The Landscape Institute (LI) is exploring the possibility of creating a dedicated Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) Accreditation Scheme beginning with a Feasibility Study, looking at a formal route to address growing concerns from members on inconsistencies in standards of LVIA.
The LI writes:
As the professional body for the landscape sector, it is the Landscape Institute’s role to continually reflect and review on the changing environment for landscape practitioners.
Why investigate an accreditation scheme?
The LI has a long-standing relationship with the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP) (IEMA as was) for the Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment GLVIA3 . ISEP have an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Quality Mark scheme that has been running successfully for 15 years. The LI took inspiration from this as a starting point.
An LVIA accreditation scheme may also address issues around LVIA terminology and definitions, such as the requirements under EIA to use a ‘competent expert’ and have access to ‘sufficient expertise’ to review EIA outputs. As noted in LI guidance TGN 01/20 current EIA regulations do not define the terms ‘competent expert’ and ‘sufficient expertise’. In the absence of formal certification of specific competence, the LI considers that it would normally be a Chartered Member of the LI, however this is not a mandatory EIA requirement. Assessments can therefore be carried out by others, presenting potential issues for the developer who must ensure an LVIA is prepared by a competent expert accompanied by a statement outlining the relevant expertise or qualifications.
An accreditation scheme would allow individuals and/or organisations in the UK to commit to excellence in their LVIA activities, and have this commitment audited and independently peer reviewed. An accreditation scheme could provide a trusted, evidence-based mark for specific advanced skills in LVIA, for individuals and organisations operating in this area.
LI members are from a wide range of fields of practice, and demonstrate their knowledge skills and experience through Technician, Chartered or Fellow membership. These are a mark of quality and excellence in the profession with a commitment to maintaining standards and personal development. An LVIA Accreditation Scheme would supplement and sit alongside the skills demonstrated under this membership, with the same scrutiny.
An LVIA accreditation scheme would also allow Practices and Organisations, and those conducting LVIA’s to visibly show that their expertise and competency has been established. Since an accreditation scheme would focus solely on LVIAs, it would not replace the more comprehensive membership categories of LI members. There are precedents for similar specialised subject specific accreditations that members and others may already have alongside broader memberships and accreditations.
