黑洞社区

Annual membership fees at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) will be 鈥渙penly reviewed鈥� as part of a wider shake-up of the organisation set to start within weeks.

New interim chief executive Richard Collins said the RICS will look at fee levels in the context of the independent external review into the institution鈥檚 future purpose, governance and strategy, which is due to get underway by the end of this month.

Collins made the announcement in his response to an open letter issued by 黑洞社区 to the RICS last month.

The letter contained excerpts from more than 25,000 words sent to this magazine by members on changes they would like to see at the institution following the emergence of a governance scandal in December last year.

> Read: Richard Collins鈥� response to 黑洞社区鈥檚 open letter

The size of annual RICS fees, which are 拢539 for professional members and 拢658 for fellows, was among the most frequently raised concerns.

Many members complained that the level of engagement the RICS provided to members was insufficient given the sums it required members to pay.

Collins said the institution 鈥渕ust deliver better value for money 鈥� and show it鈥�.

He said: 鈥淲e will be more transparent about our finances, more willing to explain how members鈥� money is spent and more aware of members鈥� criticism.

鈥淭he independent review of governance, purpose and strategy, due to begin in a few weeks, is integral to these initiatives.

鈥淲e will openly review fee levels in the context of that review. Delivering value for money, keeping costs under control and rebuilding our financial reserves are all urgent 鈥� so we will not wait for the review to get some of these jobs done.鈥�

He also admitted that the RICS had become 鈥渢oo remote鈥� from its members, adding that the 鈥渨ell-founded criticism of a failure by RICS to engage鈥� had resulted in many lost opportunities.

Collins said that Alison Levitt QC鈥檚 independent report into the institution, which led to a series of high-profile resignations including that of chief executive Sean Tompkins when it was published in September, was 鈥渘ot a surprise to many of our members鈥�.

He promised that the new leadership team installed last month will make the RICS an 鈥渋nstitution fit for purpose and one in which all members can have real pride鈥�.

Collins, who has had a previous career in the justice sector and was awarded an OBE in 2009, will stay in the role for up to 12 months to oversee the wider independent review.

The RICS has drafted in recruitment agency Gatenby Sanderson to find a suitable candidate to lead the review, with the appointment expected to be announced in around three weeks鈥� time.