1. Responsibility for your work The consultant dealing with your work will be specified in writing. All matters regarding your work should be addressed in the first instance to this consultant.
2. How we calculate our fees Our fees are calculated in the following two ways: (a) Set fee - you will be quoted a total price for the completion of work specified and in accordance with any other brief you supply at the time of instruction. Within this set fee all other contingencies are included. There will be no additional fee charged unless the brief issued to us changes or, under exceptional circumstances, additional and unforeseen costs are incurred. Additional costs will be confirmed in writing and only by agreement with the client, except where shown. (b) Hourly rate - charged at agreed rates (£60.00/hr Director, £50.00/hr Senior Consultant, £40.00/hr Ecologist, £35.00/hr Assistant Ecologist) divided into 15 minute units. We will provide you with an estimate of the total amount of time it will take to produce the work you have requested although this may vary without notice and represents only our best guess. Travelling expenses, subsistence and all other contingencies are not included within the hourly rate. Subsistence is typically charged at £70.00/night and mileage is charged at £ 0.55/mile. Special projects may be quoted at a different rate and confirmed in writing by us. This includes representation at inquiry or other similar instances. The fee rate and time scales for delivery of the work will be set out in a written proposal. We will only start work when we have received a written instruction to proceed.
3. Quotations Quotations for set fees or special hourly rates are valid for ninety days. Prices are issued exclusive of VAT except where shown.
4. VAT Michael Woods Associates Ltd is liable to VAT, Registration number: 510 8095 70
5. Payment Payment demands will be made by invoice issued on the satisfactory completion of work. Interim invoices will only be issued if agreed in advance with the client. Payment conditions are strictly 30 days. Interest may be applied to overdue accounts beyond the 30 day period.
6. Licence Applications Submissions to Natural England, the Countryside Council for Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government will be made under the condition that this constitutes a risk. Not all licence applications are initially successful and we make no guarantee that an application will be successful. We will deem a satisfactory completion of work to mean the submission of the application to Natural England.
7. Copies of reports We will provide one copy of our report unless otherwise stated in the clients' brief. Additional copies of reports will be charged at £ 15 per copy subject to complexity and time involved in publishing. Reports will always be made freely available as an electronic pdf copy.
8. Standard of work We shall endeavour to produce the highest quality work on your behalf. However, we shall not be held responsible for omissions, mistakes or errors in work or for any other eventuality arising out of unreasonable or unforeseen circumstances.
9. Loss of documents Copies of reports and information sent to us will be held at our offices. Documents and other correspondence shall be sent from this office using 1st Class Post, Internet or courier delivery. We shall accept no responsibility for failure of documents to reach us or for documents failing to reach their destinations.
10. Copyright We shall include the price of acquiring maps and other copyright material within set fees where stated. Clients that provide maps, plans and other copyright material do so at their own risk. Copyright of material commissioned by the client shall be assigned in most cases from Michael Woods Associates to the client on completion of the work. Copyright of stock images and other items shall remain with us where stated in the contract brief. Michael Woods Associates retains the right to use commissioned work within its portfolio and display this to potential clients.
Unless the client specifies to the contrary, records of the presence of species noted on site will be passed to the county records centre.
11. Codes of practice As a progressive ecological consultancy we are keen to maintain high standards of professional quality. Surveys will be undertaken on the understanding that nothing in the final report will be omitted or misrepresented. Ecological work is conducted under the Code of Conduct as set out by the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management http://www.ieem.net/docs/05-Code_of_Professional_Conduct.pdf
12. Client feedback We welcome client feedback within a view to continually improving the service we provide. This may be contributed (either positive or negative) in writing or verbally to the ecologist dealing with your work.
13. Client confidentiality Details of individual clients will be kept strictly confidential if requested in writing. We may use your name or company name within our own promotional material although any further details shall only be disclosed by your written agreement if confidentiality has been requested.
14. Arbitration Should any disputes fail to be resolved by agreement, an umpire or qualified independent solicitor whose identity is agreed by both parties shall be appointed to arbitrate. Terms of the 1996 Arbitration Act apply.
15. Health and Safety Policy Michael Woods Associates has a health and safety policy a copy of which can be provided where requested by the client. The company also operate a policy of individual Risk Assessments for specific contract work developed in consultation with the instructing agency/client. This applies to all sub-contract work. Lone work is carried out under a 'buddy' system of contact.
16. Business details Michael Woods Associates is a limited company with Professional Indemnity cover to £2 Million, Employers Liability cover to £10 Million and Public Liability cover to £5 Million. Professional Indemnity insurance is provided by Hiscox Insurance Company Limited and Employers Liability and Public Liability are both provided by Aviva Insurance. Details of the insurance policies will be provide upon request.
