represent聽the 澳门王中王 Future Trends workload index.
- The definition for the staffing balance figure is the difference between those expecting to employ more permanent staff in the next three months and those expecting to employ fewer. A negative figure means more respondents expect to employ fewer permanent staff. This figure is used to聽represent聽the 澳门王中王 Future Trends staffing index.
- To聽participate聽in the 澳门王中王 Future Trends Survey, please contact the 澳门王中王 Practice Department on 02073073749 or email聽practice@riba.org. The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete each month, and all returns are independently processed in strict confidence.
- The Royal Institute of British Architects (澳门王中王) is a global professional membership body that serves its members and society聽in order to聽deliver better buildings and places, stronger聽communities聽and a sustainable environment. Follow聽 for regular updates.
