RICS draws up manifesto for party conferences

RICS is hoping to enter the political debate with its 24-page document, Empowering a Sustainable Future.

RICS lobbyists will brandish the document at the upcoming Conservative Party and Labour Party conferences on 1-4 October and 8-11 October, respectively.

The RICS manifesto contains more than 70 policy demands across 10 broad themes. Its demands range from support for diversity initiatives in the construction industry to promotion of offsite construction and alternative dispute resolution.

It also wants the next government to support the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings standard, to standardise how buildings are measured and defined as net zero.

Other demands include:

• increased supply of rented homes to meet demand and slow rent rises
• a joined-up quality and sustainability strategy
• a review of skills shortages to tackle targets
• a housing delivery strategy to hit targets
• reform to how building performance and EPCs are presented, as recommended by the recent RICS Decarbonising UK Real Estate plan
• develop the National Fire Strategy to raise competency, standards and mitigation.

RICS chief executive Justin Young said: “As a leading representative of the built and natural environment sectors in the UK and globally, RICS advocates policies with solutions to some of the most critical challenges of our time. The public needs safe, sustainable, energy-efficient, and affordable homes; businesses need high-quality commercial spaces that align with the decentralised digital economy, while the industry needs a more robust pipeline of diverse talent that fulfils the skills demands of the sector so that it can deliver its goals.

“The RICS manifesto provides food for thought for the parties as they develop their policy platforms for the next general election, and we look forward to engaging with their policy teams at the upcoming party conferences.”

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