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Other Notifications/Applications
Dangerous Structures
Demolition
Regularisation
Dangerous Structures
Where a building is in such a condition that it may place people in danger, Great Yarmouth Borough Council 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 fencing panels for example) are also unlikely to qualify.
Where we investigate a report of a dangerous structure, and agree that action is required, this will usually take one of two forms:
Where the building is considered dangerous - but not immediately so, we will normally try to contact the owner and require 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 the above cases we can only require the minimum amount of work necessary to make the building safe, and will attempt to recover any costs we incur in doing so from the building owner.
If you are a building owner and are concerned that part of your property may be dangerous, please complete the online form below or you can contact us by telephone and we will be happy to offer you advice free of charge.
Form - Contact
If you notice a building in Borough which you think may be dangerous, please wither use the form above or contact us by telephone and we will arrange for it to be inspected.
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Demolition
If you intend to demolish a building, or part of a building (an internal wall or conservatory for example) then in most cases, you must notify the Borough Council before doing so. The Borough Council may then impose requirements on the way the demolition work is carried out.
These may include:
•Limitations on the hours of work
•Requirements to notify adjoining owners and service providers (Gas, Water, Electricity etc)
•A ban on burning any materials on site
•Provisions to limit the effects on adjoining properties ( excessive dust, noise etc)
•Provisions to remove and dispose of any asbestos found in the building safely.
Please note that you must not start demolition until you have:
•(a) Notified the Great Yarmouth Borough Council of your intentions - 
Intention to carry out demolition work form (31kb)
•(b) Received a notice back from the Borough Council of any requirements we have in your case. As this may take up to six weeks, you should notify us of your intentions as early as possible so that work is not unnecessarily delayed.
If you intend to carry out demolition works, and are unsure if notification will be required in your particular case, please contact us for advice. Please note that if you intend to demolish a dwelling, you may also need to obtain planning consent before doing so.
If demolition works are being carried out near you and are causing problems, please contact us and we will investigate.
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Regularisation
It's not uncommon for building work to be undertaken without the appropriate procedure being followed. Where this happens, problems often arise during the conveyancing process. This page provides information about the regularisation procedure and what to do to sort out the difficulties.
Purpose
The Regularisation procedure allows the Local Authority to consider appropriate works carried out and completed without the submission of plans and giving of notice. This power does not replace the enforcement powers already available to the Local Authority and does not provide a short cut for those who failed to follow the correct procedure.
Regularisation Procedure
Regularisation is a procedure which property owners can follow where problems arise in the conveyancing, i.e. selling of property. It is important to note that an owner is under no obligation to make an application for a Regularisation Certificate; equally, the Council is under no obligation to accept it. An application (38kb) for a certificate can relate only to completed work.
An application for a Regularisation Certificate can only be made where
the work commenced after 11 November 1985
the work came within the scope of the Regulations, and
no application was made at the time
An application for a Regularisation Certificate should be made on the appropriate form available from the Building Control section. It should be accompanied by the following information:
a plan of the unauthorised works and structural calculations (if necessary)
the appropriate fee
In order to assess whether compliance with Building Regulations has been achieved, the Council can ask the applicant to "open up" work. The extent of this will depend on the type of work carried out and will rely on a reasonable level of co-operation between the applicant and the Council.
Issue of Certificate
Before a certificate can be issued the Council must be reasonably satisfied that the works conform to the Building Regulations and that there is no risk to the health and safety of persons in or around the property.
The Council may then
Say whether additional works are required to meet Building Regulation standards, or
Issue a Certificate indicating that the unauthorised works are in compliance with the Building Regulations standards
If the additional works are undertaken, and an inspection made revealing the work to be satisfactory then a Regularisation Certificate can be issued.
For further information please contact us.