Expert Witness Journal Issue 68 August 2026 - Flipbook - Page 68
part of a Variation Order. Part of this included
reprogramming the works.
And remember the old saying, ‘Records, Records,
Records’!
Everything agreed, work recommenced.
References
RICS Practice Information ‘Value management and value
engineering’, 1st Edition, January 2017
1
Unfortunately, the delivery of the project did
not proceed as planned, and the handover was
signi昀椀cantly late. The contractor faced di昀케culty
demonstrating entitlement to any further extension
of time because the works had been reprogrammed
based on the revised design, and subsequently, little
had changed. If the team had not made the bold
move to suspend and reset the programme, then
upon late completion, the contractor may well have
blamed the entire delay on the initial changes.
It can also be that the VE exercise is instigated to 昀椀nd an
improved end product, however, for the purpose of this article,
the focus is on money and time.
2
About the author
David Waddle
DipICArb FCIOB FAPM MCIArb AMICE
Regional Director and Construction Expert Witness
with Rimkus Consulting. David has more than 40
years civil and building experience working on
major UK projects both as a site-based planner and
project manager, and as a delay and construction
management consultant.
And Finally
Value engineering can bene昀椀t everyone. It can
provide an equal or better product and bring cost
or time savings or both. For it to be truly successful,
the whole process needs to be properly managed by
all the parties.
david.waddle@rimkus.com
Ensure the programme is updated to fully re昀氀ect
the VE items, not just the work content, but also the
design development. Include agreed release dates.
Transparency is key.
Mr. Neil Lofting BSc(Hons) MRICS MCABE MEWI
Chartered Building Surveyor & Chartered Building Engineer
A Chartered Building Surveyor and Chartered Building Engineer, Neil provides expert
witness services in connection with:
•
Established over 185 years ago, Bidwells is one of the UK’s leading
property consultancies. We operate from 10 offices across England
and Scotland and provide a full range of services across the
Commercial, Residential and Rural sectors.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Our Expert Witness experience covers submissions to Arbitrators, Independent
Experts Tribunals and Court.
Building defects/pathology, including damp, movement, condensation, roofs walls
and floors.
Client / contractor disputes
Surveyor / architect negligence
Build warranty claims
JCT contract disputes
Housing disrepair
Survey report reviews and opinions
Building insurance claims
Landlord and Tenant claims
Party Wall matters
Our areas of expertise covers:
• Valuations – rural, residential and
development
• Rural and commercial landlord & tenant
arbitration or expert determination
• Compulsory purchase and compensation
• Strategic advice for landowners and
farmers, property portfolio strategy and
lease renewals and regears
• Valuation of all types of rural property
• Rural property disputes including
matrimonial, family and partnership
disputes
• Farm management and consultancy
Neil also takes instructions as Surveyor Advocate to advise clients on claims and
disputes before action is taken.
Neil is a director of West One Surveyors, a niche building surveying practice covering
London and the South East on day to day instructions and specialising in insurance
claims (fires, floods, escape of water and the like), building defects and landlord and
tenant matters.
• Tax
Our instructions range from a one off housing disrepair issues through to inspecting
over 800 properties in a year for a client in connection with mis sold roofing insulation
and external wall coatings.
• Renewable energy
• Rural property purchase sale and lease
Cambridge | Perth | Fort William | Inverness | Oxford | Milton Keynes | London
Norwich | Bristol | Manchester
WESTONE
Contact: West One
Contact our experts
Telephone: 020 7692 8365
Mobile: 07760 888385
Email: neil@westone-uk.com
Website: www.westone-uk.com
jeremy.procter@bidwells.co.uk
claire.russell@bidwells.co.uk
01223 841 841
bidwells.co.uk
EXPERT WITNESS JOURNAL
66
AUGUST 2026
