Qualifications and Business Experience
Simon Pole is a triple chartered since 1986; in Structural Engineering (C Eng FIStructE), Civil Engineering (C Eng MICE) and Building Surveying (MRICS).
He is a hands on business owner and also undertakes daily Structural Engineers Reports for clients and has been Principal of Pole Structural Engineers, employing a team of designers and specialist Surveyors for more than 30 years. Prior to Establishing POLE, Simon spent 10 years working with various central London practices.
Simon is a very committed Structural Engineer and is involved in all manner of additional professional interest groups and has lectured widely to other Structural Engineers, Surveyors and Party Wall professionals. Simon also contributes to the Institution of Structural Engineers helping on a voluntary basis with graduates preparing to take their professional examination and advising the professional conduct committee on matters within his specialism and more general ethical and professional standards.
Structural Reports Specialism
Whilst Simon’s general training was very rounded and included all manner of structural design projects, his passion was for the forensic examination of building defects and the reporting theron. In particular defects in residential property has long been his specialist subject, whether in conjunction with refurbishment projects uncovering hidden defects or more commonly as part of advising clients who are buying and selling their property.
Structural Engineers Reports have been his passion for many years and the business now specialises almost solely on reports rather than design work, allowing the business to tailor their services to clients who expect both decisive and clear reporting but also very prompt reporting given the normal point of sale process.
Simon has advised Insurance Companies and Loss Adjusters in matters of subsidence claims for many years, in the distant past, which together with specialist investigations, reporting and specifying remedial works, has informed much of his formative years.
Various subsidence claims coupled with his allied specialism of Experts Reports has involved extensive research into structural defects and specifically structural movement and cracking and reporting on the subject.
The expert reports have led to providing expert evidence in County Court cases where communication and clarity are essential coupled with professional unbiased reporting.
Simons reports are well known for being clear and decisive, which is essential for purchasers and their Surveyors and lenders as there is no time for protracted investigations, soil testing, digging holes, etc when a property is about to be sold.
Clear and unbiased reporting has led to multiple referrals, often from conflicting parties e.g. both the buyers’ Surveyor and the sellers’ Estate Agent, which is hopefully a compliment that the reporting is clear and straight forward.
Expert Witness Specialism
Simon’s technical expertise in residential structural defects, coupled with a scrupulous ethos for straightforward unbiased reporting has led to numerous Expert Witness/ Report cases; either to settle day to day disputes or for formal litigation purposes.
Reports are often prepared which lead to early resolution of disputes between clients and builders or other property professionals, helping early resolution and keeping costs of disputes to a sensible minimum and avoiding litigation in many instances.
On occasions litigation does occur and Simon has prepared Expert Reports and given evidence for Country Court cases and Including cases held at the Technology and Construction Court in London. His most notable case involved a complex basement and the Party Wall Etc Act 1996 called Chaturachinda v Fairholme in 2015 concerning Special Foundations.
Appendix of facts and figures
- Chartered Structural Engineer 1998
- Chartered Civil Engineer 1986
- Fellow of Institution of Structural Engineers 2005
- Chartered Building Surveyor 2009
- Member of Institution of Structural Engineers approved list of Experts
- Member of the Academy of Experts 2011
- Honours Degree in Civil Engineering in 1982 (Upper second class).
- Certified Diploma in Accountancy and Finance 1990
- Obtained Associate membership of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators but not maintained membership.
- Former Governor of the local preparatory school for 12 years until recently. (The Study Preparatory School in Wimbledon Village London SW19), responsible for all building projects including a performing arts centre.
- Provided evidence in County Court cases for building defects such as subsidence damage and given evidence in mediation and arbitration cases.
- Prepared various Expert reports for legal cases.
- Chaturachinda v Fairholme Special Foundations landmark legal case in County Court 2015, the role of Expert Witness.
- Provides 2 lectures per year to IStructE members on basements and party wall matters for the approximate period 2015- 2019
- Guest speaker at Pyramus and Thisbe Club and Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors on a range of structural matters concerning party wall surveying and engineering.
- Involved in various Institutional committees including: the Construction Industry Council, CIRIA, and The Institution of Structural Engineers, London Best Practice clubs.
