Building control

Coventry City Council (18 018 739)

Statement Upheld Building control 27-Aug-2019

Summary: Mr C complains the Council failed to record properly and in a timely way 'Competent Person Scheme' notifications and says he has spent unnecessary time and trouble in trying to resolve the matter. The Ombudsman has found some fault by the Council but considers the agreed actions of an apology and monitoring notifications for a set period to identify any common themes requiring action are enough to provide a suitable remedy.

London Borough of Bexley (18 015 206)

Statement Upheld Building control 28-Jun-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman found fault on Mr P's complaint against the Council about the actions of its building control team. The Council failed to keep proper contact records, failed to identify a failure to comply with Building Regulations during an inspection, and took 4 months to correct this failure. The agreed action remedies the avoidable injustice caused.

London Borough of Merton (18 008 346)

Statement Upheld Building control 10-Jun-2019

Summary: Mr X complains the Council has failed to carry out proper inspections or take appropriate action in relation to an unauthorised loft conversion and extension of the shared chimney at an adjoining property. The Council's failure to consider/ record its consideration of whether the works to the chimney complied with the building regulations amounts to fault. This fault has not caused Mr X or his brother a significant injustice.

Basildon Borough Council (18 011 477)

Statement Upheld Building control 04-Jun-2019

Summary: There was fault by the Council. It did not accept evidence that an outbuilding needed building regulation approval until the complainant had had to complain on several occasions, including the formal complaints process. An apology from the Council, the regularisation of the outbuilding and a payment of £100 for time and trouble seems a satisfactory remedy, subject to further comments.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council (18 014 072)

Statement Upheld Building control 03-Jun-2019

Summary: Mrs X complains a building control officer wrongly advised that the proposed extension to her property should have a raft foundation. The Council's requirement that Mrs X build her extension with raft foundations even though the precise ground conditions were unknown amounts to fault causing an injustice.

City Of Bradford Metropolitan District Council (18 011 363)

Statement Not upheld Building control 17-May-2019

Summary: Mr X complained about the way the Council dealt with building control matters for his extension and planning matters relating to his neighbour's extension. Mr X says the Council caused him stress and inconvenience. We found no fault in the way the Council dealt with building control matters and no injustice was caused by the Council in the way it dealt with other matters.

Mansfield District Council (18 016 460)

Statement Not upheld Building control 14-May-2019

Summary: Mr D complains the Council has failed to act on engineering works next to his home. The Ombudsman has discontinued the investigation. There is no evidence any action by the Council has caused Mr D injustice, and if his property suffers any damage in future it would be reasonable for Mr D to pursue a legal claim against his neighbour. Further investigation could not achieve any worthwhile outcome for Mr D.

North Hertfordshire District Council (18 010 818)

Statement Upheld Building control 02-May-2019

Summary: The Council's contractor made a mistake in assessing building plans but this this did not cause the injustice claimed by Mr X. The courts have also decided councils should not be liable for economic loss as claimed by Mr X.

Thanet District Council (18 014 407)

Statement Upheld Building control 30-Apr-2019

Summary: Mrs X says the Council failed to act against the people who installed a stair lift in the communal stairway of her building even though the lift does not comply with building regulations. There was unreasonable delay by the Council in making progress with its enforcement investigation. The Council agreed to remedy the injustice to Mrs X through a time and trouble payment.

Eastleigh Borough Council (18 001 563)

Statement Not upheld Building control 23-Apr-2019

Summary: Mr D considers that, when checking whether a new development near his home complied with the Building Regulations, the Council failed to take adequate steps to determine the safety of the retaining wall which supports the land on which his house is situated. The Ombudsman has found no fault in the way that the Council has responded to his concerns about the safety of the wall and whether it is covered by the Building Regulations.