Dangerous buildings

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I have been wondering for a while now what the correct procedure is if you spot a structure that looks unsafe. I once phoned the council and they said its privately owned and it was nothing to do with them.
 
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The councils building control dept deal with any dangerous structure that could affect the public, private land or not.
 
catlad, Hi

Makes a change posting about a hypothetical rather than an actual problem.

As I see it, a [simple phone call] is concerned to the receiver of the call as regards the condition of the structure could be regarded by the recipient as a "Hoax Call" and because the call will not be recorded or the recording convientlently ignored or lost, or could not be located, simply indicates that a simple phone call whether or not the original reason for the call was valid or not could be shall we say lost in the background white noise?

On consideration? hind-sight is a really enlightening aspect a simple e mail will I think transform the concerns as regards the potential problem, and I believe engender action, on pain of retribution, in that if action is not taken, there is an actual record of a concern being raised, if you see where I am coming from?

Who to send the e mail to?
1/ Local Building Control
+
2/. Local environmental health.
+
3/. Health and Safety [local to you?]

It is my opinion that, if the above is followed??? then

1/. No one can deny being "Informed!"

2/. If something, such as a partial collapse there is an irrefutable electronic "Trail" with no ducking and diving of we never received a phone call about this incident from the relevant Authority?

I think the electronic version of reporting is certainly to be considered??

Ken.
 
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catlad, Hi

Makes a change posting about a hypothetical rather than an actual problem.

As I see it, a [simple phone call] is concerned to the receiver of the call as regards the condition of the structure could be regarded by the recipient as a "Hoax Call" and because the call will not be recorded or the recording convientlently ignored or lost, or could not be located, simply indicates that a simple phone call whether or not the original reason for the call was valid or not could be shall we say lost in the background white noise?

On consideration? hind-sight is a really enlightening aspect a simple e mail will I think transform the concerns as regards the potential problem, and I believe engender action, on pain of retribution, in that if action is not taken, there is an actual record of a concern being raised, if you see where I am coming from?

Who to send the e mail to?
1/ Local Building Control
+
2/. Local environmental health.
+
3/. Health and Safety [local to you?]

It is my opinion that, if the above is followed??? then

1/. No one can deny being "Informed!"

2/. If something, such as a partial collapse there is an irrefutable electronic "Trail" with no ducking and diving of we never received a phone call about this incident from the relevant Authority?

I think the electronic version of reporting is certainly to be considered??

Ken.
Absolutely, with pictures (very handy having a camera in your phone) :)
 
Who to send the e mail to?
1/ Local Building Control
+
2/. Local environmental health.
+
3/. Health and Safety [local to you?]

If the building presents a ( potential ) hazard to the use of the public highway then also notify the Highways Department at the local council.

If the state of the building is an immediate hazard ( obvious signs of damage and / or structual failiure ) then 999 To Police and Fire Brigade for immediate action.
 
Thanks for the replies. The main reason for asking is the house at the end of my dads street is having the gable end re-built, and in my opinion should have been done 5yrs ago left empty. One identical a couple of streets away had the gable end fall away. Good point about E-mailing things and taking picture.
 
Woody I lost the will to live after the first page, but if you could give me a brief synopsis I will read it :eek: promise!
 
Lol. I did actually die, and Mrs woody in true DIY fashion, shoved my finger in the plug socket.

Anyway, that thread questioned whether someone would (or had a duty to) report workers who had nothing to do with them, who they thought might be working unsafely.

ie snitch or no snitch.

So my thought was, people walking down the road and noticing leaning chimnies, bowing walls, flaking mortar, and then firing of emails and photos to all and sundry.

Probably left as a rhetorical question or for personal musing, rather than another agonising thread.
 
I made a fuss in Italy (Pisa) once about a knackered bell tower. The thing looked ready to topple so I made a fuss and took a load of photos. Not just me either - loads were taking pictures of it, but I was the only one to report it to the authorities. They were rude to me so I won't be going back! Let it fall I say.
 
I once called a council about a similar issue and they sent someone round although the building was being built at that point.

Essentially there was broken glass all over the pavement which had been there for a week and not just a little. Boards had been nailed to posts aloing the wall to block off the site but the nails used were sharp and ridiculously long and stuck out into the street. Finally the guys were attempting to chuck building waste off a first floor scaffold over the heads of pedestrians into a skip on the road.

They didn't speak any English so the council sent someone round. Next time I walked past they had swept the glass into a single pile in the middle of the pavement but had stopped throwing bricks over my head so I suppose there was a small impact.

Thought I was going to have to call someone at the weekend when the storm hit because a new neighbours scaffolding started moving rather precariously. Luckily the fabric round it ripped off in the end and it stopped swaying.
 
I once called a council about a similar issue and they sent someone round although the building was being built at that point.

Next time I walked past they ................ had stopped throwing bricks over my head so I suppose there was a small impact.
What was that? Just a crumb of old mortar? ;)
 
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