North Northamptonshire Council Seeks New Court Date Over Unsafe Kettering Block
Published on 07/06/2026 at 16:40 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
North Northamptonshire Council is pushing for a fresh court hearing to secure an unsafe residential building in Kettering, following the conviction of its developer. The local authority has made a revised application to return the matter to court after Marcus Fielding was found guilty on June 24, 2026, of failing to prevent danger at a six-storey block on Job's Lane.
The case highlights the growing pressure on developers and landlords to comply with building safety requirements, with councils increasingly turning to the courts to enforce standards. Fielding is now due to be sentenced on August 21, 2026, after his conviction for health and safety offences.
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High-Profile Building Safety Cases
The Job's Lane block was already subject to a High Court ruling in 2023 that ordered its demolition. The council's renewed legal push comes amid a wave of similar cases moving through the UK judicial system.
In Manchester, property firm Urban Splash is facing a tribunal at the Manchester Civil Justice Centre under the Building Safety Act 2022. The government is seeking to recover between £48 million and £50 million for safety works carried out on seven buildings, including the Emmeline, Box Works, and Chips developments. The case, which began on April 28, 2026, has seen the developer argue it lacks the funds to meet the claim.
Enforcement Action Intensifies
Local authorities and regulators have stepped up enforcement against developers and landlords over structural and habitability failings. In the West Midlands, Sibbasbridge Limited was fined £16,000 plus costs at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on June 29, 2026. The penalty followed a July 2024 incident in Leamington where a bricklayer suffered severe head trauma and lasting mobility impairments after falling 2.6 metres into a basement lightwell. Investigators found the firm had failed to put adequate fall prevention measures in place.
In Lincoln, a landlord was ordered to pay £4,000 in fines and additional costs for seven offences linked to a House in Multiple Occupation. Inspections carried out in January 2025 identified fire safety risks and electrical hazards, leading to an Emergency Prohibition Order.
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Building Safety Regulator Reports Rising Approval Rates
As legal proceedings against developers continue, the Building Safety Regulator has published data showing an increase in approval rates for safety applications. In the 12-week period ending June 28, 2026, the BSR reported an overall approval rate of 77% for Gateway 2 decisions — the stage required before significant construction or remediation work can begin.
The regulator processed 368 decisions during this window, with 57% of applications coming from London. External remediation projects achieved an 85% approval rate, exceeding the regulator's 65% target. However, the median determination time for refurbishment projects remained at 28 weeks. Gateway 3 applications, covering completion-stage safety checks, maintained an 86% approval rate with a median processing time of 16 weeks.
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