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The statement below was issued in response to a statement from the Good Law Project received by ARB.
The Architects Registration Board (ARB) is an independent professional regulator, established by Parliament as a statutory body, through the Architects Act, in 1997. We are accountable to government.
As the regulator for the architect’s profession in the UK, ARB has the duty of setting and enforcing the professional standards that all architects must uphold. When architects fail to meet the standards we set or are suspected of having engaged in unsafe practice or act in a way that is contrary to the Architects Code of Conduct and Practice, we have the power to investigate and take disciplinary action.
We have been monitoring the Grenfell Tower Inquiry closely since it was established, but we were obliged to wait until the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase Two Report was published before undertaking any formal investigative activities. Following the publication of that report, formal investigations have commenced into whether any architects involved in the refurbishment of the Tower might be guilty of a disciplinary offence under the Architects Code.
The Grenfell Tower fire was a national tragedy and is rightly considered one of the UK’s worst modern disasters, and we are sensitive to the strong public interest of taking appropriate action without delay. The investigations must be conducted properly if they are to be effective, and can be complex, particularly when they take place in the background of potential criminal proceedings which must not be prejudiced.
It is ARB’s policy to not comment on the detail of investigations until or unless they reach a public hearing of our Professional Conduct Committee, so that the Committee can make an independent decision based on the evidence available. Information regarding forthcoming hearings is published to our website.
Whilst the Good Law Project is raising funds in respect of their ability to take this complaint to ARB, it is important to note that making a complaint to ARB is free, and the costs of the investigation will be borne by ARB.
Notes to editors
About ARB
The Architects Registration Board (ARB) is an independent professional regulator, established by Parliament as a statutory body, through the Architects Act, in 1997. It is accountable to government. The law gives ARB a number of core functions:
- To ensure only those who are suitably competent are allowed to practise as architects. ARB does this by approving the qualifications required to join the UK Register of Architects.
- ARB maintains a publicly available Register of Architects so anyone using the services of an architect can be confident that they are suitably qualified and are fit to practise.
- ARB sets the standards of conduct and practice the profession must meet and take action when any architect falls below the required standards of conduct or competence.
- ARB sets requirements for and monitors the continuous professional development that architects must undertake, to provide assurance to the public about the continuing competence of the profession.
- ARB protects the legally restricted title ‘architect’.
Information about forthcoming PCC hearings can be found here: Forthcoming Professional Conduct Committee hearings
Information about ARB’s investigations process can be found here: The Investigation Process – Architects Registration Board
