Inclusive projects

Appendix B: Glossary/terms used

Access Champion
The 'Access Champion' is the title given by this guide to individuals or organisations who concern themselves with the definition, design, construction and occupation of buildings and facilities in accordance with the accepted principals of high quality inclusive design.

Access Groups
Informal independent consumer groups, usually of disabled people, who work with local authorities and commercial service providers on a range of matters relating to access, including planning proposals.

Access statement
The 'formalisation' of the access strategy developed within the project briefing process. Access Statements are often used for planning application purposes but in usual circumstances they will be considered within the wider project briefs.

Approved Documents (to the Building Regulations 2002)
A series of design documents suggesting one possible way in which the requirements of the Building Regulations 2002 might be met.

British Standards
A series of voluntary design standards produced by the British Standards Institute.

Building Regulations 2002
Regulations arising out the Building Act 1984 applying to construction work in England and Wales. They are designed to ensure the health and safety of people in and around buildings, to provide for energy conservation and to provide appropriate Access and Facilities for Disabled People.

Built environment
Those elements of the environment that are created artificially including buildings, transport and urban infrastructure and landscaping.

Consortia
A consortium is the grouping together of three or more organisations, generally of differing skills, with the objective of carrying out a specific project.

Construction management (CM)
A form of procurement in which the employer enters into a contract with a 'Construction Manager' and also with a series of trade contractors. The Construction manager is paid a fee for managing the work of the trade contractors.

Contractor
The contractor is the organisation traditionally responsible for the construction of the development. However in many construction contracts the contractor will also have substantial design responsibilities and will often employ designers to fulfil this role. Co-ordination and continuity between the employers and the contractor's designers is therefore essential.

Design-and-build (D&B)
This form of procurement has many possible variations but the most common is where the employer's design team prepare 'Employer's requirements' based on the performance of a building. A contractor then completes the design and undertakes construction.

Design team
The team of designers and other construction experts who collectively define, design, construct and deliver a development project.

Development
For the purpose of this guide, 'development' means the carrying out of any building, alterations or operations that require planning permission (Section 55 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990). This also includes changes of use. The development process in explained in detail in 4.0 of this guide.

Development plan (DP)
The development plan is rarely a single document. Once all the plans required by Town and Country Planning legislation are in place, the development plan for an area may comprise one or more types of plan depending on geographical location. Outside metropolitan areas these will be structure plans, local plans and minerals and waste local plans. Within metropolitan areas these will be unitary development plans (DPs).
The plans set out the planning requirements and policies for that particular area including any requirements for access. Meeting these requirements is an essential element of gaining planning consent.

Disabled People
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 defines a disability as 'a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial or long term adverse effect on an individuals ability to carry out normal day to day activities'.

Disability Discrimination Act 1995
A significant piece of legislation representing the cornerstone of civil rights for disabled people in the UK.

Employer/developer
Employers or developers are the organisations (which might be occupiers or developers) commissioning a development project.

End users/occupiers
These are loosely defined as those individuals or organisations who will occupy the completed development. Understanding their needs is an essential element of successful project briefing and development. For this reason the potential value of their input should never be underestimated or overlooked.

Fast-tracking
Fast-tracking is a means of reducing project time by the overlapping of design and construction. Each trade's work commences as its plans and specifications are substantially completed.

Funders
Funders are organisations or individuals providing the capital funding for a development. The funder might be a bank or a charitable fund. Funders often impose their own requirements in respect of access as a condition of funding. These requirements may include the appointment of an Access Champion.

Fixed price contract
A fixed price contract may be a lump sum contract or a measurement contract based on fixed prices for units of specific work.

Highway Authority
This is usually a County Council or a Unitary Authority. It is the authority responsible for the maintenance, cleansing, drainage and lighting of particular public highways.

Inclusive design/inclusive environments
Inclusive design creates inclusive environments, where everyone can access and benefit from the full range of opportunities available to members of society. The aim is the removal of barriers which create undue effort, separation or special treatment and enables everyone to participate equally in mainstream activities independently with choice and dignity.

Joint venture
A joint venture is the pooling of the assets and liabilities of two or more firms for the purpose of accomplishing a specific goal and on the basis of sharing profits/losses.

Lead designer
This is the term used for the designer who usually prepares and delivers the concept in functional, aesthetic and quality terms, with assistance from other designers.
The lead designer is usually the architect (although not always) who develops a design with assistance from other designers.

Listed building
English Heritage has the task of identifying and protecting historic buildings in England. The main means of doing this is by listing - recommending buildings for inclusion on statutory lists of buildings of 'special architectural or historic interest' compiled by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Local transport plan
Local transport plans are five year integrated transport strategies that cover all modes of urban and rural transport and link them together.

Lump sum contract
With a lump sum contract, the contractor agrees to perform the work for one fixed price, regardless of the ultimate costs.

Management contracting
In management contracting the contractor works alongside the design and cost consultants, providing a construction management service on a number of professional bases. The management contractor does not undertake either design or direct construction work. The design requirements are met by letting each element of the construction to specialist sub-contractors.

Negotiated contract
In a negotiated contract the client selects, at the outset, one main contractor with whom to negotiate. In essence the arrangement is the same as that for a two-stage tender.

Novation
In this approach the client employs consultants to design and specify the project in accordance with stated requirements. On the basis of the documentation prepared, a contractor is selected by competition. The client then novates (or transfers) his agreement with the consultants to the contractor, who then takes full responsibility for the project through to completion.

Other Designers
The presence of 'other designers' who contribute to the design process will vary enormously depending on the size and complexity of the project. These may include service engineers, structural engineers, interior designers, space planners, lighting or catering designers, lift designers and so forth. On larger more complex projects it is common for the contractor to contribute in some way to the design process.

Part M of the Building Regulations 2002
One of the 13 Parts of the Building Regulations that relates to Access and Facilities for Disabled People. This part is currently under review.

Partnering
A concept where organisations agree to work together for a period of time, perhaps unspecified, on a basis of mutual trust and with common objectives thereby optimising each partner's strengths.

Prime cost contract
Under this arrangement the contractor carries out the work for the payment of a prime cost (defined) and a fixed fee calculated in relation to the estimated amount of the prime cost.

Private finance initiative (PFI)
PFI is a means whereby the private sector can contribute to the provision of what has been regarded, traditionally, as a public service. The promoter designs, builds, finances and operates the facility on behalf of the (public) client.

Procurement
A 'Building Procurement system' can be defined as 'the organisational structure adopted by a client for the management of the design and construction of a building project'.

Project briefing process
The process that results in the creation of project briefs, as described in section 5 of this guide.

Project management (PM)
Project management is concerned with the overall planning and co-ordination of a project from inception to completion, aimed at meeting the client's requirements and ensuring completion on time, within cost and to required quality standards.

The Project Manager
The project Manager is concerned with the overall planning and co-ordination of a project from inception to completion, aimed at meeting the client's requirements and ensuring completion on time, within cost and to required quality standards. N.B Contrary to some expectations, the project manager does not need to be the Access Champion.

RIBA Design stages A - F
Design and construction stages as defined by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Statutory consents
Mandatory consents required before and during a development project. These may be for development control reasons, such as Town and Country Planning, or for Health and Safety reasons such as Building Regulation or Fire Precaution requirements.

Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG)
Supplementary planning guidance can take the form of design guides or area development briefs. They supplement specific policies in a plan including in many instances access issues.

Traditional contracting
The traditional form of contracting is where the client appoints an architect or other professional to produce the design, select the contractor and to supervise the work through to completion. The contractor is selected on some basis of competition.

Turnkey
A turnkey contract is one where the client has an agreement with one single administrative entity, who provides the design and construction under one contract, and frequently effect land acquisition, financing, leasing, etc.

Two-stage tender
With a two-stage tender three or four contractors with appropriate experience are separately involved in detailed discussions with the client's professional advisers regarding all aspects of the project. Price competition is introduced through an approximate or notional bill or schedule of rates.

Acknowledgments

The researching and drafting of this guide was undertaken by Drivers Jonas, with contributions from David Bonnett Associates.

DPTAC and the research team are grateful to all those who commented on the development of the guide, particularly those who allowed their projects to be reviewed:

• Network Rail - Bristol Parkway
• The Open University, Milton Keynes - Offices VIII
• University College London - The Cruciform Building
• City & Hackney Primary Care NHS Trust - The Rushton Street Medical Practice

Further information

For further information on inclusive environments, the work of DPTAC and links to sources of advice, please see our website http://www.dptac.gov.uk and Access Directory.

Published: 17 June 2003

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