CONTACT | BGA Architects | Leigh-on-Sea

BGA Architects – Terms & Conditions

Service

The ‘Consultant’ BGA Architects shall exercise reasonable skill, care and diligence in performing the Services. Notwithstanding any responsibilities and obligations which the Client may have under any other contract or at law, nothing in this Agreement or in any proposal, report or other document is to be construed as a warranty or guarantee by the Consultant other than to use (or to have used) reasonable skill care and diligence.

The Consultant shall use all reasonable endeavours to perform the Services to the programme, if any, set out in the Agreement but shall not be liable if it is unable to perform the Services as a result of any cause beyond its reasonable control.

The Client shall supply to the Consultant in a timely fashion so as not to disrupt the performance of the Services and without charge all the information and things in the possession of the Client or any of the Client’s agents consultants or contractors and any instructions decisions consents approval or access to property and use of facilities as described in (or reasonably to be inferred from) this Agreement as necessary for the performance of the Services by the Consultant.

Intellectual Property, Confidentiality & Publicity

The copyright in all drawings reports and other documents (including material in electronic form) prepared by the Consultant in the performance of this Agreement shall remain vested in the Consultant. Any of the Consultant’s know-how, techniques, or processes used in the course of carrying out the Services are confidential to the Consultant. The Client shall not without the prior written consent of the Consultant divulge to any party details of any confidential information disclosed by the Consultant in the performance of the Services.

Because the CAD information stored in electronic form can be modified by other parties intentionally or otherwise, without notice or indication of said modifications, BGA Architects reserves the right to remove all references of its ownership and/or involvement in material from each electronic medium not held in its possession and cannot be held liable for any inconsistences or errors in the drawings provided.

Any unauthorized modification or reuse of the material shall be at your sole risk, and you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold BGA Architects harmless for all claims, injuries, damages, losses, expenses and legal fees arising out of the unauthorized modification or use of these materials.

The recipient understands that the use of any project related computer data constitutes acceptance of the above conditions. On this basis, BGA Architect is pleased to be able to provide CAD files related to the project.

The Client shall have a licence to copy and use only the final drawings and other documents provided by the Consultant and only for the purposes and for the same project for which they were prepared or compiled. The Consultant shall not be liable for the use of such drawings or documents other than for the purposes for which they were provided by the Consultant. The Consultant may on giving not less than seven days written notice revoke this licence if the Client fails to pay in accordance with this Agreement any fees or other amounts due under this Agreement.

The Client shall not without the Consultant’s prior written agreement provide to any third party or publish on any website the whole or any part any drawing report or other document prepared by the Consultant in the performance of this Agreement.

BGA Architects reserve the right to use any photos/records of your project for promotional purposes. Any images etc. you would not like us to use externally should be clearly stated in writing.

Estimating

Please note that prices of potential construction costs are an estimate only and are subject to change, similarly all other prices including application/consultants’ fees quoted are for guidance only to help provide you with a project budget costing. These prices should not be used for as a detailed cost analysis.

Surveying

Please note that whilst carrying out a measured survey of the property it may be necessary to expose some of the existing structure which may involve lifting carpets, creating holes within ceilings and walls etc. Conservative assumptions of the structure can be made at this stage if necessary to avoid damaging any of the existing structure. However, this may lead to additional costs being incurred at a later stage.

Whilst some check dimensions will be taken to the boundary to position the building on the site, the accuracy of these boundaries cannot be guaranteed without a full topographical survey. Where a full topographical survey is not provided, BGA Architects will base boundary positions etc, on ordnance survey data.

In the event that you should need to cancel your booked survey with BGA Architects, please provide a minimum 48hrs notice (Monday to Friday) to avoid cancellation charges.

If you should cancel our survey appointment with less than 48 hours’ notice this will result in a cancellation charge in accordance with our Cancelation Policy below.

BGA Architects strongly recommend that a full topographical / 3D laser survey be carried out whenever a new building or extension is being built within 2m of a boundary or where the overall height is critical for example where ridge lines need to line through or for the preparation of a street scene drawing. Where a full topographical survey has not been carried out and a discrepancy between the site boundaries, levels etc. occurs BGA Architects cannot be held responsible.

Please also ensure that the building/extensions are set out on site prior to any works commencing to ensure that there are no discrepancies between the drawn information and physical environment especially where works have been based on ordnance survey data as opposed to a topographical / 3D laser survey as BGA Architects cannot guarantee the accuracy of plans produced using ordnance survey data.

As part of providing a service to you BGA Architects may need to take photographs or other image records of the site/property. This information will only be used by BGA Architects to deliver our service.

Project Progress

Please note that some councils may charge for pre application advice, and this will be payable by the client. Where BGA Architects attend a pre application meeting this will be charged at our standard hourly rates subject to a minimum of £250.00 plus VAT, as will any follow up pre app meeting, and document amendments, unless specifically stated this service is included within BGA Architects fee proposal.

Town Planning decision notices are issued eight to twelve weeks after submitting the town planning application once validated depending upon whether the application is a minor or major application. Local Authorities have different validation requirements depending upon each application own merit and may require additional supporting documents to be provided prior to the application being validated. BGA Architects will provide guidance upon the need for supporting documents but cannot be held liable for invalid applications because of insufficient information etc.

We will naturally use our best endeavours to obtain a town planning approval on your behalf, but the decision is beyond our control as it will be decided by the Local Authority as planning policy is open to interpretation.

The local authority will also apply planning conditions and informative’ s to any planning approval. Whilst some conditions which relate to pre commencement of works maybe known to BGA Architects prior to planning approvals being granted this is at the discretion of the local authority. The conditions are imposed by the council and BGA Architects can not speculate as to what conditions the council may impose. Please note many local authorities impose stricter conditions to include renewable energies, water efficiency enhancements, vehicle charging points etc. where dwellings are created and or buildings are de-converted back to residential use.

Please note Councils do not generally provide any feedback prior to the issuing a decision notice. Where feedback is provided, and amendments are required to submitted documents BGA Architects will charge an additional fee for time spent liaising with the council and others based on our standard hourly rates.

Where the local authority request an extension of time for determining the planning application BGA Architects will endeavour to obtain the client approval before agree to any such extension. Where matters are time sensitive BGA Architects will agree to an extensions of time with local authorities. Under the "Planning Guarantee", the planning application fee must be refunded to applicants where no decision has been made within a specified time, unless a longer period has been agreed in writing between the applicant and the local planning authority.

Please note that BGA Architects do not proceed with the full plan building regulation application documentation until a town planning approval has been granted unless we have been specifically instructed by the client.

Full plan building regulation approval is issued approximately five weeks after submitting the full plan building regulation application. Building regulation approval are often issued conditionally with conditions attached which need to be addressed on site whilst the works are carried out. It is the client’s responsibility to ensure they and their contractor are fully aware of the conditions and discharge them accordingly.

Due to different interpretation of standards, modifications may be required. We would therefore recommend that works on site are only commenced after receipt from the local authority/approved inspector and all approvals are in place.

Assuming all the approvals are granted and the tender documentation is issued swiftly the whole process can take approximately 16-18 weeks. Much of this time is taken up with the statutory 8 week planning application process which is beyond our control. Therefore, the only way this can be speed up is by instructing us to carry out the second stage at your own risk.

We do not recommend this approach but in some circumstances, it can reduce the timescale by about half. This is because the building regulation approval and tender documentation can be produced during the statutory planning period. This would possibly allow you to appoint a contractor to start works immediately after obtaining a planning approval, assuming planning permission is granted. Should you wish to proceed a stage at YOUR OWN RISK, a full non-refundable stage payment will become payable immediately.

After an application has been submitted, any amendments to the submitted documents or discharging of planning conditions etc, will be charged at our standard hourly rate subject to a minimum fee of £250.00 plus VAT, unless otherwise stated. To discharge planning conditions, it may be necessary for the client to appoint directly other specialist consultants to provide supporting evidence to enable the local authority to discharge the planning condition, e.g. Noise Survey etc.

All schemes may be subject to Town Planning/Building Regulation approval along with other consents e.g. Statutory Water Board Applications & Party Wall Award etc. and it is the responsibility of the client/contractor prior to work commencing on site to ensure that all relevant applications have been made and approvals granted.

Where approvals have been granted with conditions and or reserved matters or are subject to statutory agreements e.g. CILs etc. where necessary these must be discharged prior to works commencing on site. Please note that BGA Architects cannot be held liable for any failure to discharge these conditions etc. The client should ensure that sufficient time is given to enable the council to consider the conditions being discharged prior to any approval lapsing.

A material start to keep planning approval live without discharging relevant pre commencement conditions may invalidate any planning application, and could be deemed a breach of planning control.

Large, glazed extensions or conversions to a property, which exceeds 25% of glazing to floor area must be justified with a specialist Excessive Glazing Calculation. This can be demonstrated by either an area weighted U-value method or a Full SAP calculation to include the existing property.

The creation of all new dwellings will require a design stage SAP calculation (predicted energy assessment) to be carried out by a specialist energy assessor. These thermal calculations should be carried out prior to works commencing on site, with a construction phase assessment (EPC) carried out prior to completion. The building should also be built in accordance with the accredited thermal bridging details which have been developed to assist the construction industry achieve the performance standards required to demonstrate compliance with the energy efficiency requirements (Part L) of the Building Regulations. As well as the thermal performance of the building a water consumption compliancy calculation will also need to be provided, by others.

Air permeability testing is also a mandatory requirement for new buildings under Part L of the building regulations and must be carried out prior to completion. The result of which will be used to determine the energy performance of a dwelling, and it is within that assessment that a design, target air permeability will be set.

Developments to both new build constructions and refurbished developments will also require sound testing. This will include the separating walls and floors to achieve compliance with Part E of the building regulations. The only exception is where pretested and certified Robust Details have been used.

Sound insulation testing checks for both airborne and impact travel through new or existing buildings. This may affect party walls and floors between new and existing buildings or between spaces within a new development entirely.

It is therefore recommended that a pre completion sound insulation test be carried out in accordance with BS EN ISO 140 to accurately assess what is currently in place before determining if the above specified insulation is adequate to meet minimum standards to achieve a pass on the sound test in accordance with BS EN ISO 140.

Where new dwellings are created all new mechanical ventilation installations proposed, are to be designed, installed, and commissioned in accordance with The Domestic Installation Compliance Guide 2013. It is the clients/contractor’s responsibility to provide all necessary documentation to the building inspector for their approval.

Interior Design & Computer Generated Images (CGI's)

Physical mood boards shall remain the ownership of BGA Architects and will be presented to the client. Mood boards will not be released but will be stored at the offices of BGA Architects where they are readily available for viewing during the hours of 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays or the festive shutdown.

Where fixtures and fittings are sourced where trade accounts are held discounted rates will be applied.

Design, Supply and Curate Interior Design Service would involve attending meetings, source fixtures and fittings visiting outlets with you and curating the space once built, this will be charged at BGA Architects standard hourly rate for Interior Designers

Where fixtures and fittings are sourced where trade accounts are held discounted rates will be applied.

CGIs are representative images and do not depict the final finish/design. Furniture and colour schemes etc. may vary and CGI’s provide representation of the overall feel and ambience of a space only.

Design Team

Please note other members of the design team, e.g. town planners, structural engineers, quantity surveyors, M&E, environmental and energy consultants etc. maybe required to obtain town planning and building regulation approval. Whilst we will endeavour to inform you of the involvement of the design team at an early stage this is not always possible.

All design team members will be employed directly by the client.

Alternative Routes

Whilst some types of residential work can be carried out under a building notice, we highly recommend submitting a full plan building regulation application and awaiting approval prior to works commencing on site. It is however in some cases possible to submit a full plan application and start works on site.

The fundamental difference between the two methods is that the building notice route does not require the submission of detailed plans, although plans and details can be requested by the Local Authority subject to the complexity of the project.

Please note that BGA Architects cannot be held responsible for any issues arising from works commencing on site prior to the full plan building regulation application approval.

Disadvantages of the building notice route are as follows:

No plan approval is given for the proposals - some financial institutions may require you to have full plan approval proof prior to releasing funds.

If you choose the building notice route, then you should be sure that you have agreed what the contractor is responsible for and what has been included within their price.

It places emphasis on you and your builder to ensure the work complies with the Building Regulations.

BGA Architects cannot be held responsible for any issues arising from works on site if carried out under a building notice.

Nevertheless, if you wish to proceed under a building notice then we can submit on your behalf the relevant documentation for a small administrative charge of £150.00.

BGA Architects will use their best endeavours to ensure resources are available at a time when required to enable the project to move forward onto the next stage as quickly as possible. Due to several factors which affect the project progress for example planning timetable, or the requirement of 3rd Party input all of which is beyond our control, it is not always possible for BGA Architects to guarantee the availability of resources at any specific time.

Should you wish for BGA Architects to reserve the earliest available slot for the next stage of your project to proceed prior to receiving planning approvals or 3rd party input e.g., structural engineers, then a non-refundable reservation fee of £250.00 plus VAT will become payable prior to submitting the town planning application. This allows for BGA Architects to track progress of the project and reallocates resources inline to when planning approval/3rd party input may be received, ensuring work can commence on the following stages of your project as soon as planning approval has been granted.

Charges & Additional Works

BGA Architects review our rates on an annual basis and they are subject to change as we determine from time to time. We will notify you by email if the rates have increased and the date from which the increases apply. All travelling time spent in connection with the project is charged at the full hourly rate, as is time spent on telephone calls and correspondence.

BGA Architects can provide a full architectural service, e.g., contract administration and site inspections etc. If, however this is not thought to be required, but you would like to employ us to undertake one or more of the contractual elements, they will be charged out at the same rate as set out below.

Where work is carried out on a time charge basis the following rates apply. These rates apply also for work outside the capacity for which we have been employed on a fixed fee basis.

Chartered Architect/Partners £130.00

Chartered Architectural Technologist £120.00

Architectural Consultant £95.00

Interior Designers & Illustrative Artist £75.00

Technicians, Draughtsman & Surveyors £70.00

Assistants £65.00

All work carried out by BGA Architects is charged by the hour and is not apportioned into minutes.

All drawings and documentation will be issued electronically unless stated otherwise. Where hard copies of documents/drawings are required then the following print charges will apply.

A1 Paper Size £3.50 plus VAT

A2 Paper Size £3.00 plus VAT

A3 Paper Size £0.40 plus VAT

A4 Paper Size £0.20 plus VAT

Individual site visit excluding expenses £175.00 up to and thereafter every hour, unless specified otherwise.

Operating Hours

BGA Architects normal operating hours are between 9am - 5.30pm Monday to Friday, where work is carried out outside of standard operating hours or where the work must be executed quickly an uplift of our hourly rate charge of up to 50% may be applied. BGA will obtain the client's agreement prior to the application of any uplift work undertaken.

BGA Architects is committed to ensuring the privacy of all our clients. We want all our clients to be confident that their information, particularly the use of personal information is collected and processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). BGA Architects Privacy Policy only applies to BGA Architects and does not apply to companies that BGA Architects does not own or control, or to people that BGA Architects does not employ or manage.

Use of Personal Information

We will never send unsolicited email and we will only send you information about our services if requested by you to do so.

We will not disclose information regarding our clients to third parties who are not involved with providing a service(s)/quotation regarding your project unless the client has first given their consent.

By instructing BGA Architects to act on your behalf the client gives permission to BGA Architects to provide contact details and other relevant key project information that will enable them to undertake their service or provide you with a quotation which BGA Architects may obtain on your behalf.

Information collected about the client is used only for the provision of our services to the client. This information is not used for any other purpose.

If you have any concerns about privacy matters please contact us.

This privacy policy only covers BGA Architects. Links to other businesses, websites or cloud storage sharing facilities are not covered by this policy. For further information regarding the individuals Privacy Policy please contact them direct.

Building Insurances

Prior to works commencing on site all clients should notify their insurance companies of the proposed works to ensure the property is appropriately insured and sufficient cover is in place.

Payment

Subject to architectural services chosen, payment will be required as follows:

Where surveys have been carried out by BGA Architects a minimum 25% of the corresponding stage payment will become payable immediately. Until this payment has been received no further works shall continue.

Where surveys are not undertaken or stage fees are over and above £2,000.00, BGA Architects will require a 25% deposit prior to works commence on that stage. Where stage payments above £2,000.00 interim accounts shall be raised in line with the works undertaken on a monthly basis.

Where design options have been produced and sent to the client for approval/comments an invoice will be raised totaling 75% of the stage payment.

BGA Architects fee will become payable prior to submitting the town planning application. This also applies for the submission of any other applications.

Where it is deemed that applications would be better split in two (as local authorities do not issue split decisions) an additional administrative fee of £250.00 plus VAT will become payable, unless expressly included within the original fee.

Where the development involves work that would fall under both prior approval and within your permitted development rights two separate applications will need to be made to enable the council to consider both elements of the build. Where development falls under prior approval a prior approval application will need to be made. Where the development also falls under permitted development a separate lawful development certificate application for the works should also be made. This will incur the split administration fee of £250.00 plus VAT unless stated otherwise.

Should you wish to proceed with a stage at YOUR OWN RISK, a full non-refundable stage payment will become payable immediately. Please see Project Progress above.

BGA Architects reserve the right to submit Town Planning Applications through the Planning Portal website and Building Regulation Applications through the Submit-a-Plan website, or other services which may be appropriate at the time of submitting the application.

Where applications are submitted online through a portal scheme such as those described above, transaction/licenses fees will be payable by the client at the same time as the application fee itself.

By settling BGA Architects invoice for services provided the client shall take full responsibility for the information contained within the documentation as being acceptable for the client’s requirements and provides authority for BGA Architects to submit the application(s).

Please note that any amendment/variation made to a planning application once it has been submitted to the Local Authority will be subject to an additional BGA fee of a minimum 25% of the relevant stage fee (subject to a minimum fee of £250.00 Plus VAT).

All subsequent town planning applications will also be subject to an additional BGA fee of minimum 25% of the planning stage fee (subject to a minimum fee of £250.00 Plus VAT), payable in advance.

All alternative schemes which are beyond the scope of the original brief as set out in our fee proposal letter will be subject to a separate fee.

BGA Architects require a minimum 25% deposit for the building regulation and tender/construction package stages payment prior to works commencing on each stage. Until this payment has been received no further works shall continue.

Any amendments (at the clients request) to the approved planning drawings shall be subject to an additional fee subject to a minimum fee of £250.00 Plus VAT.

Any amendments (at the clients request) to a building regulation application once submitted will be subject to an additional BGA fee of a minimum 25% of the building regulation stage fee (subject to a minimum fee of £250.00 Plus VAT) payable in advance.

When providing a service for contract administration BGA Architects will provide a quotation on a per month basis with the number of visits set out in the letter of engagement. This fee excludes any assessment of extensions of time and loss/ expense claims, which shall be charged at our standard hourly rates

Any additional site visits/amendments/additional drawings required by the client or contractor to complete the works will be subject to an additional BGA Architects fee based on our standard hourly rate as set out in our terms and conditions.

BGA Architects recommend drawings be updated to reflect any physical changes to the design to enable the variation to be properly reviewed limiting the impact/conflict this variation may have/cause later on in the project/programme which could have a financial implication.

The cost of preparing the building contract and providing electronic copies of the contract and associated documents (Pre-Commencement) shall be charged at minimum fee of £450.00 plus VAT (unless otherwise stated) and disbursements, payable once issued.

After practical completion has been issued and the retention period is coming to an end BGA Architects will carryout a Post Occupancy Inspection and produce a defect schedule where required of any works which need to be rectified prior to the release of the remaining retention. A final inspection shall be carried out to ensure the works have been completed and issue payment certificate. This shall be charged at minimum fee of £525.00 plus VAT (unless otherwise stated) and disbursements, payable once issued. The cost of the Additional visits beyond those described above shall be charged our standard hourly rate.

Where BGA Architects provide a full architectural service based on a percentage fee, BGA Architects will charge 75% of the remaining minimum fee prior to issuing the tender documents to contractors with the remainder of the fee spread out over the duration of the construction phase. Any amendments/value engineering exercises to tender documents after the tender has been returned will be subject to an additional BGA Architects fee based on our standard hourly rate.

Where BGA Architects provide a full architectural service BGA Architects reserve the right to adjust their professional fees in line with the latest costs with the additional monies invoiced once budget estimates/cost analysis/ tenders have been received.

Final payments will be in line with the works on site and invoiced as works proceed. Naturally if you decide not to proceed at any time during the practice involvement you will only be invoiced for the work carried out to date.

BGA Architects fees excludes any assessment of extensions of time and loss/ expense claims, which shall be charged at our standard hourly rates.

A maximum of four site visits have been included as part of the snagging process to review defects within the final construction project as part of the contract administration stage which allows for the preparation of a maximum of two defect schedules, unless stated otherwise. This allows for one visit to produce the report itself and another to review the remedial work carried out. Where additional visits and defect schedules are required to address any issues arising on site these shall be charged at our standard hourly rate, subject to a minimum fee of £250.00 plus VAT per visit.

BGA Architects are not project managers and cannot be held responsible for the errors, emissions or delays caused as a result of the contractors on site. BGA Architects have no control over the construction programme or workmanship. BGA Architects can only act as the contract administrator where appointed and use the mechanisms within the contract to address any issues. BGA Architects do not act as a Clerk of Works and only monitor works at pre agreed stages e.g. monthly or fortnightly. This means that work can be completed by the contractor and closed up before BGA Architects have seen the work. BGA Architects will endeavour to obtain a photographic record of the work form the contractor to show work completed to a suitable standard. BGA Architects cannot be held responsible for valuing works which are considered complete and closed up prior to carrying out visual inspections and rely on the integrity and good faith of the contractor. Where BGA Architects issues an instruction to open up work after work has been closed out the client would be liable for the cost of opening up works and making good where the work is deemed to be have been completed satisfactorily.

The Contract Administrator (CA) oversees and administers the contract between the client and contractor but is not responsible for ensuring the contractor’s work complies with the contract documents. The contractor holds full responsibility for executing the works in accordance with the specifications and drawings. While the CA can inspect the work and raise issues, the CA's role is primarily to manage the contract, issue certificates, and facilitate communication, not to guarantee that the work is carried out correctly. Compliance remains the contractor's responsibility throughout the project.

BGA Architects cannot recommend contractors as many do not employ their own trades, therefore the quality of work cannot be relied upon from project to project. Whilst BGA Architects may nominate contractors the client must carry out their own due diligence to ensure they are capable of carrying out the proposed work and are financially stable.

The following expenses will be re-charged to the client: travelling expenses; car mileage at 45 pence per mile; accommodation and subsistence costs; postage and couriers; printing and photocopying, or any other cost incurred with any third party specifically in relation to the provision of goods or services to or for the benefit of the client.

Our terms are full payment within 7 days of the account. Interim accounts for work in progress will be issued monthly. All sums due from the Client which are not paid on the due date (without prejudice to the rights of Consultant under these terms) shall bear interest from day to day at the same annual rate as prescribed from time to time pursuant to section 6 of the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 with a minimum rate of 2.5% per month.

During any period in which payments from the Client are overdue, the obligations of BGA Architects will be suspended.

All sums payable under this agreement unless otherwise started are exclusive of VAT and other duties or taxes. Any VAT or other duties or taxes payable in respect of such sums shall be payable in addition to such sums.

Cancellation, Termination and Suspension Policy

Consumer clients (individuals procuring the Services for personal use and not for commercial gain) who enter into the Contract away from BGA Architects offices have the right to cancel the Contract within 14 days under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. Cancellations must be made in writing to BGA Architects.

The Client or BGA Architects may terminate the Contract or suspend performance of the Services at any time by giving the other party seven days’ prior written notice, stating the reasons for doing so.

Without affecting any other right or remedy available to BGA Architects, BGA Architects may terminate the Contract with immediate effect by giving the Client written notice if:

The Client fails to pay any amount due under the Contract on the due date for payment;

The Client commits a material or persistent breach of the Contract and (if such a breach is remediable) fails to remedy that breach within seven days of BGA Architects asking the Client in writing to do so;

The Client (or either of them where there is more than one Client), being an individual, is the subject of a bankruptcy petition; or

The Client, being a company or LLP, takes any step or action in connection with its entering administration, provisional liquidation or any composition or arrangement with its creditors (other than in relation to a solvent restructuring), being wound up (whether voluntarily or by order of the court, unless for the purpose of a solvent restructuring), having a receiver appointed to any of its assets or ceasing to carry on business or, if the step or action is taken in another jurisdiction, in connection with any analogous procedure in the relevant jurisdiction.

Without affecting any other right or remedy available to BGA Architects, BGA Architects may suspend the supply of Services if;

The Client fails to pay any amount due under the Contract on the due date for payment;

The Client commits a material or persistent breach of the Contract; or

BGA Architects are prevented from or impeded in performing the Services for reasons beyond BGA Architects reasonable control.

If BGA Architects were instructed to perform any Services before the Client ended the Contract, BGA Architects shall be entitled to any fees and expenses properly due before receipt of the Client’s notice of cancellation.

As a courtesy BGA Architects will endevour to contact you to confirm the date and time of your appointment, however please understand that it is your responsibility to remember your appointment dates and times to avoid missed appointments and cancellation charges.

In the event that you should need to cancel your booked appointment or survey with BGA Architects, please provide 48hrs notice to avoid cancellation fees. If you should cancel/miss our survey appointment within less than 48 hours’ notice will result in a cancellation charge of £350.00 Plus VAT. In the event of a missed general meeting, BGA Architects reserve the right to invoice a cancellation charge of £200.00 Plus VAT.

Disputes and Complaint Handling Procedure

BGA Architects are registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and are subject to their code of conduct. The Parties shall attempt, in good faith, to resolve any dispute or difference that may arise, referring the matter to the most senior person within the respective Client and Consultant organisations. Each party shall have the right to refer any dispute to adjudication in accordance with the Construction Industry Council Model Adjudication Procedure current at the time of referral.

If any issues arise concerning the provision of the Services that the Client is not able to resolve with their day-to-day contact at BGA Architects, the Client should refer the matter in writing to Mr Peter Harman, BGA Architects The Gallery The Old Gasworks, 43 Progress Road Leigh on Sea Essex SS9 5PR.

A copy of BGA Architects complaints handling procedure can be provided upon request.

Generally complaints will be handled professionally, courteously and promptly at every stage. Complaints should be in writing and sent to the project leader and or Senior Partner.

As far a practicable complaints will be handled in the following time scales;

a) An acknowledgement within 10 workings days from the receipt of a complaint; and

b) A response addressing the issues raised in the initial letter of complaint within 30 working days from its receipt.

If disputes can not be resolved between ourselves we encourage the use of mediation or conciliation.

Mediation and conciliation is an alternative dispute resolution process whereby the parties to a dispute use a conciliator, who meets with the parties both separately and together in an attempt to resolve their differences.

The Consultant’s Liability

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement the total liability of the Consultant (other than for personal injury or death resulting from negligence) under or in connection with this Agreement howsoever arising whether in contract or in tort, in negligence, for breach of statutory duty or otherwise shall be limited to and not exceed in aggregate the amount stated in the Offer.

Subject to the foregoing clause which may operate to extinguish or reduce the liability of the Consultant under this clause the Consultant’s liability under or in connection with this Agreement in respect of any claim or series of claims arising out of one occurrence or series of occurrences whether in contract or in tort, in negligence, for breach of statutory duty or otherwise shall be limited to the least of the following amounts:

the greater of (a) the reasonable direct cost incurred by the Client to carry out corrective works of demolition reconstruction and repair of physical damage or clean-up works directly resulting from defective performance of the Services (excluding for the avoidance of doubt any of the following losses incurred by the Client whether direct or indirect: lost profits, wasted management time, cost of delay, increased supervision costs, professional fees, contractor and other third party costs and claims, diminution in value, financing charges, or financial loss) together with the Consultant’s fee for performing the defective part or parts of the Services; and (b) five times the Consultant’s fee for performing the defective part or parts of the Services;

the amount if any recoverable by the Consultant by way of indemnity against the claim or claims in question under any professional indemnity insurance taken out by the Consultant and in force at the time that the claim or claims or (if earlier) circumstances that may give rise to the claim or claims is or are reported to the insurers in question. This limitation shall not apply if no such amount is recoverable due to the Consultant having been in breach of their obligations under the above clause or of the terms of any insurance maintained in accordance therewith or having failed in due time to report the claim or such circumstances to the insurers in question and

the amount of the Consultant’s “Net Contribution” if applicable, being the amount that is determined on the basis that the Consultant’s liability is limited to that proportion of the Client’s losses which it would be just and equitable for the Consultant to pay having regard to the extent of the Consultant’s responsibility for the same and on the assumption that.

all other consultants, contractors, sub-contractors, project managers or advisers engaged in connection with the same project shall have provided to the Client contractual undertakings on terms no less onerous than those set out in Performance clause above in respect of the carrying out of their obligations in connection with the project;

that there are no exclusions of or limitations of liability nor joint insurance or co-insurance provisions between the Client and any other party referred to in this clause and any such other party who is responsible to any extent for the Client’s losses is contractually liable to the Client for the same; and

that all such other consultants, contractors, sub-contractors, project managers or advisers have paid to the Client such sum as it would be just and equitable for them to pay having regard to the extent of their responsibility.

No action or proceedings under or arising out of or in connection with this Agreement whether in contract or in tort, in negligence, for breach of statutory duty or otherwise shall be commenced by a party (a) after the expiry of six years after the completion of the Services or such earlier date as may be prescribed by law (b) at any time against any employee officer or director of the other party (save in respect of death or personal injury resulting from negligence).

Professional Indemnity Insurance

Provided always that such insurance is available at commercially reasonable rates, and subject to all exceptions, exclusions and limitations to the scope of cover that are commonly included in such insurance at the time it is taken out or renewed as the case may be, the Consultant shall maintain professional indemnity and public liability insurance for a period of 6 years following practical completion of the Works unless otherwise agreed between the parties in writing. When reasonably requested to do so the Consultant shall provide a brokers’ certificate as evidence that insurance is being maintained.

Terrorism / Act of God

The Consultant is not responsible under this Agreement or otherwise for designing or advising on or otherwise taking measures to prevent or mitigate the effect of any act of terrorism or Act of God or any action that may be taken in controlling, preventing, suppressing or in any way relating to an act of terrorism / Act of God (herein called “terrorism matters”) and the liability if any of the Consultant under or in connection with this Agreement whether in contract or in tort, in negligence, for breach of statutory duty or otherwise for any claim which may arise out of or in connection with terrorism matters is excluded.

Pollution, Contamination & Asbestos

Unless included in the Services the Consultant is not responsible under this Agreement or otherwise for advising on matters which wholly, partly, directly or indirectly arise out of or result from asbestos (including without limitation the costs of testing for, monitoring, abatement, mitigation, removal, remediation or disposal of any asbestos or product or waste that contains asbestos) or pollution and contamination (including without limitation by naturally occurring or man-made substances, forces or organisms or any combination of them whether permanent or transitory and however occurring (herein called “asbestos and pollution and contamination matters”) and the liability if any of the Consultant under or in connection with this Agreement whether in contract or in tort, in negligence, for breach of statutory duty or otherwise for any claim which may arise out of or in connection with asbestos and pollution and contamination matters is excluded.

Changes to Agreement

We may change or introduce new fees, and charges where the cost of providing you with the relevant service has increased. Changes may be made to reflect changes to how we manage your account because of a change to the systems or technology we use.

Changes may be made where services stop, change, or are replaced or a new feature introduced, or to make the agreement clearer to you and to correct small errors.

3rd Party Interests

The client should notify and obtain all necessary approvals from any party that has an interest in the land or property, prior to works commencing e.g. landlord, mortgages companies etc. Or any permits and permission that may be required from time to time such as where drains may be public, or discharge into adjoining ditches etc.

If drain runs are found within 3m of the proposed development which are thought to be public sewers, the statutory water authority will need to be consulted and permission to build over the drain or within 3m of the public sewer will need to be sought. This may mean that any extension over the sewer may be restricted to a maximum of 6m wide externally.

Where a building/extension is proposed which is likely to impact an existing drain it is recommended a CCTV survey is obtained to establish the ownership of the sewer, prior to plans being produced.

The following standard criteria is used to assess all proposals to build over or within three metres of a public sewer.

If your proposed works comply with ALL of the below criteria (based on Anglian Water), you may not need to consult the statutory water authority regarding your proposals.

1. The sewer is less than three metres deep

2. The sewer is 150mm diameter or less

3. The length of sewer passing under the proposed building does not exceed six metres

4. There are no manholes or access points inside the building (prior to any alterations being made)

5. The sewer flows by gravity and is not pumped

6. The foundations are designed to ensure that the sewer is suitably protected

7. The material of the pipe is not pitch fibre or asbestos cement

8. The structure is not a new build premises

Please note that criteria No.3 and No.7 do not need to be considered for building close to the sewer and are only relevant if it is being built over. Where it is not clear the above criteria can be met an application should be made to the statutory water authority to assess the proposals. The cost of which shall be paid by the client. Were the extent of the drain run to be built over exceeds 6m a specialist shall be appointed by the client to negotiate and make all relevant applications with the water authority, all of which shall be payable directly by the client.

All surface water drainage (unless specified by the engineer or others) will be designed to discharge into a soakaway in accordance with the BRE Digest 365 and will be subject to the contractor carrying out an on site percolation test to determine the design depth, and shall be located at least 5m from the foundation of a building.

No surface water shall be discharged into the public sewer without seeking express permission from the statutory authorities. Any application to the statutory authority shall be carried out by others.

Listed Buildings/Monuments, Conservation Areas

Works to listed buildings/monuments and buildings located within conservation areas are subject to more restrictive legislation, which limits work that could be carried out under permitted development.

A listed building includes the exterior and interior of the building and, with some exceptions, any object or structure within the curtilage of the building, including garden walls.

Listed building consent is needed to demolish a Listed Building, or part of one, or to alter or extend it in any way inside or out which would affect its architectural or historic character.

It is the client’s responsibility to check with the local authority to establish the listing of the building. It is a criminal offence to carryout any work without consent.

Consent is also needed to demolish any building in a conservation area, or any part of such building. Consent may also be needed to demolish gates, fences or railings.

Tree Preservation Orders & Wildlife

Many trees have Tree Preservation Orders which mean consent is needed to prune or fee them. Trees are often protected in Conservation Areas. These normally exclude fruit trees of small decorative trees with trunks less than 100mm in diameter. Six weeks’ notice is needed before any work may be carried out.

If the proposed works may involve disturbing roosts of bats or other protected species, then English Nature must be notified.

CDM 2015

CDM 2015 applies to all building and construction work and includes new build, demolition, refurbishment, extensions, conversions, repair and maintenance.

Under CDM 2015 a Principle Designer is also required for all domestic and commercial projects that are likely to last longer than 30 days and have more than 20 workers working simultaneously at any point in the project, or involve more than 500 person days of construction work. BGA Architects can act as the Principle Designer to submit the relevant F10 notice and Pre Construction Health & Safety Documentation as required and would be happy to provide a fee quote to act as the Principle Designer.

Where BGA Architects are to provide a full architectural service we will act as the Principle Designer (under CDM 2015) for the duration of the project unless informed in writing when receiving your instruction that you will be appointing an alternative Principle Designer. 75% of this fee will become payable after the production of the pre-construction health and safety plan with the remainder of this fee paid once the health and safety file has been compiled.

BGA Architects will charge an additional fee after the Pre Construction Information Package has been completed for time spent liaising with the others and providing updated information etc. based on our standard hourly rates where design changes have an impact on the health and safety of the project.

The health and safety file should contain up to date drawings etc, therefore any changes made to the contract package whilst work is being carried out on site which should be recorded within the health and safety file additional fees will become payable to BGA Architects in line with our standard hourly rates.

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL’s)

The Community Infrastructure Levy is a planning charge, introduced by the Planning Act 2008 as a tool for local authorities in England and Wales to help deliver infrastructure to support the development of their area. It came into force on 6 April 2010 through the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010.

Most new development which creates net additional floor space of 100 square metres or more, or creates a new dwelling, is potentially liable for the levy. Where the proposal is considered liable BGA Architects will complete the relevant forms on behalf of the client. Please note that the client will be liable for all Community Infrastructure Levy payments and for complying with the strict requirements as explained below.

Some developments may be eligible for relief or exemption from the Community Infrastructure Levy. Please note that strict requirements apply with regard to the timing of the exemption process, and you should seek advice direct from the local authority for further information.

If a community infrastructure level ("CIL") is applicable the client shall be responsible for manging the process and making the necessary submissions to ensure compliance with the CIL Regulations. If BGA Architects completes the CIL forms on a clients behalf, the client must check them carefully to ensure all information is correct, and confirm the same to BGA Architects, or advise of any changes, before submission. In doing so, the client accepts responsibility for the content of the forms and BGA Architects has no liability in respect of their content or for any charges arising therefrom.

Essex Coast RAMS Tariff

Where the project involves the creation of additional housing in an area it is likely to increase the level of disturbance because of additional visitor pressure on costal sites.

Payment for each net additional dwelling created in Southend and neighbouring Council areas will fund the measures set out in the Essex Coast RAMS. The current charge (as of 1st April 2022) is approx. £137.71 per dwelling. This will be updated each year in line with the Retail Price Index, with any increase coming into force on the 1st April each year. The payment must be secured with all applications that would result in a net increase in housing. It applies to all full applications, outline applications, hybrid applications, prior approvals and permitted development. For further information regarding RAMS please contact the local authority direct.

Please note there is a non-refundable administration charge of £10 in addition to the tariff to process this payment,

In addition to the tariff there will be a charge of £49 for the Council to check each legal agreement. More information on this process will be available from the Planning Application case officer

Other similar scheme outside of Essex maybe apply, and it is the client’s responsibility to ensure all additional fees are paid.