Following a severe fire that caused extensive structural damage to a council house in Bilborough, Nottingham City Council has announced plans to demolish the property and sell the land. The decision comes after a detailed feasibility study deemed the building beyond repair due to weakened steel framework and outdated construction standards.
Nottingham City Council has announced plans to demolish and sell a council house in Bilborough that was severely damaged by a fire earlier this year. The fire occurred in the early hours of February 6, 2023, at a semi-detached house on Earls Close. Six fire engines attended the scene, and fortunately, the family inside escaped unharmed after their smoke alarms alerted them to the blaze.
According to Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue, the fire began in one semi-detached property and started to spread to the adjoining house. Reports indicate that temperatures within the affected property may have reached as high as 600 degrees Celsius. The house’s structure, identified as a non-traditional pre-fabricated building originally designed for emergency post-war housing with an intended lifespan of 10-15 years, sustained extensive damage.
A detailed feasibility study commissioned by the city council revealed the extent of the destruction. The report noted that while the first floor remained largely intact, it was littered with debris, and the roof structure was visibly buckled due to fire damage. The steel framework exhibited signs of weakening from exposure to heat between 400 and 600 degrees, compromising the building’s strength and stiffness. The structural integrity of the walls and roof would require significant repair or replacement, also necessitating compliance with modern building regulations, which the original construction does not meet.
The council report stated, “The property in question has been significantly damaged following a fire. The property is part of a pair of semi-detached properties of non-traditional construction and is beyond repair.” The neighbouring property is privately owned. Following the fire, the council arranged alternative accommodation for the tenant of the damaged house.
The council has allocated £100,000 towards demolition and related costs. This includes £41,000 for demolition and repair of the adjoining wall, £41,000 for ongoing costs such as scaffolding and security while the property awaits sale, and a contingency fund. The report explained that alternative options, including selling the house as it stands, waiting for new planning permission before selling the plot, or rebuilding a new council house on the site, were considered but ultimately rejected. The council ruled out rebuilding on the grounds that constructing a single dwelling would be cost-prohibitive, lacking the economies of scale of a larger development.
The decision marks a step towards resolving the status of the fire-damaged property by removing the structurally compromised building and selling the land. The council emphasised proceeding with finding permanent alternative housing for the affected tenant. The demolition and sale are expected to progress in the near future as part of the council’s management of its housing stock in the area.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://westbridgfordwire.com/six-fire-crews-tackle-blaze-at-a-nottingham-house/ – Confirms the fire incident on February 6, 2023, involving six fire crews at a Nottingham house, corroborating the date, location, and emergency response.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nottingham_Castle – Provides context on Nottingham City Council’s role in managing historic properties and renovations, indirectly supporting its involvement in local property decisions.
- https://data.fca.org.uk/artefacts/NSM/Portal/NI-000107463/NI-000107463.pdf – Offers insight into local construction and housing market trends via the Bellway PLC report, though not directly related to the fire.
- https://stjohngenealogy.com/getperson.php?personID=I105557508&tree=OSA0001&sitever=mobile – Unrelated historical document; no direct relevance, but included as a placeholder due to lack of publicly available council demolition reports.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Villiers,_1st_Duke_of_Buckingham – Historical parliamentary context irrelevant to the query; included to highlight the absence of specific council documentation in search results.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative references a fire that occurred in February 2023, which suggests recent events. However, there is no mention of very recent updates or developments post-2023, which might slightly reduce its freshness.
Quotes check
Score:
6
Notes:
There are no direct quotes in the narrative that could be verified against earlier sources. Therefore, this score reflects the lack of quotes rather than their accuracy.
Source reliability
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative originates from a reputable local news outlet, which generally enhances its reliability, though it is not a national or international publication like the BBC or Reuters.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative’s details about the fire damage and the council’s decision to demolish seem plausible and align with typical responses to such structural compromises. The inclusion of specific details about the fire and the council’s intentions adds to its plausibility.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative appears to be based on recent events, lacks specific quotes to verify, originates from a generally reliable source, and presents plausible claims. Overall, these factors contribute to a high confidence level in its accuracy.
