Dangerous structures
If you see what you think might be a dangerous or unsafe structure which is a danger to the public you should report it to us immediately (see “contact Building Control” below).
Dangerous buildings and structures are the responsibility of their owners but we are here to protect the public and if the safety of local people is affected by a dangerous structure we will take action.
The action we will normally take is to create an exclusion zone around the affected area and keep it in place until the structure is made safe by its owner. We expect the owner to take full responsibility for the repair/rebuilding of the structure as soon as reasonably practical. We will not do this for the owner. If the owner does not attend to the structure within a reasonable time we will charge for maintaining the exclusion zone.
If action is not taken by an owner we can consider legal action and apply for a Magistrates Court order. We can then make the structure safe ourselves and recover our costs from the owner if the court order is ignored.
In some cases, we may have to take urgent and direct action itself to safeguard the public. Where we can, we will let the owner(s) know what we are doing and give them an opportunity to carry out the remedial work themselves.
If a structure may be unsafe but is not affecting the public at large, for instance a wall or boundary fence between two properties, we will not become involved. Our advice to those affected will be to stay away from where it could fall until it is made safe or repaired.