Collapsed barn blocking the footpath and road - Rules?
Discussion
On the outskirts of my village, on the main road in/out, there is a livery yard/stables. Some of the yard buildings form the boundary wall to the pavement and road, and some are in a quadrangle/yard.
All the buildings are sandstone and probably 100+ years old, and could be really nice, but as is typical for many horse owners, the place is a dump and falling to bits. Proper shoestring budget stuff. The slate roofs are all sagging or collapsing, some of the walls look in terrible condition, doors falling off their hinges, and so on. The yard has an utterly clapped out E reg Bedford horse box parked in it. You know the sort.
The wall of one of the large barns that forms the boundary to the pavement and road, has had a section collapse outwards onto the pavement and road, leaving a 2 metre wide hole in the side of the barn. The walls are bowing out even more now.
The yard owners have stuck a couple of Acrow props on the pavement to prop up the remaining wall of the building. They then stuck some traffic cones around the collapsed rubble, blocking the pavement and one of the sides of the road.
It has been like this for 6 weeks now, and is obviously causing an obstruction in the road, which is annoying for drivers, and it looks a mess.
What are the rules around blocking the pavement and road while property repairs are carried out? How long can someone block a road, presumably without permit, without action being taken against them?
I have absolutely no doubt the livery yard cannot afford any repairs to the buildings, and the repairs required appear to be extremely costly.
All the buildings are sandstone and probably 100+ years old, and could be really nice, but as is typical for many horse owners, the place is a dump and falling to bits. Proper shoestring budget stuff. The slate roofs are all sagging or collapsing, some of the walls look in terrible condition, doors falling off their hinges, and so on. The yard has an utterly clapped out E reg Bedford horse box parked in it. You know the sort.
The wall of one of the large barns that forms the boundary to the pavement and road, has had a section collapse outwards onto the pavement and road, leaving a 2 metre wide hole in the side of the barn. The walls are bowing out even more now.
The yard owners have stuck a couple of Acrow props on the pavement to prop up the remaining wall of the building. They then stuck some traffic cones around the collapsed rubble, blocking the pavement and one of the sides of the road.
It has been like this for 6 weeks now, and is obviously causing an obstruction in the road, which is annoying for drivers, and it looks a mess.
What are the rules around blocking the pavement and road while property repairs are carried out? How long can someone block a road, presumably without permit, without action being taken against them?
I have absolutely no doubt the livery yard cannot afford any repairs to the buildings, and the repairs required appear to be extremely costly.
OutInTheShed said:
Sh!t happens and sometimes it takes a while to sort out.
The local authority would probably grant them a 'pavement license' to put their scaffolding on the highway.
Oh I absolutely agree, and I wouldn't wish to hassle anyone who was having issues with their property.The local authority would probably grant them a 'pavement license' to put their scaffolding on the highway.
But I know from speaking to people who know the livery yard, that they pretty much intend to leave it as it is, pretend it is not happening, plead poverty, and not do anything with it until the entire barn falls down across the whole road, or someone such as the council forces them to do something. Which could obviously take months/years (delete as appropriate).
Edited by Technotronic on Friday 19th April 15:23
It sounds like it remains in a dangerous condition especially if some of the remaining wall is bowing outwards.
As a wall falling onto someone can be fatal I think more urgent action is needed, the owners maybe in contact with the council but possibly glossing over how serious the collapse has been. I think sending a few photos to the council is in order.
https://www.gov.uk/report-dangerous-building-struc...
As a wall falling onto someone can be fatal I think more urgent action is needed, the owners maybe in contact with the council but possibly glossing over how serious the collapse has been. I think sending a few photos to the council is in order.
https://www.gov.uk/report-dangerous-building-struc...
Report on FixMyStreet and preferably with a photo.
https://www.fixmystreet.com/
The website also provides good local maps.
https://www.fixmystreet.com/
The website also provides good local maps.
Report it to the Building Control department of your local council - it is they who hold responsibility and powers to deal with dangerous structures.
I'd be surprised if they don't respond quickly - they are usually quite efficient by local authority standards and take dangerous structures seriously.
I'd be surprised if they don't respond quickly - they are usually quite efficient by local authority standards and take dangerous structures seriously.
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