[C]OPELAND Council has highlighted to builders that they can face a large fine if they fail to comply with its regulations.
The council has spoken out after its Building Control service successfully prosecuted Raymond Conway, of Wastwater Avenue, Workington, for breaches of Building Regulations.
Conway, 49, was fined a total of £1,476 after the council uncovered unsafe workmanship in two extensions he had built in Cleator Moor and Arlecdon.
Among the defects found were inadequate foundations, missing cavity wall ties and blocked cavities, an absence of a radon gas barrier and the absence of thermal insulation.
Further to the fines, magistrates sitting at Workington Magistrates Court imposed £1,200 costs and a £92 victim surcharge on the defendant.
Lena Hogg, Copeland Council’s Portfolio Holder for Building Control, said: “We have a long and successful track record of working with builders and businesses to achieve compliance with the standards set by the Building Regulations.
“However, where unauthorised work presents a threat to building occupants’ health and safety, the council will not hesitate to take the appropriate legal action against anyone who breaches the Regulations.
“This is a serious case in which the defendant has carried out this work without any regard for the regulations, nor the safety of those whose home he was working on. Building regulations are there for a reason, and must be complied with.
“The residents have been left in a great deal of distress, and I would urge anyone who suspects that a builder has flouted the regulations then please get in touch.”
