Construction and Demolition

We often receive complaints about disturbance caused by construction and demolition work in residential areas.

Contractors and sub-contractors should:

• give neighbours at least 48 hours’ notice

• provide on-site parking wherever possible

• take care to avoid any damage to your neighbours’ property

• keep paths and roads clean and tidy

• prevent noise and dust from causing nuisance as much as possible

• not allow radios on site if they will disturb neighbours

• ensure that particularly noisy work is carried out within ‘reasonable hours of work’.

Reasonable hours of work are:

• 7am-7pm Monday to Friday

• 7am-1.30pm Saturdays

There should be no noisy works on Sundays or bank holidays.

Further information can be found in our Advice to Householders and Contractors: Construction and Demolition Work [PDF, size unavailable]

Demolition

You are legally required to notify us if you are planning to demolish a building.

Exemptions

Some buildings are exempt from this requirement:

• an internal part of an occupied building which will continue to be occupied

• a building that is 1750 cubic feet (approximately 50 cubic metres) or less - this is about the size of a single garage

• greenhouses, conservatories, sheds or prefabricated garages forming part of a larger building

• agricultural buildings, unless they share a boundary with a non-agricultural building

• houses that are subject to a demolition order under the Housing Act 1985.

How do I notify you?

Complete and submit a Notice of Intended Demolition [PDF, size unavailable]. You will also need to send us a demolition method statement setting out how the work will be carried out and what health and safety issues and controls are involved.

You should also confirm:

• that you have notified, in writing, the occupiers and owners of adjacent buildings

• that you have notified, in writing, all companies providing services such as:

  • gas

  • water

  • electricity and

  • sewerage

• how you intend to seal off any drains on the site to prevent rodent infestation

If a party wall is involved we advise you to seek legal advice before proceeding.

You will also need to have the building surveyed to check if it contains any asbestos.

See the Asbestos page for information on disposing of asbestos safely.

You can also download and print the Notice and return it to us (see the Notice for the address).

In some cases you may need planning permission to demolish a building, so you should check with the planning department for advice about the possible need for planning permission. You will need permission to demolish listed buildings and buildings in conversation areas.