Under s80 of the Building Act 1984, you must provide at least six weeks’ notice of any demolition works to:

• the occupier of any building adjacent to the building being demolished
• the gas supplier in the area the building is situated
• the electricity supplier in the area the building is situated

Please note that you may also need planning permission.

Exemptions

Exemptions to the above apply if:

• the building volume is less than 50m3
• the demolition is of an internal part of an occupied building, which is intended to remain occupied
• the building is a greenhouse, conservatory, shed or prefabricated garage
• the building is an agricultural building not connected to another non-agricultural building
• the demolition is in accordance with a demolition order under the Housing Act 1985

You should consult s80 of the Building Act for more information on these exemptions and contact the council's building control surveyor for guidance.

For additional information, please see the RICS Demolitions document.

How to apply

Please complete the Demolition Notice Form and send it to us with a location plan showing the site, and a block plan showing the buildings to be demolished. Your notice should state the extent of the demolition work, the location of the building and the expected start date.

You can send it to us by email, post or in person. Once received, it shall be registered and acknowledged in writing, along with any initial requirements.

The Demolition Acknowledgement Notice

The council notice will detail any work that is requested to be carried out to adjacent properties or services on the demolition site. This is to ensure that existing services are sealed and made safe, support and weatherproofing is provided to adjacent buildings, proper arrangements are made for the disposal of materials arising from the demolition and that the site is left in a safe condition at the end of the work.

Start of work

Work can only start after the acknowledgement notice has been received or six weeks has expired since you served notice on the council.

When work starts, you should contact the council's building control surveyor who may inspect the site and advise you of special measures that need to be undertaken. The building control surveyor may then monitor the demolition work as necessary.