In a statement set to cause further concern amongst landscapers and garden designers, APL chairman Mark Gregory has called for the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) and the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) to join together and form one unified landscape association. Gregory also said that they [APL] should forge closer ties with the Society of Garden Designers (SGD).
A combined APL and BALI would only represent less than 5% of the whole of the landscaping industry but close association with traditional horticulture trade press means only those who operate within these organisations will be promoted.
In an article on the Hort Week website [it's no good linking to it because the page is now behind a paywall] Gregory called the unregulated landscaping industry 'a tramps' trade' and said: "Anyone can call themselves a garden designer or a landscape contractor and charge whatever they want."
Gregory risked the wrath of garden designers by inferring they took 'kickbacks' - Gregory should know that design is a lean business but the SGD's charter states that its members should not take a fee from a contractor in case it compromises their position - and that designers worked for 'tea and biscuits'.
"Contractors need to become profitable and designers must work for a proper commercial fee instead of taking kickbacks from contractors or working for tea and biscuits as some do. It is undermining the profession," Gregory continued.
Gregory - who is head of the self-regulated and self-appointed APL risks further polarising an industry which already suffers with a general lack of direction and governance - risks further polarising the landscaping and design trade by his comments.
I feel the time has long passed for BALI or the APL to call the shots. Their respective organisations stood largely quiet as the recession roared towards the United kingdom and offered no guidance - despite both organisations repeatedly claiming to represent ALL of the landscaping industry - to help small businesses find a way through to the other side.
It's in stark contrast to Landscape Juice - The Open Association of Landscape Industries - who've offered help, advice, initiated, networking to small-to-medium sizes companies through the tough times.
It's nearly two years since I wrote an open letter to BALI and the APL and had conversations with their respective chairmen: there's been promises but still no movement or apparent plan to change, which includes everyone.
I'm sorry...in my opinion, Gregory has called this wrong in both terms of rhetoric and timing and is saying nothing more than Landscape Juice's been demanding since 2005.
If governance was to become real then everyone, including the APL and BALI, should agree to rules set by an independent body and be prepared to open themselves up for an audit and closer scrutiny, with the results to be published for everyone to read.
Comments