Insurance News Archive

Rics to manage planning advice service

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) is to manage a new service aimed at speeding up the planning process for property building.

Rics will head up the Expert Appointments in Planning Service, providing specialists who will give advice on development plan documents which outline local authorities' intentions for building in the area.

The organisations' dispute resolution services division will manage the scheme, offering the relevant professional advice required by planning inspectors studying local development plan work submitted for independent assessment.

Martin Burns, director of Rics dispute resolution services, said: "This service will be a welcome benefit to the planning system by adding a valuable resource which will assist in speeding up the planning process."

He added that the initiative shows that inspectors are committed to modernising the planning system.

Last week, the organisation launched a working group to look into transparency within the surveying industry, particularly with regard to professional fees.

26 Jan 2009