Bradley Stoke builder ordered to pay over £11,000 for breaching building regulations

The following serves as a warning to companies who fail to comply with the building regulations, and homeowners who can find themselves dealing with unscrupulous or unprofessional contractors...

In January, South Gloucestershire Council prosecuted a local builder to the tune of £11,689 when he was found guilty of non-compliance with the building regulations. 

Ben Walker of Monkeyfist Construction was found to have ignored the regulations and carried out unsatisfactory work at a home in Yate, South Gloucester and was found guilty of five charges resulting in a £2,000 fine for each plus an amount for the council's costs and a victim surcharge.

Problems came to light after the householder brought in a second, independent building firm following a lack of progress, despite money changing hands. South Gloucestershire's building control team subsequently found that no building control application had actually been made.

Cllr Paul Hughes, Cabinet Member responsible for Communities and Tourism, said: "This case demonstrates the importance of ensuring the correct route is followed when undertaking any building work.

"Construction is a complex arena where unscrupulous individuals can take advantage of customers’ unfamiliarity with legislation, and profit from cutting corners. If a contractor, homeowner or member of public are not sure of their responsibilities then they should contact our Building Control team and we will offer help and guidance to all of our residents."

Advice for property owners and builders

For those carrying out work - whether that's home and property owners or builders, visit 5 steps to building regulations approval for advice on making a building control application and to gain an insight into what the surveyor will be looking for on their site visits.

Property owners - before you start work, get help finding one of the many professional builders and avoid the cowboys by reading How to avoid cowboy builders.