Standard of Work
Peter Wells Architects Ltd shall perform the work with reasonable care and skill. The work will be performed by a team who have the relevant experience in this appointment, are properly competent and who are qualified professionals.
Our standards of work are governed by RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) and ARB (Architects Regulation Board)
Peter Wells Architects Ltd are able to provide services on various matters including feasibility, outline design, planning & listed building applications, construction drawings, building regulation application, tender services, negotiation and project management.
Whilst our fee proposals are generally for fixed sums, some works or additional work may be charged on an hourly rate where agreed.
Individual hourly rates are currently:
Director – £85.00 per hour + VAT
Architect – £70.00 per hour + VAT
Architectural Technician / Assistant – £60.00 per hour + VAT
Peter Wells Architects Ltd cannot guarantee planning permission will be secured. However, we will work to our best ability to help secure planning permission and are able to offer advice in the event of not securing planning permission for a project.
Additional Works and Costs
When a quotation is provided it is based on the assumption that we will carry out detailed design once. Redesign necessitated by changes in the scheme by others and outside of our control, e.g. after scheme sign off, will be charged for on a time and hourly rate basis. This includes negotiations and changes post application / pre-determination of planning applications. The hourly rates charged will be as outlined under Section 1 above.
We also confirm that expenses will be charged as follows:
- Disbursements will be charged in addition to the fees quoted (unless otherwise stated)
- Printing costs = A1 – £3, A2 – £1.50, A3 – 75p, A4 – 35p per print
- Mileage as required at 45p per mile + VAT
Liability
Peter Wells Architects Ltd maintains Professional Indemnity insurance. The values and copies of our PII certificates are available upon request. Peter Wells Architects Ltd accepts no liability for works carried out by other consultants.
Community Infrastructure Levy
Where Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payments are chargeable on a project, Peter Wells Architects Ltd accepts no liability. CIL is a legal matter between the client and local authority and as such, calculation, payment and liaison regarding such charges, where applicable, should be dealt with directly by the client or their appointed advisor.
We will complete the CIL Form required by the LPA on submission of the application and this will be completed to the best of our knowledge at that time. However, the LPA CIL Team will make their own assessment in the event of planning permission being granted and will send this directly to the applicant.
Terms of Payment
Our standard terms of payment are 14 days from the issue of our invoice unless otherwise agreed at the time of our appointment. Interim invoices for work in progress will be issued monthly or at completion of a stage of work.
All sums payable under this agreement, unless otherwise stated, 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.
We reserve the right that 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 10% per annum.
During any period in which payments from the Client are overdue, the obligations of Peter Wells Architects Ltd may be suspended.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation, Reference Number ZA755026)
Our Commitment: At Peter Wells Architects Ltd, we retain client’s personal information. We retain this information, as it is necessary to our work. In line with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and UK data protection laws, we are committed to ensuring that we handle this data securely and responsibly. Our full Privacy Policy is available on our website.
Data Collection and Usage: Personal data may be collected by us in a number of ways, including through:
- delivering our services to you
- during a meeting or telephone conversation
- when you make enquires with us through email
We do not sell or rent out the information you provide/we collect. We may disclose your information to third parties directly involved in specific areas of your project where necessary, to allow us to fulfill our obligations under our appointment.
Your Rights: You may request to:
- receive confirmation as to whether or not your personal information is held by us
- receive a copy of the information held
- request rectification of any errors of your personal information that is in our control
- request we delete your personal information
However, please note that these rights are not absolute and may be subject to our own
legitimate interests and regulatory requirements. If you wish to exercise any of the above rights or receive more information, please contact us. We reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee for providing such information if the request is excessive or repetitive.
To update your information, or if you have any concerns regarding how your data is used, please contact our Data Controller, Sarah at sarah@peterwellsarchitects.co.uk.
Complaints Procedure
We strive to deliver the highest quality of work at Peter Wells Architects Ltd and pride ourselves on our open and transparent communication. To ensure this remains the case we have a clear procedure for all complaints.
If you are concerned about or dissatisfied with any part of service or staffing, follow this procedure: Please alert the project lead in charge of your project as soon as possible. This can be done by phone or email. If you feel uncomfortable contacting the project lead directly, please email your complaint to info@peterwellsarchitects.co.uk.
A director or senior staff member will investigate the matter internally and contact you to discuss your concerns in more detail. Whilst our professional bodies (RIBA and ARB) have procedures to help you if you are not happy with our response we will make every effort to address your concerns with you promptly.
Termination Procedure
You may end our appointment at any time. We must receive written notification terminating the end of our employment. We reserve the right to charge for all work completed on the project until said termination. We may contact you by phone to ascertain the reason for termination.
Summary
The Terms of Engagement set out above form the basis on which Peter Wells Architects Ltd will carry out the required work for you. If you have any doubt of any part in respect of our work or appointment, please contact us to discuss.
November 2021