Stourport Civic Society submitted a complaint in writing to the local authority after the old bakery building and adjoining wall on Raven Street was bulldozed in November last year.
The council has said it’s justified its actions stating that the structure posed an immediate significant risk to public safety and the whole building was at risk of imminent collapse.
The council concluded that it took the “appropriate decision to demolish the building and that it was appropriate not to submit a planning application given the circumstances of this case”.
The old bakery building (Image: Stourport Civic Society)
In response to the complaint, the council said it took external specialist advice by planning consultants and a structural surveyor and input from North Worcestershire Building Control.
The initial June 2024 structural report lists the numerous structural issues including missing and deteriorated roof coverings, severe cracking along front elevation, structural instability and risk of collapse, perished materials, including joists and floor at first floor and severe ivy growth throughout the remaining structure
The council commissioned a structural survey, which reported “very clearly” that the whole building is at risk of imminent collapse.
The council said it took the decision to proceed with the demolition as a matter of urgency without planning consent based on a comprehensive process and body of evidence, which included surveys, reports and external specialist advice and input from a wide range of stakeholders.
Section 78 of the Building Act 1984 was relied upon for carrying out the urgent demolition, ahead of a retrospective planning application, which has now been submitted by the council. They also referred to a legal precedent in a previous case when making the decision to demolish the building.