| Dangerous Structures |
| Buildings become dangerous for many reasons age, deterioration, settlement, impact by vehicles, explosion or fire damage. Other dangers can come from loose masonry or slates and unstable garden boundary walls. The council operates an emergency service and officers are available 24 hours a day to deal with any situation which may arise. Working closely with the emergency services, the officer will act upon information received. |
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The officer will visit the site and take whatever
action necessary, using powers available under section 77 and
78 of the Building Act 1984. Action can result in the danger being
removed immediately, or the provision of temporary support, the
closing of a highway or, if the officer considers that there is
no imminent danger, the owner of the building or structure being
served with a notice requiring remedial work to be undertaken
within a prescribed period (usually 21 days). If the owner fails
to comply with the notice within the time permitted, the council
may then apply to the Magistrates Court for an order enforcing
the owner to execute the works. The procedure is to safeguard
the general public against injury or worse.
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| Demolition |
| Any person intending to demolish a building or part of a building to which Section 80 of the Building Act 1984 refers, must, by law, give the council notice of their intention. Minor demolition works, that is those under 50 cubic metres, are not controlled under the Building Act. Applications for demolition should be made to Building Control, 6 weeks prior to the intended demolition. The council then serves a 'Counter Notice', generally on the demolition contractor, which will outline any precautionary measures required. A copy of this notice will then be forwarded to the occupier of any adjacent building relevant to the site of demolition. |
| Please note that approval under Town and Country Planning Acts may also be required. View the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Upon receipt of a notice, the Building Control Section will respond with a reply listing a number of conditions which the person concerned must comply with. These may include such items as weatherproofing adjoining buildings; disconnecting all services (i.e. gas, water, electricity), sealing or removing sewers and drains etc. Any person disputing the conditions may appeal to the Magistrates Court to have any or all removed. Failure to comply however, may result in legal proceedings being taken against the person concerned. |
| Notice of Intended Demolition Form... |
| Demolition application.pdf (Full Graphics PDF) |
East & South Cheshire Building Control 2007