黑洞社区

Two architecture practices received a total of 拢1.1m in fees for acting as client design advisers on Birmingham council鈥檚 黑洞社区 Schools for the Future scheme, a freedom of information request has revealed.

The figures, obtained by 黑洞社区鈥檚 sister magazine 黑洞社区 Design under the Freedom of Information Act, show that Birmingham paid 拢1.1 million to architects who acted as client design advisers (CDAs) on its 拢2.4 billion BSF project.

The revelation will support criticisms from education secretary Michael Gove that architects 鈥渃reamed off cash鈥� from the 拢55bn BSF programme, which was axed in July amid criticism from government that it did not offer value for money.

Sole practitioner and former Riba president nominee Simon Foxell 鈥� who says he sub-contracted some of the work and charged 拢100 an hour 鈥� was paid 拢724,250 over four years. This included 拢382,021 in a single year.

The remaining amount went to Matthew Springett鈥檚 MSA Architects, also London-based, which received 拢375,054.

The news has revived the debate sparked by education secretary Michael Gove, who earlier this year faced criticism from the Riba when he accused architects of 鈥渃reaming off cash鈥� under BSF.

Graham Stuart, Tory chairman of the Commons education select committee, called the payments 鈥渕orally offensive鈥�, but said he did not blame the architects involved.

鈥淢ost of the school estate is now in desperate need of attention,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f I was a school that needed repairs I would be horrified and furious to know that hundreds of thousands of pounds can be passed on to one [consultancy] firm. It鈥檚 bad business and morally offensive.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 blame the professionals, it鈥檚 entirely the fault of the burdensome and bureaucratic BSF system that was set up by the last government. We wasted all this money and the money wasn鈥檛 even ours because we were borrowing it.鈥�

He added that the quality of new school buildings had suffered because of the amount spent on consultants.

Schools architects also expressed surprised at the scale of Foxell鈥檚 fee.

鈥淚 have never heard of anything of that scale of earnings in my life,鈥� one said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more than the prime minister gets and the chief executives of many major companies.

鈥淚t is industry standard to have terms to limit the amount running out of control. No public authority should engage someone on such a basis.鈥�

Foxell defended the fees, which he said were paid for the equivalent of 2.5 full-time staff charging about 拢100 an hour. He said he also provided technical advice and project management on up to 30 schools.

鈥淭he fees we charge are on a par with other advisers in the construction industry and are far lower than those who advise on legal or financial matters,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he fact that there was a lot of work to do is reflected in the size of the fee.鈥�

Springett said his practice鈥檚 fee included expenses, covered advice, evaluation and consultation as well as producing a 鈥渟ignificant number of detailed feasibility studies and site appraisals鈥�.

Client design advisors (CDAs) were required by BSF delivery body Partnerships for Schools. Some local authorities had the in-house expertise to do it themselves but many others relied on consultants.

On Monday, Gove 鈥� who was opening Penoyre & Prasad鈥檚 new BSF school in Tottenham 鈥� said he stood by his original claim.

But Riba president Ruth Reed maintained her criticism of the minister鈥檚 views.

鈥淭here is no suggestion that fees for architects are out of control 鈥� quite the reverse,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f you are trying to suggest 拢100 an hour is unreasonable for professional consultancy then you are not going to get much sympathy from the profession.鈥�

A version of this story first appeared in 黑洞社区鈥檚 sister title, 黑洞社区 Design.