[Default] On Sat, 13 Feb 2010 08:03:41 +0000, a certain chimpanzee,
andrew , randomly hit the keyboard and
wrote:

So what happens about building regs for electrics, flues, structure,
windows , footings etc on a house such as this?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/b...ts/8487326.stm

As others have pointed out, if it's been longer than two years* since
an offence under the Building Regulations (failure to notify of a
commencement, failure to notify of covering of any material laid over
site, drains, etc., failure to notify within five days of completion
of the work**, failure to notify of a change of use***, failure to
comply with any of the technical requirements of the regulations),
then action for a fine in the magistrate's court cannot be commenced,
and the issue of a 'section 36' (Building Act) notice cannot be taken
more than 12 months after the completion of the work in question.
However, the local authority could apply to the High Court for an
injunction to remove the work.

One imagines that they can never sell this building as a dwelling. One
presumes it doesn't have its own independant metered water or
electric supply (they wouldn't have wanted to take the risk that the
water or electric utilities would bubble them to the local authority),
the Council ain't going to collect their bins separately from the main
house if charging for waste ever happens. It looks like a barn with no
windows. It's unmortgageable.

* Changed a few years ago from the original six months. A case still
has to be brought within six months of discovery of the contravention.

** When did they 'complete' the work? One presumes they've never
notified Council Tax that it's a dwelling. If the Council/Councillors
wanted to take it further, they could be arguing that, if the owners
never told them it was completed, it's still work in progress. I would
be looking for them to say, "OK, now you've got your Certificate of
Lawful Use, so today's the day of completion, and here's your Section
36 notice to pull it down".

*** A separate process. At some point the building went from being a
barn to a dwelling, in which case the clock starts running again.
--
Hugo Nebula
"If no-one on the internet wants a piece of this,
just how far from the pack have I strayed"?