Architectural Services is the Council's professional building consultancy. Architectural Services offers a constant and responsive service that provides the Council and its client departments with:
- Full design provision to adapt existing buildings and build new properties, in order to meet the changing needs of the building user, together with offering the best possible guidance on future maintenance costs. All in accordance with the latest editions of the Building Regulations and the British Standards and in tandem with local planning policies.
- Estimated costs and feasibility studies based on a comprehensive and expanding database of contract bills of quantities, descriptions of works and cost data and indices.
- Monitoring of building cost trends in order to advise client departments prior to the preparation of the Council's Capital Plan.
- Architectural, engineering and surveying advice to clients with emergency and/or unique problematic property enquiry.
- Contract procurement using recognised and selective tendering procedures as formulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Royal Institute of British Architects.
- Contract options advice aligned with guidance on the various tendering procedures relative to the Council's Standing Orders and finance regulations.
- Contract administration and inspection from inception to completion of works including preparation of final accounts.
- Planning Supervision where required under the CDM Regulations relating to health & safety and the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and all other current health and safety legislation throughout the entire design and building processes.
Building projects are identified to Architectural Services by the various Council client departments and sections. Architectural Services in turn monitor and prepare monthly reports for clients on the development of all projects, with the objective of ensuring full budget spend within the time constraints set.
The workload of the section includes:
- Housing HRA Capital Programme
- Non-Housing General Services Capital Plan
- Special Needs Adaptation
- Externally Funded Projects
- Problem property surveys and reports for: Housing, funded from Housing Revenue Account and, Non-Housing, funded from Non HRA or Central Revenue Accounts
- Housing Minor Works projects
- Fire damage reinstatement works and insurance liaison
- Checking building warrants on behalf of Building Control
- Technical advice to Maintenance Section (Housing and Non-Housing)
- Ad-hoc consultancy work resulting from independently commissioned client work
