Professional bodies and representative groups

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is an independent, representative professional body which regulates property professionals and surveyors in the United Kingdom. RICS provides education and training, protects consumers with strict codes of practice and advises governments and business. RICS also provides regular analysis of the housing market:

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is the professional body for architecture and the architectural profession. RIBA provides support for 40,500 members worldwide in the form of training, technical services, publications and events, and sets standards for the education of architects, both in the UK and overseas.

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) is the membership organisation for chartered town planners. The RTPI’s work involves promoting good planning, developing and shaping policy affecting the built environment, raising the standards of the planning profession, and providing education and training for future planners.

Architecture Centre Network is the development and advocacy organisation that works with the UK's 22 architecture centres and a broad range of other stakeholders to promote engagement with architecture. Architecture and built environment centres are a vibrant sector working for the creation of better quality neighbourhoods, buildings and public spaces across the country.

The Home Builders Federation (HBF) is the principal trade organisation for private home builders and housing associations in England and Wales. Member firms account for approximately 80% of all new homes built in England and Wales.

The Local Government Association (LGA) represents all of the local authorities in England and Wales. The LGA’s mission is to promote better local government, act as a voluntary lobbying organisation on behalf of members and give practical advice and guidance on policy.

The British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) is the leading membership organisation championing regeneration, working to facilitate the exchange of ideas, experience and solutions within regeneration. BURA offer members national and regional networks, training, seminars and conferences plus debates and forums covering key issues on the regeneration agenda.

The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) is an independent charity campaigning to make the UK’s planning system more responsive to people’s needs and aspirations and promote sustainable development. The TCPA includes those involved in the development industry, the environmental movement and those concerned with social justice.

The Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (IDeA) works for local government improvement. The IDeA’s work focuses on partnership working, place-shaping and tackling cross-cutting issues.

The Planning and Advisory Service (PAS) is part of the IDeA. PAS aims to facilitate self-sustaining change and improvement in the local authority planning sector. PAS helps those involved in planning in England by offering services tailored to help planning deliver on local priorities.

The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment is an educational charity which exists to improve the quality of people’s lives by teaching and practicing ecological ways of planning, designing and building.

The Planning Officers Society represents the most senior professionals and managers of planning functions in the English local authorities. The Society's aim is to ensure that planning makes a major contribution to achieving sustainable developments in ways which are fair and equitable and achieve the social, economic and environmental aspirations of all sectors of the community.

The Housing Corporation is the national government agency that funds new affordable housing and regulates housing associations in England. The Housing Corporation also has a dedicated Centre for Research and Market Intelligence (CRMI) producing research, analysis, and innovation.

English Partnerships is the national regeneration agency, supporting high quality sustainable growth in England. It is a non-departmental public body working with a wide range of partners including local authorities, the Housing Corporation, Regional Development Agencies and the Commission for the Built Environment (CABE).

The National Federation of Artists' Studio Providers is the professional membership body representing the interests of all those engaged in providing and developing affordable affordable studio space for artists in the UK. The NFASP has produced guidance on the use of temporary spaces as artists' studios.