RIBA calls for quality to be at the heart of 1.5 million homes commitment

RIBA president Muyiwa Oki has called on the government to amend planning legislation, support the architectural skills pipeline, and incentivise modern methods of construction.

Oki gave evidence yesterday to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment, an informal group of members from both Houses of Parliament, which is conducting an inquiry into how to build 1.5 million quality homes during the current Parliament.

RIBA also submitted written evidence to the inquiry, calling for stronger planning policy, earlier design input in housing development and long-term investment in standards.

The institute warns that “delivering housing at pace must not sacrifice quality”, adding that homes “must prioritise good design, sustainability and accessibility to meet people’s needs now and be adaptable to meet the changing needs of future generations”.

It recommends amending the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to include “a vision for high-quality design” within Spatial Development Strategies, defined as “a clear articulation of what an area or project should be like in the future, developed with the local community and stakeholders,” covering “identity and character, sustainability and resilience, connectivity and accessibility, and user experience”.

The evidence stresses the need for design expertise within local authorities and cites 2023 data showing that over half reported skills gaps in urban design and architecture.

“This must be rectified to ensure that high-quality design is foregrounded,” RIBA stated. “Architects are well-placed to rectify these skills gaps and should be involved in the design and development of new homes and places.”

On environmental standards, RIBA calls for national adoption of the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard, with “construction reporting metrics consistent with the Standard” embedded in Building Regulations. It also urges the government to honour its commitment to consult on measuring and reducing embodied carbon in new buildings.

RIBA recommends making post-occupancy evaluation (POE) mandatory for homes built under the Future Homes Standard. “At present, the lack of information about how well new buildings are performing is hindering improvements,” it said, suggesting that POE could improve outcomes and reduce repeated errors.

The submission also proposes support for Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), noting potential reductions in cost, time and waste. “Unlike traditional construction methods, MMC relies on a vertically integrated factory model for production with specifically trained employees,” RIBA said. “If the potential of MMC is to be fully realised, Government support and aggregated demand are crucial.”

On affordability, it highlights the need for more social housing and refers to RIBA’s Foundations for the Future model, which proposes using publicly owned land to build homes for rent and sale, with proceeds reinvested into further development. The institute argues this would reduce reliance on ongoing central funding while supporting mixed-tenure delivery.

It also supports calls for councils to retain 100% of Right to Buy receipts and lift restrictions on their use.

Finally, RIBA calls for a more strategic approach to infrastructure planning, citing poor integration as a driver of car-dependent development. “It is crucial to ensure that new towns have high-quality social infrastructure,” the institute said, including schools, healthcare facilities and community centres “sequenced early in the development process”.

RIBA also calls for an impact assessment on the government’s decision to defund Level 7 architecture apprenticeships, warning that this could affect the built environment sector and the future talent pipeline.

The inquiry, chaired by Mike Reader MP, a former Mace director and supported by the Construction Industry Council, is gathering evidence from across the sector on how to meet the government’s national housing target without compromising quality.