Building Smarter from the Start
At Brookbanks, we know that time and budget are often the defining factors in any project. That’s why we focus on delivering timely, value-driven outcomes through smarter design strategies.
Here are four key decisions you can make early in a project to help avoid costly delays and overruns later down the line:
1. Early Site Investigations
Early investigations, like geotechnical surveys and ecology assessments, are essential for understanding site conditions from the start. They allow us to:
- Identify risks and constraints early
- Understand the engineering properties of the site
- Develop accurate, efficient designs that avoid over-engineering
Getting this right from day one can save significant time and rework down the track.
2. Early Council Engagement
Every project will eventually need council approval. Engaging with councils early allows you to:
- Understand their expectations and requirements
- Align designs across the client, designer, and local authority
- Reduce delays in the review and approval process
Many councils now offer pre-application services, which we’ve successfully used to save our clients both time and money.
Take a look at our real-world example below!
3. Preliminary 3D Modelling
A preliminary 3D model doesn’t just help visualise the final outcome, it also:
- Supports faster, more accurate design development
- Helps plan material balance and on-site logistics
- Informs smarter construction sequencing
This early step brings major benefits to both design and delivery phases.
4. Early Principal Contractor Engagement
Bringing your Principal Contractor into the project early offers insight into constructability and logistics. This can:
- Minimise costly RFIs and redesigns later
- Inform site access, material storage, and build sequencing
- Support a smoother and more efficient construction phase
We explored the benefits of early engagement in our recent Value Enhancement in Civil Engineering webinar.
Real-World Example: Saving Time Through Early Council Engagement
We were appointed to design a future access road under a Section 278 scheme. Rather than waiting until later in the process, we created a preliminary layout early on focused on high-level design elements without overcomplicating the detail.
This allowed us to:
- Identify key issues which would require council input
- Arrange a site meeting between the council and client
- Present our vision and walk through the design rationale on-site
By helping the council visualise the proposed scheme, we reached early agreement on adoption boundaries and design standards. We also aligned expectations for the formal submission process.
Result: A fully approved detailed design, in just one submission, saving the client significant time and cost.
Meet our Civil Engineering team
Principal Engineer
Christian McArdle
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Civil Engineering Associate
Phillip Baker
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Chief Technical Officer
Richard Moorcroft
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Group Civil Engineering Director
Ryan Meade
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Principal Engineer
Siobhán McGlynn
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Technical Director
Siobhan Murphy
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Technical Director
Tom Mitchell
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Development projects often begin with a clear vision, a well-considered masterplan and ambitious objectives for the future of a site. As schemes progress, planning, infrastructure, engineering and commercial considerations all play a role in shaping how that vision is ultimately delivered. In the latest episode of the Brookbanks Podcast, Lee Witts, Group Director, and Richard Moorcroft, Chief Technical Officer, discuss the relationship between planning aspirations and delivery realities, exploring how projects evolve as they move through the development lifecycle. Drawing on their experience across planning, infrastructure and project delivery, Lee and Richard share their perspectives on why plans can sometimes look different on paper than they do when a scheme reaches delivery, and how greater collaboration between disciplines can help create stronger outcomes for clients and stakeholders.
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