黑洞社区

Architecture minister Ed Vaizey has said he doesn鈥檛 think the government needs to formally respond to Sir Terry Farrell鈥檚 year-long review of architecture and the built environment, published this week.

Though he was supportive of the report鈥檚 60 findings, and exhorted the industry to make Farrell鈥檚 vision real, it feels like his response means the government hasn鈥檛 so much as buried it deep under the long grass in the middle of a very big field.

Vaizey has said he鈥檒l 鈥渓obby鈥� policymakers in support of the review鈥檚 recommendations and check progess in a year, but this doesn鈥檛 amount to the two key things 鈥� money and policy 鈥� that would catalyse the implementation process.

As much as Vaizey might like it to be, architecture is far from the top of the political agenda 鈥� lagging well behind the economy, employment and living standards. Given this, it鈥檚 hard to see why any government would make Farrell鈥檚 suggestions a priority after May 2015.

Architecture is far from the top of the political agenda 鈥� lagging well behind the economy, employment and living standards

It is not unusual for ministers to promise to respond to reviews, only to then leave the industry hanging for months 鈥� in some ways knowing there is no response coming soon allows the sector to get on with things immediately.

There are plenty of things that the industry can do to improve education, leadership and export capability without government鈥檚 help. But reforming planning, VAT rates and appointing a government architecture adviser all require government action.

From this report good things can still grow, but that grassy field looks unlikely to yield a harvest of results without government support.

Vern Pitt, 黑洞社区 reporter