Aukett Swanke says turnover in UK has halved in past two years

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Aukett Swanke sank deeper into the red last year with the country鈥檚 only listed architect racking up a 拢2.5m pre-tax loss.

The 330-strong firm said sluggish UK activity caused by Brexit uncertainty as well as a slowdown in the UAE meant that annual losses had ballooned from the 拢325,000 posted in 2017.

Revenue in the year to September 2018 slumped 22% to 拢14.4m with its workloads in the UK collapsing 45% over the past two years to stand at the firm鈥檚 2018 year end at 拢6.6m 鈥� down from the 拢12.1m it posted in 2016.

Aukett Swanke said its UK arm, which completed work refurbishing an office block (pictured) near Cannon Street last autumn for Knight Frank, racked up losses of 拢1.5m, half of which was put down to unsuccessful bid costs.

Chief executive Nicholas Thompson said it had reduced its cost base, which included cutting staff, and added: 鈥淭his is leading us towards a UK breakeven allied with good trading from our European hub.鈥�

It added that the ongoing Brexit negotiations had held up schemes or seen some suspended which the firm said it had not been paid for.

It said that moving its head office from King鈥檚 Cross to Bonhill Street in the City of London as well as consolidating offices in the UAE would save around 拢400,000 a year.

Revenue in the UAE slipped 21% to 拢6.8m with the firm posting losses of 拢1.2m from a 拢13,000 profit in 2017. It added that its business in the Middle East was dependent 鈥渙n a change in market confidence鈥�.

Workloads in Russia and Turkey also fell, although the one bright spot was its German business which returned to the black.

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