Builder blocking pavement

Effects

I'm looking for advice about a builder blocking a pavement.

My neighbour is having work done on their house at the moment. Their entrance is on the street perpendicular/around the corner to mine.
The builder is using my street to park, place skip, accept deliveries, as it's a quieter road.
I'm well aware of having to make allowances for building work, but he seems to be taking the pìss a bit.
He had a few tonnes of hardcore delivered, just dumped out on the street and flowing onto the pavement and against the wall of my house.
Then he had a number of bales of blocks delivered, again loaded on to the path.

I'm presuming this isn't allowed by DCC? There's a few cones around them, but no attempt to make a safe walkway around it. I'd still rather be able to use the path.
I had a word with the guy dropping off the blocks but he just said it's not his problem. Is there any point contacting the supplier?

Stanford

Take a few shots with your mobile and send them to DCC with the address

TheBoyConor

Contact the traffic department in the local council.

No point giving out to the delivery driver or the supplier. They are just told to bring X to Y Street at 9 o'clock. The storage space is not their problem to fix. It is the builder who must arrange for a safe place for deliveries.

Effects

Was hoping to clear it up without having to involve the council.
Messaged the home owner, who said he'd have a word with the builder.
The result was even more gravel being delivered this afternoon.

Effects

TheBoyConor wrote: »

It is the builder who must arrange for a safe place for deliveries.

Can he get permission to leave it on the street though?

TheBoyConor

he might get certain permissions to do so if it is not practical to have everything inside the wall. But they won't say to him, ah yeah work away as you are. He'll have to provide for safety of pedestrians and traffic through the street, put in proper traffic managment, signage etc.

Reality is for a small job with a limited budget, a visit from the council might just prompt him to rearrange his job so that he isn't affecting the street as much.

Effects

It's perfectly practicable to have it inside the boundary of the house where the job is being done, it's just simpler for him this way.

The same builder, under instruction for a different client, built a three bedroom house without any planning permission. So I know they don't hold planning and regulation in high regard. I've been fairly accommodating so far, but maybe they see that as a sign they can just walk over me.

TheBoyConor

If they can do it all inside the boundary then they should do that.

Not getting planning for that other house isn't the builder's problem - that is for the owner to sort out. Builder in that instance wouldn't really have any dealings in the planning process.

I think it is more likely thoughlessness and cluelessness on the part of the builder rather than them deliberately doing things to get you riled up.

You need to talk to them and if you have no satisfaction there, get on to the council.

SC024

It'll only be a few more weeks & then it'll be over & done with.

daheff

Maybe if it's left out on the street abandoned overnight you should do the neighbourly thing and put it in your back garden for safekeeping until the builder can properly store it???

Effects

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Not getting planning for that other house isn't the builder's problem - that is for the owner to sort out. Builder in that instance wouldn't really have any dealings in the planning process.

It shows that the builder has zero respect for planning laws, so isn't very trustworthy.

I think it is more likely thoughtlessness and cluelessness on the part of the builder rather than them deliberately doing things to get you riled up.

I don't think they are doing it to rile me up, more so to make their job easier.
I still shouldn't have to walk onto a street and dodge car traffic just to leave my house, especially while pushing a baby in a buggy.

SC024 wrote: »

It'll only be a few more weeks & then it'll be over & done with.

More likely to be about 5 months. And they are already working earlier than the start time allowed.

TheBoyConor

The builder has nothing to do with planning permission or applying for it. That is for the owner to arrange, the builder generally has not involvement in planning matters unless they own the site and are the developer too. Planning simply isn't any of the builders business.
Anyway, it isn't relevant to the current situation.

We told you what to do. Go over to them and see can they rearrange things so that they are not taking up the footpath.
If you get no satisfaction there, then you go to the council for them to intervene.

Whinging on Boards isn't going to change anything.

Effects

TheBoyConor wrote: »

The builder has nothing to do with planning.

You're completely wrong. A builder has a responsibility to follow planning and building regs. You can't just build a house deliberately without planning permission, in breach of building regs and then just blame someone else.

The owners found this out the hard way as they were ordered to demolish the house. The builder still got paid, so I guess you think that's alright.

BryanF

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Whinging on Boards isn't going to change anything.

No more of this.

Please read the forum charter before posting again

Thanks

TheBoyConor

Effects wrote: »

You're completely wrong. A builder has a responsibility to follow planning and building regs. You can't just build a house deliberately without planning permission, in breach of building regs and then just blame someone else.

The owners found this out the hard way as they were ordered to demolish the house. The builder still got paid, so I guess you think that's alright.

You are quite right, you can't just throw up a house without planning or compliance with building regs or whatever else. But you are missing my actual point - applying for planning permission and compliance with consent conditions is the responsibility of the applicant, in this case the homeowner....not the builder. If there are non-compliances with planning conditions etc, the council would take enforcement action against the owners, not the builder.
It is the owners job to instruct the builder do the work in compliance with the planning consent and conditions.

Basically, the builder is just the hired hand paid to do what the client asks for. You need to appreciate this fact - the owner and builder are different entities with different responsibilities.

The builder on most jobs never even sets eyes on the planning consent or conditions. The specific pieces of work required to achieve compliance with the planning conditions is written into the construction contract and the builder works off that.