SURVEYING CAPABILITY AT RISK WITHOUT GOVERNMENT ACTION, WARNS SURVEY LIASON GROUP
The Survey Liaison Group (SLG) is calling on the Government to take urgent action to address a growing risk to the UK's geospatial surveying capability.
The call comes as part of the group’s response to a consultation led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on a strategy for the built environment professions, trades and occupations.
The Survey Liaison Group (SLG) is a collaborative body representing CICES, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and The Survey Association.
The consultation sought views from industry professionals and stakeholders on the challenges affecting how individuals and organisations work across the built environment sector, with a particular focus on skills, behaviours and accountability.
Its findings will help inform the development of a new strategy for the built environment.
Key asks
The Survey Liaison Group has used the consultation as an opportunity to urge MHCLG to:
- recognise SLG as a collaborative voice for the UK survey profession, bringing together CICES, RICS and TSA
- support the CCES initiative as a practical example of professional body collaboration and professional recognition
- support Level 3 and Level 6 apprenticeship pathways for geospatial surveying
- work with Skills England, universities and the SLG bodies to stabilise and grow national training capacity
- address the decline in specialist university provision and academic staffing
- promote geospatial careers earlier in schools and colleges
- encourage public sector clients and procurers to use the existing geospatial sector portfolio of standards, guidance and client guides
- treat high-quality spatial data as a foundation of safe, digital and accountable built environment delivery
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Skills shortage
In its formal response to the consultation, SLG has issued a warning that shortage of trained surveyors and falling university provision could undermine future infrastructure, housing and construction projects - without government intervention.
Support to strengthen the education and training pipeline
SLG says the geospatial sector already has the standards and infrastructure needed to support growth, with institutions and organisations including RICS, CICES and The Survey Association having established extensive specialist guidance.
In its consultation response, SLG points out that there is no need to duplicate existing guidance. Instead, it is calling on government to raise awareness of current standards and encourage their adoption across the public sector, particularly among clients and procurement teams.
The group also wants greater government support for skills development, including expanding Levels 3 and 6 apprenticeships and protecting specialist university courses.
Recognition for civil engineering surveyors – a recent key step
The Survey Liaison Group (SLG) highlights the recent launch of the Chartered Civil Engineering Surveyor designation as an important step in strengthening the profession’s identity and supporting the UK’s geospatial skills pipeline.
Launched jointly by RICS and CICES, the designation provides formal recognition for professionals working across geospatial engineering, engineering surveying and commercial management. SLG says it will raise the profile of a profession critical to infrastructure and construction, while providing a clearer career pathway through apprenticeships and professional training.
What happens next?
This consultation closed on 12 August 2026, and the Government is expected to publish an overarching strategy for the built environment professions, trades and occupations in Spring 2027, including a consultation on final proposals.
Find out more
· To read SLG’s response to this consultation in full, please click here.
· To read the Do You Need a Survey Guide created by the Survey Liaison Group, click here.
· Learn more about the Chartered Civil Engineering Surveyor designation.