Content

Appointment of the Architect currently
delivering Architectural Services for the York Road Homeless Centre
refurbishment project to also to provide Building Regulations
Principal Designer services required to carry out duties necessary
to comply with Building Safety Act 2022 and Building
Regulations.
Estimate for value of services: £22,500 + VAT

Reasons for the decision

To provide the services necessary to comply
with building safety legislation and enable delivery of the
refurbishment project.

Alternative options considered

1. Don't appoint external consultant for these
services:
- The Council does not have in-house resource to take on this role
and would not be a able to deliver the project.
2. Carry out competitive tender process for additional
consultants:
- The Building Safety Act requires the appointment of a Building
Regulations Principal Designer (BRPD) with the authority and
competence to plan, manage and monitor design work to ensure
compliance with the Building Regulations. The already appointed
architect is best placed to take on this statutory duty
because:
a) They hold full knowledge of the design intent, technical
details, and compliance strategy, having developed the project to
date.
b) They are embedded within the design process and able to directly
influence and adapt design decisions in real time to ensure
statutory compliance.
c) They already hold professional liability for design decisions;
splitting responsibility with a third-party consultant would dilute
accountability, create potential liability disputes, and increase
compliance risk.
d) Introducing an additional third-party consultant at this stage
would create duplication of work, require additional design
coordination, and increase the risk of gaps or inconsistencies in
compliance.