Action to Be Taken on Unsafe Property in Chapel-en-le-Frith

Long-standing issues with a structurally unsafe house on Chapel-en-le-Frith High Street will finally be addressed over the coming week, High Peak Borough Council has confirmed.

Damaged building in Chapel-en-le-Frith. Credit: HPBC

The property at 9 High Street, which has been bulging outward and posing a risk to both pedestrians and road users, will undergo essential rebuilding work to make the area safe and allow the removal of temporary traffic lights that have been in place for several years.

Alliance Norse, the Council’s controlled company, has appointed Hargo Ltd to carry out the works. The first stage will involve removing the existing shoring and installing a secure timber hoarding to ensure the safety of pavement users and passing traffic. Full rebuilding of the front wall will follow, with the programme expected to take 12 weeks.

The occupants of the property have been temporarily rehoused while work takes place.

A Protracted Case Requiring Legal Action

The building was first declared unsafe in February 2021 after an inspection by the Council’s Building Control officers. Using emergency powers under Section 78 of the Building Act, the Council shored up the structure, closed the adjacent pavement, and installed temporary traffic lights to protect the public.

While the Council can take emergency action to prevent danger, it cannot permanently repair private property, which remains the responsibility of the owner.

After no works were undertaken by the owner for two years, the Council issued a further notice under Section 215 of the Planning Act in February 2023, requiring the front elevation to be rebuilt within six months.

The owner appealed to the magistrates’ court, and the matter was later settled out of court with an extended compliance deadline to the end of July 2024. Despite constructive discussions, progress has since stalled, prompting the Council to intervene once again.

Councillor Godfrey Claff, Executive Member for Planning and Community Safety at High Peak Borough Council said:

This has been a protracted case, and we know the temporary traffic lights have caused real inconvenience to drivers passing through the High Street.

By taking this action we will finally be able to remove the lights we know have become a source of understandable frustration, not to mention mirth.

There is only so much the Council can do when these situations arise, we must follow due legal process which can be time-consuming and so we genuinely thank residents for their patience and understanding.