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Do I need permission to demolish a building?

Not all demolition work requires a demolition notice to be submitted to Dudley Council. A demolition notice need not be served:

  • for the demolition of the internal part of a building, where the building is occupied and it is intended that it should continue to be occupied;

  • where the external volume is not greater than 50 m3;

  • if the building is a greenhouse, shed, conservatory or prefabricated garage;

  • if the building is an agricultural building (as defined by section 26 of the General Rate Act 1967), unless it is against a building that is itself not an agricultural building.

View and Search Online for Applications for Demolitions

You can View and Search for a Planning Application online.

To search for all applications relating to demolitions, simply enter "Demolition" in the Proposal/Description filed, together with any other search criteria that you have to search for all applications relating to demolitions.

Basic requirements

Anyone intending to undertake the demolition of a building that is not in the above group must notify Dudley Council Building Control Team. Notice should be given in writing and should include details of the building to which it relates and the works of demolition intended to be carried out. The Council then has six weeks to respond with appropriate notices and consultation under Sections 81 and 82 of the Building Act.

Once the team has received the demolition notice and site plan with the site outlined in red, it will set out the steps to be followed to ensure that the building is demolished in a safe and satisfactory manner. these may include:

  • shoring up adjacent buildings;

  • weatherproofing areas of adjacent buildings exposed by the demolition;

  • repairing or making good damage caused to adjacent buildings by the demolition;

  • removing rubbish and clearing the site;

  • the disconnection, sealing or removal of any drainage under the building;

  • making arrangements with the appropriate statutory authorities for the disconnection of water, gas and electricity from the building;

  • informing the local fire authority if buildings or materials are to be burnt on site;

  • ensuring that the site is adequately fenced or otherwise protected to prevent danger to those on or near the site.

Legislation

Extract from Building Act 1984

80.-(1) This section applies to the demolition of the whole or part of a building except-

a. a demolition in pursuance of a demolition order made under the Housing Act 1957, and

b. a demolition-

i. of an internal part of a building, where the building is occupied and it is intended that it should continue to be occupied,

ii. of a building that has a cubic content (as ascertained by external measurement) of not more than 1750 cubic feet, or, where a greenhouse, conservatory, shed or prefabricated garage forms part of a larger building, of the greenhouse, conservatory, shed or prefabricated garage, or

iii. without prejudice to sub-paragraph (ii) above, of an agricultural building (as defined in section 26 of the General Act 1967), unless it is contiguous to another building that is not itself an agricultural building are a building of a kind mentioned in that sub-paragraph.

Useful Links

Sources of Advice

Contact Details

DMBC
Building Control
Regeneration and Enterprise
Council House
Priory Road
Dudley
West Midlands
DY1 1HF
  • Telephone 01384 814136
  • Out of Hours Telephone 01384 814136 (24 hours)