Welcome to the February ebulletin.

This is my last message as Chair of the ARB.  My eight year tenure as a Board Member will conclude on 31 March 2017 and I am handing over at this point to facilitate a smooth transition to a new chair.  Richard Parnaby, who is currently the Vice Chair of the Board, will take on this role on an interim basis whilst the Board undertakes its election process.

At the February meeting we discussed the 2017 retention fee payment process and those removed for non-payment.  We heard that 1,204 architects were removed this year which represents a significant reduction on previous years; this was in part due to changes implemented as a result of feedback received from the profession.  Reinstatements were processed quickly and efficiently and the staff team is already reviewing comments from registrants about the retention fee collection and reinstatement processes with a view to making further improvements this year.

We spent time looking back at ARB’s work over the course of 2016, reviewing and discussing the Report on the delivery of the 2016 Business Plan and the Report on Statistics, Trends and Performance Indicators for 2016.  The latter contains a raft of interesting data about the Register and our regulatory work in 2016 covering registration, prescription and professional conduct matters.  There is also a summary of the equality and diversity data we currently hold which includes submissions from 47% of registrants, up from the 35% we held this time last year.

I want to conclude by saying that I have very much enjoyed my time serving as an ARB Board Member and particularly my time as Chair of the Board, regulating the profession in the public interest and supporting architects through regulation.  I am confident that I am leaving behind a strong team, who are well placed to lead the organisation as ARB awaits the outcome of the Government’s periodic review.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues on the Board, the staff team and all those who help the Board deliver on the organisation’s statutory remit for their commitment and support over the last eight years.

Sincere best wishes to you all for the future.