‘Stop the Rot’ campaign ending as Hackett widens RICS overhaul

RICS campaigner Jeremy Hackett has pledged to continue to voice members’ discontent against the institution despite predicting that he would wind down his ‘Stop the Rot’ campaign, which he envisages will be replaced by a corporate led action group.

Hackett, who in 2003 started the campaign in opposition to the RICS’s 30% increase in member subscriptions, said as he was now a member of the institution’s governing council he will become more of an ambassador than a campaigner.

He said ‘Stop the Rot’ had been a catalyst for change but he now wanted to tackle wider issues.

“I want to continue the process, taking other members of governing council with me.

The principle is to remove multi-layers of administration at the RICS so the ordinary member can see a clear route through.”

Hackett said the RICS faced four main challenges in 2006:

• Self regulation and the re-writing of the conduct regulations following the Carsberg Report and the Brooke Review

I want to continue the process, taking other members of governing council with me

Jeremy Hackett, RICS

• Definition of the powers and duties of members of the governing council

• Revisions to the powers and duties of members of governing council

• A total re-write of the RICS bye-laws and regulations.

RICS members are being encouraged by the body to respond to its proposals to change the regulation procedure. The RICS began a 12-week consultation period through road shows and briefings last month.

The body said it would adhere to five principles of better regulation in the changes – transparency, targeting, consistency, proportionality

and accountability. It added that work was already being done on detailed issues such as how firms handle complaints and clients’ money, professional indemnity insurance rules, data requirements and the funding of regulation.

To take part in the consultation log on to www.rics.org or phone: 0870 333 1600