SUPPORTING THE CONSULTANT Derek Latham Derek Latham, now in private practice but formerly Conservation Officer with Derbyshire, wrote in the last issue about the 'view from the other side' - here he offers some practical advice on the relationship between consultant and local authority. Conservation officers working for a local authority may wonder whether the consultant needs 'supporting', or indeed in whose best interest it lies to provide such 'support'. However, in the hope that you do find negotiations easier, the results better and the job more rewarding, when working with a consultant conservation architect - then the more often the consultant is used on grant work and applications, the easier your own task should be. It is perhaps too blinkered to say that a consultant is only as good as the last job he has achieved, but the truth is not far from this. His success in any particu1ar commission will, therefore, enhance his chances of a repeat performance! In order to be successful, the conservation architect has to satisfy the planning committee, the conservation committee, the planning and/or conservation officer, the building he is repairing, converting, or constructing, and of course his own bank manager! The Seven Commandments To assist the consultant, the conservation officer should: 1 2 State clearly if a proposed use is unsympathetic in principle. If clients think a consultant is encouraging him to commission designs which the planning au~hority would under no circumstances be prepared to entertain, his reputation can be badly dented. Identify the parameters within which tQe committee will be looking for a solution. 3 Think laterally to identify the areas of flexibility where he is open to accept various solutions. 4 Initiate a dialogue with the consultant, perhaps by means of a telephone discussion initially. 5 Be decisive where possible, particularly when a client is present and there are certain factors which must be taken into account. 6 Avoid seeking a personal design solution, but point out areas of concern, giving ideas (but do not be surprised if this produces other solutions!) 7 Let the conservation architect know if a solution once proposed is not acceptable, but do listen to his reasons and the commercial constraints within which he is working, to identify whether these are reasonable and should be accommodated. If you are approached by a client who is not well advised and you consider a consultant architect would be of benefit to him, remember you will be doing him a service to suggest a choice of people he might contact. If you are not aware of, say, three suitable practices in your • area, then either through enquiring of other conservation officers or the Clien·t' s Advisory Service of the RIBA, it will be useful to make yourself aware of suitable practices. You can always ask for information from practices upon the work that they have done, visit their offices and (probably more importantly) visit examples of their work. After all, there can be no art in architecture without patronage! INFORMATIONPLEASE .... on conservation award schemes of any kind run by local authorities, particularly City or District Councils. I am sure some historic cities must have such schemes - I would like to kn~w their scope, type of award given, criteria, success rate, etc. Please write or phone Jenny Birkett Page 10
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