Document downloads - Planning and development

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  • Daylighting and sunlighting

    Published: October 2012
    Effective from: October 2012
    Reissued: October 2023

    This professional standard is about daylight, sunlight and shading and, to a lesser extent, how it is dealt with in the design, planning, and environmental impact assessment of developments, and particularly in relation to the Building Research Establishment Report: Site layout planning for daylight and sunlight 2011, which sets out the standards and methods of calculation most usually relied upon by local authorities when assessing planning applications.

    Surveyors advising on daylight and sunlight need to ensure that they are familiar with that document and with the planning policy of local authorities to whom reports are to be submitted.

  • Land leverage dynamics in property markets (RICS)

    Published June 2012

    This report provides an understanding of the importance and influence of land leverage on a number of property issues and policies.

  • Locational investment: Where to target investment for maximum economic returns (RICS)

    Published May 2012

    Location, location, location; as relevant to governments and their investment plans as it is to the most informed private investment bodies. This paper seeks to highlight that global economic realities must shape Government investment decisions by location.

  • An investigation into the relationship between land administration and economic development (RICS)

    Published June 2013

    This research undertaken by the University of Reading’s Henley Business School investigated the relationship between land administration and economic development.

    In this research, the national land titling programme of Thailand was studied as a successful example of this process and the surveying settlement programme in Bangladesh was selected as a detailed comparative case study of a village in the Gharinda Union.

  • Sectoral and spatial spillover effects of infrastructure investment: a case study of Bengaluru, India (RICS)

    Published July 2013

    Understanding the impact of public infrastructure spending is imperative to government policy framework in India. This research looks specifically at sectoral and spatial spillover effects in Bangalore, and how infrastructure investment may stimulate investment in other sectors.

    According to an estimate by India's Ministry of Urban Development, the urban population in India is expected to reach 575 million by 2030, from an estimated 325 million in 2005. In view of this urban population's staggering size, spending in infrastructure should be backed by comprehensive policy framework. India has experienced huge growth in infrastructure spending flowing through various channels (e.g. railways, highways, power generation and airports).

  • Benchmarking in the rural sector

    Benchmarking is the process of comparing an organisation and its operations/processes against other organisations in the industry or sector in which it operates, or in the broader marketplace. Challenging the performance of any business using benchmarking should be imperative in any economic climate. However, with so much change in the rural sector currently taking place, the need for rural businesses to benchmark is even more critical. RICS have published this Insight paper on rural benchmarking with the aim of equipping RICS rural professionals with benchmarking skills, which will ensure their reputation as the most trusted advisers and those best placed to add value to rural property, and to ensure that land-based businesses are maintained and enhanced.

    This insight paper provides a holistic overview of benchmarking, its applicability to the rural sector and provides an insight into available tools and what some in the sector are currently measuring and benchmarking with some real-life case study examples. Preliminary research for this Insight paper indicates that the current use of benchmarking tools is inconsistent across the rural sector. One of the key findings of the paper itself highlights the clear need for some consistency in benchmarking performance of rural estates and rural land-based businesses, which often have a diverse range of assets and income streams, coupled with diverse ownership motives, which RICS will be further exploring.

  • Insights into compulsory purchase

    Published December 2021
    Reissued October 2022

    This paper on compulsory purchase asks fundamental questions about the practice in the 21st century. The practice plays and will continue to play an important role in our economy as we develop our infrastructure, regenerate our communities, and ensure provision of housing and essential public services and utilities. All of this must be carried out in the context of significant changes to the economy, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and of the challenges posed by climate change and the move to a net-zero carbon economy.

    RICS recognises the vital importance of ensuring best practice in the use of compulsory purchase, and this paper is designed to stimulate further discussion and wider debate in the sector. Some of the suggestions would require fundamental changes in legislation, whereas other areas could create substantial change by updating and strengthening best practice in the day-to-day work of surveyors and other practitioners in the sector. We look forward to continuing the discussion and working with stakeholders in this important area for the future economic growth and well-being of the country.

    This document was reissued in October 2022 as practice information. It had previously been published in December 2021 as an insight paper. No material changes have been made to the document.

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