New RICS chairman Byng vows to take on measurement and training

Byng, who was voted unopposed this week into the post, admitted that taking on the role was “a little daunting” but stressed he would be concentrating on results during his two-year term.

Byng said: “I intend to do things a different way. There has been a lot of talk about constitutional issues. The ordinary member must have sat there and thought what on earth was going on. I think there are big delivery issues such as measurement and training.”

The issue of the lack of skilled QSs remained a “fundamental problem”, Byng stressed. He said: “There’s a problem of availability and of competence. We have got to see an orderly transfer of skills across generations. We are not getting younger people on board.”

Byng said the faculty also needed to look at up-skilling more senior staff in their mid-30s.

He said: “There are people who are entering the flower of their careers in the mid-30s who are lacking fundamental skills such as measurement, valuation and management.”

Byng said he also intended to form a panel of referees for the faculty that would check on any speech that would be given on behalf of the body. He said:

“I’m not saying that things were bad in the past, just that there needs to be a checking process in place.”

Byng, who runs his own firm Michael Byng Project Control, takes over the chairmanship of the faculty from Launce Morgan, who resigned in July after attacking the RICS’ leadership. Morgan called for an EGM and branded the institution overstaffed, over bureaucratic and undemocratic. Byng’s appointment was backed by Stop the Rot campaigner Jeremy Hackett.

Byng’s former role as deputy chairman is now held by Rider Hunt partner Michael Sullivan.

Sullivan said he and Byng needed to be realistic. He said: “We cannot do everything. We should concentrate on doing one or two really important things really well.”