North MSP highlights the issue of dangerous or derelict buildings once more

Highlands and Islands (including Moray) (Labour) MSP, David Stewart, introduced a  Member’s Bill, ‘Buildings (Recovery of Expenses) (Scotland) Bill’, which became law last year and gives Local Authorities extra powers to re-coup their costs when dealing with defective and dangerous buildings.

The Bill reintroduces charging orders which will enable Local Authorities to recover their costs in a more efficient and cost effective manner.

Speaking today David Stewart said “Too many buildings have been allowed to drift into disrepair and need urgent remedy. It is, of course the owners’ responsibility to repair buildings. My Bill aims to enable councils to carry out desperately needed repairs whilst shifting the financial burden back to the owners themselves.”

“I am optimistic that that Local Authorities will proactively use this new power to ensure they will not be out of pocket when stepping in to deal with building standards issues.  This will mean they will feel more confident in carrying out repairs, hopefully leading to less repairs being delayed, scaled back or even cancelled due to concerns over cost recovery. Indirectly, it will hopefully also stimulate the repair and maintenance sector of the construction industry as more repairs will be carried out.”

“Recently, I have highlighted issues with buildings in dangerous or derelict condition in Inverness and in the Muir of Ord area. That said, across the Highlands & Islands we all know of such buildings. The recent unfortunate fire in the premises on Academy Street, Inverness, has prompted me once again to highlight the need for owners and businesses across the Highlands & Islands to better look after some of their premises and taken positive action to address building defects. I am not insinuating that the building which caught fire was dangerous or derelict, far from it, but it is now in the post fire stage, being made safe at least as it has been totally destroyed. I do hope that it will not be left in it’s ‘shell’ form for months and years to come like so many others”.

What I am saying is if owners and organisations took responsibility, then there would be at least a confidence in the knowledge that all that was being done to make such buildings safe were being done without the need for the Local Authority to step in. However, if the Local Authority do have to step in, then I would hope that they would do so and my Bill would give them the opportunity to cover the costs of making a building safe”.

David Stewart concluded “ Safety within the community is the priority, but we also have to remember the knock on effects and the impact derelict and dangerous buildings can have on the tourist. If you want to leave a negative impression with the tourist of a location across the Highlands & Islands, then leaving a building in a poor state of repair is one way”.

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