Braintree District Council recently took urgent action over a damaged roof to a building in Braintree town centre following concerns over safety.
The Council applied to the court and were granted emergency powers under Section 78 Building Act 1984 to gain entry to the old Saffron Indian Cuisine in Coggeshall Road, Braintree last week, to make the roof structure safe and prevent it from deteriorating further and collapsing into the building.
Local authorities have a responsibility to ensure that a building or structure in their area that is considered dangerous is made safe to protect the public from harm.
Councillor Wendy Schmitt, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and The Environment at Braintree District Council, said: “Public safety is our number one priority, and when we learnt that the building had deteriorated further, we acted immediately to ensure the roof was made safe. The council is unable to repair the roof as it is beyond the powers granted by the court, however we are keen to see this historic building restored and so we are pursuing the owners of the building to repair and make it safe through other legal processes. We will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure there is no risk to public safety.”
Residents and businesses who live nearby have been informed and work to protect the adjacent building wall has taken place.