Chimney breast BR - what if previous work already done?

[kentmonkey]

As I posted in the buildings section of the forum yesterday //www.diynot.com/forums/building/chimney-breast-removed-is-this-sufficient-to-hold-it.290279/ we are purchasing a house that has had one of the downstairs chimney breasts removed but without any known building regs. and with the breast above left in place.

Although there is no proof of when done, it is suspected by the current vendors to be somewhere between 15-30 years ago (well before they bought the house).

Now although we're still not sure whether it's safe or not, if it is and it can remain like that for 5 years while we save up, we'd eventually like to remove the breast that's above it (pictured in that above link). However if we did that, would we run into trouble with BR as the previous work hadn't had BR? i.e. would they be petty enough to make us put the original breast back and then remove both? I was kind of thinking not, but not sure of the rules. And I've been informed that they can't do anything after ten years (and that after two years they don't really show much interest) but as there is no proof as to when it was done, how could we prove it was over 10 years ago?

Any help greatly appreciated.

 

[big-all]

take and save a dated picture

 

[Possel]

would we run into trouble with BR as the previous work hadn't had BR? i.e. would they be petty enough to make us put the original breast back and then remove both? I was kind of thinking not, but not sure of the rules.

It probably depends on the person and council, but the BCO I talk to is very reasonable and would in no way make you do anything silly or penalise you. He would just be glad that you were correcting a dangerous situation.

Also, I would hope that the onus is on them to prove that you did it; after all, you are innocent until proven guilty. Just don't tell them about it until you are ready to do the removal of the bit above! (NB It doesn't sound very safe so I'd want to do it sooner rather than later.)

 

[joe-90]

It hasn't fallen down in 30 years and isn't likely to as the bricks are keyed into the back wall.

 

[AdamWatson]

I'm sure all BCO's are different but ours didn't mention the fact the ground floor chimney breast had been removed without any permissions and an old piece of wood supporting it. They were just interested in making sure we did it correctly when we removed the top floor section

 

[michaelbailey]

you`ll ned a regularisation certificate wihicmeans contacting building control. some BCO`s are are reasonable time served tradesmen and some are jobsworths fresh from uni climbing the career lader and no idea . get one of these on your case andyou in the dhit i`ve dealt with them all the best ones are tradesmen who are tired who basically looking for a ljob with a decent pension theothers are frustrated coppers always looking for someone to nick even at the wekend if they see building materials being delivered twhenthey go back to work they look for the paperwork for the application

 

[tony1851]

theothers are frustrated coppers always looking for someone to nick even at the wekend if they see building materials being delivered twhenthey go back to work they look for the paperwork for the application

You clearly work in the Manchester area

 

[michaelbailey]

tony you oviouysly kniow somwething about themnanchester councuil setm up i inspector \dmitted to me that if anasian did somework without any reg approval they were forced to ignore it there was an asian mafia working in the the council theynwere all **** scared of risking their jobs .i was given so much touble by one in particularhe made meill . he bought all his clothes from police clothing suppliers. he was a right bastard if youracquanted with manchester you`ll know the whalley range and longsight rusholmeall the white families have gone it`s like drivung through pakistan full of take aways and mark et stalls run by illegal immigrants all of them are rat infestedand stink TB is on the ioncrease