Architects’ anxiety over prospect of EU deadlock
BRITAIN’S £4.8bn architecture industry will be threatened if the Government fails to strike a Brexit deal and could see its EU exports slump by nearly a third, a report claims.
Research by the Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) has warned that a disorderly withdrawal from the EU could cut off vital access to talent and put the UK’s position as a global hub for the industry at risk.
It said a “no deal” scenario could decimate the sector’s mammoth contribution to the UK economy, estimating that exports to the EU alone would collapse by 29%. The impact of lost export earnings from around the world could be £73m a year, the report claimed.
The study is the latest warning over the implications of a no deal Brexit, with sectors including the car industry sounding the alarm over the impact of a hard border and tariffs.
Britain’s architecture sector has already been hit by Brexit, with the largest player, Foster + Partners, whose projects include the new BBC Wales headquarters in the centre of Cardiff, having already axed nearly 100 jobs this year as a result of uncertainty around major builds.
Riba is calling on the Government to take steps to protect Britain’s architecture industry during negotiations.
Ben Derbyshire, president of Riba, said: “Without a Brexit deal that works for UK architecture, we risk losing more of our global talent due to increased costs and economic uncertainty. A no deal Brexit is not an option – it would be a disaster for UK architecture and our built environment, and the Government must take this option off the table.”
The UK’s architecture sector is particularly exposed to the impact of trade and border changes due to its position as an exporter and its reliance on international talent, according to the report.
Riba is urging the Government to ensure there is a post-Brexit immigration system to allow access to talent worldwide, continued mutual recognition of qualifications across the EU and market access without non-tariff barriers.
However, the report said there is potential for growth from new trade agreements outside the EU, with deals struck with the likes of China, the US, India and the UAE estimated to be worth at least £54m in its first year.