Work on a building cannot be separated from work on the ground it stands on. Levels, drainage, soils, trees and external spaces determine whether the completed building fulfils its original aims.
From the EPF response
Our response
In August 2026, the Environmental Policy Forum (EPF) responded to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) Call for Evidence: Strategy for the built environment professions, trades and occupations.
We responded in writing rather than through the survey, because our evidence is cross-cutting in line with our members’ collective expertise.
Our response provides comment on the following aspects of the Strategy:
- The scope.
- Skills, knowledge and experience.
- Interdependencies across the lifecycle.
- System infrastructure: competence standards and frameworks.
- Accountability, enforcement and the limits of professional bodies.
- Behaviour, conduct and culture.
- Cross-cutting functions: planning.
- Insights from previous attempts at reform.
We end our response by offering to provide real-world examples and to convene a roundtable bringing the EPF’s disciplines together.
You can view a copy of our response via the link below.
More about EPF
The EPF is a coalition of professional bodies and learned societies representing over 170,000 qualified professionals across a variety of different disciplines, all working together to advocate for evidence-based environmental policy. SocEnv is secretariat of the EPF and has coordinated the development of this response, as well as being one of 10 organisations signing up in support.
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