DBCP regularly deals with incidents and reports of dangerous structure every week throughout Derbyshire and Staffordshire Moorlands although very few make the headlines…until recently.
DBCP’s Building Control Manager David Pratt and Rob McGregor were one of the first on the scene at St Helen’s Street in Chesterfield on Monday 23 August following a major incident at a residential property.
Along with Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service, Derbyshire Police and utility companies, David was part of the multi-agency team that ensured residents’ safety and wellbeing following an explosion that occurred in a semi-detached Victorian house.
The late afternoon explosion, which is believed to have been caused by a portable gas canister in the basement of one of the two properties affected, caused the partial collapse of one building and severe structural damage to a neighbouring property. Three people had to be rescued from the buildings. 
David said: “It is miraculous that everyone survived. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured despite people being trapped in the collapsed cellar. Every part of the Victorian building suffered severe structural damage requiring propping to be installed to the party wall and other parts of the building. The adjoining property was also badly damaged and cannot be occupied.”
As a member of Local Authority Building Control (LABC), and the recommended provider of building control services by Chesterfield Borough Council, having being contacted by one of his officers David, who had just left the office for the day soon changed his plans and was at the incident site within minutes. He remained at the incident until midnight.
He returned to the site early the next day to complete a full assessment of both properties in daylight. Following an assessment, the properties have since been deemed uninhabitable.
He explained: “The windows and doors have all been boarded up. The walls, floors and roofs will all need rebuilding, and it is not yet clear if any major parts of the buildings will have to be demolished, although some areas had to be demolished on the night to make the building safe for the emergency services.” 
Over three days, DBCP’s Building Control team spent more than 25 hours on site, liaising with other agencies, contractors, and insurance companies, writing reports and serving legal notices. The work will continue, when it comes to the repair or demolition of either of the properties.
DBCP plays a significant role in protecting the public, looking after safety at sportsgrounds and public events as well as administering applications for demolition works and responding to reports of dangerous structures.
DBCP provides a 24-hour service for reporting dangerous structures throughout Amber Valley, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derby City Centre, Derbyshire Dales, High Peak, North East Derbyshire and Staffordshire Moorlands.
If you are the owner of a building that is suffering structural defects or possible failure, it is important to act early to avoid it becoming a dangerous structure. Contact our friendly team of building control experts for advice and information on 0333 880 2000 or get in touch here.