Thank you Terry for explaining your role. It is good to know that many 
Approved Inspectors do encourage designers to take access seriously and at 
an early stage.

The poser is this, if a local design guidance goes beyond part M who will 
pick this up? If as Terry says, it would be "inappropriate, unprofessional 
and unlawful" then Approved Inspectors will not. Planners usually don't look 
beyond a buildings exterior and the designers are usually unaware that a 
local guidance exists? Unless the local authority has a good Access Officer 
or Access Champion the building design will not have gained the full 
approval of local disabled people.

John


>From: Terry Warren <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Accessibuilt list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: John Rainey <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Questions for Canvassing BCOs
>Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 12:55:54 +0100
>
>Hi John and all,
>
>I'm Inclusive Design Manager for jhai - a leading national Approved
>Inspector. Regarding good practice guidance such as Manchester's Design
>for Access 2, these are for architects, designers and developers who need
>or choose to go beyond Part M standards. It would be inappropriate,
>unprofessional and unlawful for us to attempt to enforce such guidance
>where it goes beyond Building Regs.( Unlike Local Authority Building
>Control, Approved Inspectors are highly accountable to an independent
>government agency, the Construction Industry Council.)
>
>What we can do, however, is to encourage designers to take Access
>seriously at an early  stage and we advise and educate clients on DDA
>obligations and Inclusive Design. Access has been a cornerstone of jhai
>since its inception several years ago and we are probably unique amongst
>AIs in having a full-time manager (i.e. me,)to deal with complex Part M/
>DDA problems throughout the country.
>
>In response to Flick's query, re-building should not be necessary if Part
>M plan checking has been properly carried out, although I should add that
>contractors on site do occasionally screw up and yes, they are told to put
>it right if they want the building signed off!
>
>Cheers,
>Terry
>
>----------End of Message----------
>
>Run by SURFACE for more information on research, consultancy and the 
>distance taught MSc. in Accessibility and Inclusive Design programme visit:
>
>http://www.inclusive-design.it
>
>Archives for the Accessibuilt discussion list are located at 
>http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/accessibuilt.html

----------End of Message----------

Run by SURFACE for more information on research, consultancy and the distance taught MSc. in Accessibility and Inclusive Design programme visit:

http://www.inclusive-design.it

Archives for the Accessibuilt discussion list are located at http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/accessibuilt.html