What to do if you’re concerned that a building or structure is dangerous and what to consider when making it safe.
A dangerous structure is a building or structure (or part of it), which has deteriorated or been damaged and may be a danger to people.
If there's no immediate concern, use our online reporting form.
If there's immediate danger and the property is not your own, phone us on 01273 292 222.
Outside of office hours (9am to 5pm), contact the emergency services.
If you find a gravestone or a monument in a graveyard that is dangerous the way you report it depends on where you are.
You need to make facilities repair request if the gravestone or monument is at:
Make a facilities repair request
You need to contact our Bereavement Services team if the gravestone or monument is at:
To contact them:
After we have received a report, a building control surveyor will visit the site as soon possible - usually within a working day - to assess the nature of the problem. If they think the structure dangerous, we'll try to contact the owner and request they remove or repair it.
The owners of the building or structure are responsible for making it safe and for any costs involved.
If we cannot reach the owner straight away and the danger is immediate, the building control surveyor will arrange to make the situation safe.
The council has the authority to make dangerous structures safe under Sections 77 and 78 of the Building Act 1984.
If we need to make a structure safe for any reason, the owner of the building or structure is responsible for any costs.
If you have concerns about the safety of your property, you should seek expert advice from chartered surveyors or structural engineers.
In making your property safe, you may need:
If making a structure safe changes the means of escape from a building, such as a fire escape, then you must contact Building Control.
If a wall is shared between properties, The Party Wall Act may apply to work to make the structure safe.