Dangerous structures
When a building is in such a condition that people may
be put in danger we have legal powers to investigate and to require
that it be made safe. Typical examples would be walls, which are
leaning over or unstable, and roof tiles which are being blown off
in high winds.
In order to be considered dangerous a building must actually
pose a threat of causing harm to a person. Buildings which are
simply dilapidated or run down would not necessarily therefore be
considered dangerous and minor items (damaged timber fence panels
for example) are also unlikely to qualify.
We will investigate a report of a dangerous structure and agree
that action is required in one of the two following ways:
- If the building is so dangerous that we consider immediate
action necessary, we will make it safe straight away. In many cases
this will take the form of fencing-off the affected area to allow
remedial work to be carried out later by the owner.
- Where the building is considered dangerous but not immediately
so, we will normally try to contact the owner and request that the
work be made safe within a reasonable period of time. If the owner
fails to do so, we can apply to a Magistrates Court for an order
allowing us to do so instead.
Note that in both cases we can only request the minimum amount
of work necessary to make the building safe and will attempt to
cover any costs we incur in doing so from the building owner.
Please contact building control if you:
- are a building owner and are concerned that part of your
property may be dangerous, we will be happy to offer advice free of
charge.
- notice a building within our boundary that you think may
dangerous and we will arrange for it to be inspected.
An online
Building Control-Request Form is available for this purpose
Please note as from the 4th April 2011 we shall be
charging for this service where we are called out during and
outside office hours. You can download a copy of the applicable
charges.