Council demolition work on estate, do they have to inform residents?

Viberduo

I moved to this flat a few months ago and there is a few condemned flats on the street, I did google them and found out the owners were refusing to refurbish or pay to get them knocked down.

Wednesday afternoon I notice the flat getting fenced off and just before 8am Thursday I hear it getting knocked down, they are doing it slow but it means I am woken up at 8am every day(which is only a problem due to health issues) but its more the fact that the council has not informed anyone on the estate or at least not the ones who live next to it(I did notice a poster for a residents meeting put up a few days before the work and it was for the day before it started) but if so it didnt say what the meeting was for just seemed to be a random meeting.

Just wondering if they should at least been polite and put letters through peoples door who live next to it.

duchy

So what was the meeting about ?
Could there have been others earlier that you also missed ?

I doubt there is any obligation for the council to advise residents but most would consider it good practice to do so. Maybe they decided meetings were more cost effective than posters of flyers ......or maybe they didn't want to attract a crowd who'd want to watch the demolishment on H&S grounds ?

societys_child

8am? It's not really the middle of the night is it. Every thing seems to kick off around 6:30am where I am. Bin collections, new gas mains installations (been going on for months) Building work etc etc - I'd love to lay-in till 8 o clock

bris

8am is the start of the working day and why would they just have a random meeting? Meetings are always about what's happening in the community.

Demolition was going ahead whether you liked it or not so being informed is irrelevant really.

Viberduo

bris wrote: »

8am is the start of the working day and why would they just have a random meeting? Meetings are always about what's happening in the community.

Demolition was going ahead whether you liked it or not so being informed is irrelevant really.

I never said I had a problem with the work, I only thought it would be good of them to inform us, what would happen if I worked night shifts and came back at about 7am and was unable to sleep? If I was informed I could arrange different shifts etc, and it may start around 6.30am as I am sure I heard it around then just not as loud.

It's quite fun to see the work getting done as I can see it directly from my living room window and I am a heavy sleeper so can in theory sleep through it, it was more I thought it would be nice to inform us.

Sarahspangles

They will have had to get planning permission which nearly always says no work before 7:30. Neighbours will have had notice of the planning application.

At the end of the day it's going to be beneficial to the local neighbourhood not to have derelict buildings. It's unfortunate if you're not well I can see. Whenever I've had a young child it always seems to have coincided with local building work just when I'd like them to be having a nap.

patman99

I'm not sure that you do need PP to demolish a building.

Viberduo

What does not make sense though is its across the road from local high school and a nursery and the kids went back Tuesday and they started work on Thursday so it would of been more sense to do it before the kids went back since I know from googling the flats the school was saying it was a risk as kids were going into the buildings at lunchtime to keep dry etc.

Rodders53

Demolition needs notifying in advance to the Council (even when done by Council contractors)... Here's an example of 'good practice' from one English local Council site http://www.welhat.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1119

You're best to call the Council or your local Councillor to discuss lack of notoce and any concerns you have? Also check out their website for any similar guidance.

Bluebonnie

From OP's post #8, it sounds as if this could be Scotland (schools going back in August).
People may have assumed England & Wales, where procedures will be different, even varying from one LA to the next. Our LA now only notifies the two immediate neighbours of planning applications: certainly not the people across the street, nor those at the back.