Thanks Malcolm for your reply,
The only benefit to a joint role is it helps to keep you in touch with real
issues attached to the sometimes difficult implentation of best practice
guidance.
Do you have any details of the contents of the forthcoming Planning Advice Note
that you mention?
Dorothy
Malcolm Crate (28/10/2005 12:56):
>Hi Dorothy
>Its obviously better to have something within the local authority even if it
>is a part time officer, but I firmly believe from my own experience that I
>would be more effective as a full time Access Officer with a well defined
>role than a designated officer try to balance enforcement of minimum regs
>and encouragement of best practice.
>Of course part of the problem is that each local authority has a different
>approach based on a wide range of factors not least of which is the possible
>absence of a political will to take a positive approach to how the built
>environment in their area is designed.
>As a consequence of this variable approach it must be difficult for
>developers to know when it is possible to contact the Access Officer and to
>know what role that officer would have in the design process.
>I understand from my attempts at trying to contact Access Officers across
>Scotland that some officers with that designation believe that their role is
>entirely in-house, to advise on Council projects rather than a broader role
>in which they liase with local access panels(groups) and a range of
>developers.
>This is not helped either by the forthcoming planning advice note from the
>Executive, which will be very similar to the best practice advice from the
>ODPM but does little to encourage a consistent approach within local
>authorities over the employment of Access Officers.
>Best wishes
>Malcolm Crate
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Dorothy Wilson [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: 28 October 2005 13:55
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [ACCESSIBUILT] Building Design Article
>
>
>Malcolm,
>Where would that leave your role Malcolm, and the valueable expertise you
>have developed in your joint role? Dorothy
>
>Malcolm Crate (28/10/2005 08:23):
>>Hi All,
>>Naziaty asks some important questions but I thought I would comment on
>>one. I don't believe that Building Control Officers or Planners have
>>the powers to carry the torch of accessibility and we know that many
>>Access Officers (like me) are Building Control Officers with the
>>designation given to them as a small part of their job. This means
>>that their role is constantly blurred by the tensions caused by
>>wanting to encourage best practice while only being able to enforce
>>minimum standards. However I strongly believe , what I think was
>>discussed by Rob Imrie in one of his many papers on the subject: that
>>Local Authorities should provide the context and resources to enable
>>accessible environments to be created. Therefore I believe that it
>>should be the responsibility for every LA to employ a proffessional
>>full time Access Officer to act as a link between Developer/designer ,
>>the statutory authority providing consents and importantly local Access
>>Groups. This would place the Access Champion (Access Officer) in an
>>independent and perhaps more objective position. Best wishes Malcolm
>>Crate Access, Building Standards and Housing Grants Manager
>>Department for Sustainable Communities
>>Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
>>01851709325
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>>Sent: 28 October 2005 00:17
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: [ACCESSIBUILT] Building Design Article
>>
>>
>>Thanks for bringing up the issue. I would like to
>>add/ask the following;
>>
>>I think if one could imagine an Access Champion taking
>>the 'torch of accessibility/inclusive design' and
>>carrying it throughout the whole design/construction/management process
>>from inception to post occupancy, one could also see many people
>>(with different designation) changing hands and taking
>>hold of that role of an Access Champion.
>>
>>How does one see to it that implementation is being
>>carried out and sustained to completion? Does the
>>Access Strategy translate directly to the Access
>>Statement / Design Statement and then straight to
>>Detailed Design?
>>
>>Is the DDA being left to interpretations by the term 'reasonable
>>adjustments', where decisions could be made to accomodate all sorts of
>>views, including the "design signature" of an architect?
>>
>>Does the answer lie within the planning and building
>>control function? Should there be an Access Officer in
>>every planning and building department in all local
>>councils to coordinate with the Access Consultant and
>>Access Groups (Advisory Group), and to make sure the
>>'torch of accessibility/inclusive design' is carried throughout the
>>process. Are there any other ways?
>>
>>Perhaps, that would settle the 'building' part of the
>>process but what about the 'management and services'
>>part, where the service provider takes over?
>>
>>I suppose if we get it right in the first place with
>>the building part of the process, a big percentage of
>>accessibility/inclusive design is being achieved.
>>
>>But in the case of historic buildings, it may not be
>>as straight-forward as that, as so many times it is
>>being stated that the DDA does not over-ride the
>>conservation legislation, that refers to PPG 15.
>>
>>It looks like the natural Access Champion is the
>>Architect. But I have asked one architect in an
>>interview and he stated that, "Architects have to
>>champion many things..."
>>
>>Perhaps, architects may be waiting for a "Social
>>Architecture" revival (that emerged in the 60s), but I
>>think it is here already, with the expectation of
>>using user groups in the design process. I think there
>>may be a reluctance to accept this way of designing. I
>>may be wrong, but...
>>
>>Hope this adds to the forum.
>>
>>From:
>>
>>Naziaty Yaacob (Ms)
>>PhD Candidate - Topic on "Accessibility to Historic
>>Buildings"
>>SURFACE Inclusive Design Research Centre
>>The University of Salford
>>SCPM Maxwell Building
>>Salford M5 4WT
>>
>>Tel: 0161 295 5279
>>Mobile: 07734881287
>>Email:[log in to unmask]
>>Web:www.inclusive-design.it
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>__________________________________
>>Start your day with Yahoo! - Make it your home page!
>>http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
>>
>>----------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
>>
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>>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
>
>
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>Run by SURFACE for more information on research, consultancy and the distance
taught MSc. in Accessibility and Inclusive Design programme visit:
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for the person or organisation to whom it is addressed. If you are
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or take any action in reliance on it and it would be appreciated if
you would
also notify the sender by reply email and then delete this email
immediately.
All messages passing out of this gateway are checked for viruses but
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using
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