Start with the application and the site
Check the council's validation list against the proposed development, then identify which requirements actually apply. Westminster and Epping Forest publish different local lists, illustrating why a generic checklist should not be treated as the final brief. National policy DM2 also requires proportionate, relevant information. [3] [4] [1]
Ask the lead designer to prepare a short appointment schedule. For each item, record the question to be answered, the specialist needed, the information they require and the stage at which their advice must be available.
Which roles might be involved?
A structural engineer advises on structural design and the evidence needed to support it. Ground or basement issues may require further investigation and specialist input rather than only a calculation based on assumed conditions. The Institution of Structural Engineers explains the engineer's role for domestic clients. [5]
Other possible appointments have distinct jobs:
- A heritage specialist assesses historic significance and the effect of proposed changes; an ecologist assesses habitats and species, while an arboriculturist assesses trees and their protection.
- A flood-risk or drainage specialist assesses water risks and the proposed drainage; an acoustician or air-quality consultant assesses the relevant emissions and exposure.
- A transport planner assesses access, travel and servicing; an energy or sustainability specialist prepares the relevant performance assessment and supporting evidence. [3] [4]
These are examples of matching expertise to the required reports, not a list every project must commission. Fire-safety work can also need a separately competent assessor; check the required statement and role. [3]
Ask for a clearly defined deliverable from each appointment. “Consultant advice” could mean an initial opinion, a submission report, detailed design or attendance during construction; those should not be assumed to be the same scope.
One appointment does not automatically cover every responsibility
Building-regulations guidance requires people carrying out design work to have appropriate competence and to cooperate and coordinate. It also distinguishes the building-regulations principal designer role from the similarly named role under CDM. Confirm which responsibilities are being accepted, rather than relying only on a job title. [2]
The client should understand who coordinates the overall design and how specialist recommendations reach the people drawing, specifying and building the work. A series of separate reports is not useful where each assumes someone else will resolve the conflict.
What should each brief include?
A practical brief should identify the site and proposal, the applicable report requirement, the drawing revisions and the expected output. Ask whether site visits, surveys, council responses, design revisions and later-stage work are included. Also identify who supplies missing information and who owns the next decision.
These are appointment-management recommendations. The legal competence and coordination requirements come from the applicable regulations and guidance, not from purchasing a particular number of reports. [2]
Sequence the work around important uncertainties
Commission advice while it can influence the design. Ask which findings could change the footprint, layout, construction approach or feasibility, and prioritise those questions before committing to detailed work.
Before submission, hold a coordination review: confirm that every consultant has assessed the same scheme and that recommendations are reflected in the drawings. Keep a record of unresolved issues and the person responsible for each. This supports the coordinated design process expected by building-regulations guidance. [2]