Building inspectors face 'Catch 22’

Press, 11 June 1977, Page 9

Building inspectors face 'Catch 22’

Christchurch City Council': building inspectors are| caught in a “Catch 22” over;: permits. They must take strong ac-il tion when building by-laws l[ are breached, or face the) risk later of being sued for): damages, when building h faults are found. But if they i spend more time taking 1 legal action, more breaches) < could go undetected. I Such breaches could make)] the council even more sub-)c ject to negligence suits. | “The problems have been : further compounded by the.‘ frustrations of not being) able to initiate effective): legal action in time to J ensure that non-complying); work is not built into »'t

!structure to such an extent) I that a second-class job is) ■accepted by default,” said: i the buildings engineer (Mr) ) St G. W. Chapman) in a re-I 'port to the council. Since a court decision' : against the Manukau City) ’ Council, for allowing a: i building to be erected that) I was not in accordance with 'city by-laws, more attention) has been paid to all building permit drawings and actual construction. ) "The general public is) now expecting almost a : ‘clerk-of-works’ service from) jthe building inspectors,” said) )Mr Chapman, “and we) haven’t the resources to) ) achieve that degree of super-1 vision.”