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The client on the 拢9m Grenfell Tower refurbishment project appeared to be 鈥渟truggling鈥� to deal with all the design issues that cropped up 鈥� yet had ruled out hiring specialist advice that would have cost around 拢30,000, the inquiry has been told.

Budget was a key factor on the project, with the client trying to save 拢800,000.

Giving evidence on Thursday, Neil Reed of consultant Artelia described being surprised by the number of inappropriate design queries he received from Claire Williams, project manager at the client, Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (TMO).

He was also surprised by the number of design changes still being asked for by the client.

鈥淭here appeared to be significant ongoing change which would be quite unusual in month nine of a construction project,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 going to cause some challenges and issues for the team to manage.鈥�

He explained changes in design-and-build contracts could lead to 鈥渟ignificant cost increase so you need to get a grip on change鈥�.

Reed, who took over as the TMO鈥檚 employer鈥檚 agent in March 2015, about six months before the project was due to end, described the project as being 鈥渄istressed鈥� at that stage. It eventually completed in July 2016.

His predecessor as employer鈥檚 agent, Philip Booth, gave evidence on Wednesday that Artelia had offered to provide the TMO with a client design adviser service but, after six months, this was rejected. The TMO decided to take responsibility for that function in-house.

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Booth was asked by inquiry QC Kate Grange: 鈥淒id they expressly say that to you, 鈥榃e don鈥檛 want to incur the additional fees鈥�?鈥� Booth replied: 鈥淲ell, yes, they were very much about, do we need this role, you know, it鈥檚 30 grand or whatever it was.鈥�

Booth said he had not been concerned by the decision because he knew the TMO was a large organisation with experienced staff.

Reed was also happy for the TMO to perform the role but a significant portion of his evidence focused on how he fielded repeated queries about the design from Claire Williams. He described pushing back at 鈥渒nee-jerk鈥� requests for help and the 鈥渟cope creep鈥� of being asked to get involved in discussions about design. The main contractor had responsibility for design so he tended to direct her queries to Rydon.

Reed said: 鈥淚t just surprised me that it kept happening and on occasion I think I probably got quite frustrated with it鈥� it shouldn鈥檛 be happening.鈥� In one email to Williams he apologised for being 鈥渢erse鈥�.

Grange asked if he got the impression Williams was 鈥渟truggling to deal with design issues cropping up on the project and needed to reach out to you for help鈥�. Reed replied: 鈥淵es I can see that. Yes, possibly.鈥�

He did not agree the TMO was 鈥渢rying it on鈥� but, asked if it was normal to have this volume of design queries on a project of this size and stage, he said: 鈥淣o.鈥�

Grange asked if the kind of queries the TMO raised with him were things a client design adviser could have assisted with, to which he said: 鈥淵es.鈥�

Despite his frustrations, Reed said he had not had any concerns that safety issues were being overlooked by the TMO.

The inquiry into the 2017 fire that claimed 72 lives continues.