Latest news with #scaffolding
Daily Mail
16 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Neighbours complain about eyesore 'Scaffolding House' as home improvement works on previously pretty cottage go on for FIVE YEARS!
An ambitious DIY enthusiast has been served with an enforcement notice after neighbours complained about scaffolding that has surrounded her property for the past five years – with works set to continue until the end of the decade. Margaret Smith began transforming her pretty cottage shortly after buying it in 2020, with plans for extensive renovations both outside and inside. But the scaffolding that went up there shortly after she moved in remains there today and has been joined by piles of building materials and detritus. Neighbours have complained about the 'extreme eyesore' in Shipdham, Norfolk, saying how it was previously a pretty cottage with a well-kept garden. One even claimed that electrical works carried out in the street by a third party caused power surges that made her heat pump blow up, at a cost of £8,000, as well as affecting other electrical items. Breckland Council issued an enforcement notice demanding Ms Smith, who bought the house for £185,000, remove the scaffolding at the property locals have dubbed 'Scaffold House' and return it to its original state. But the problem looks likely to drag on, as she has appealed against the decision to the Planning Inspectorate, which will hold a hearing at a date yet to be set. Ms Smith – who in 2022 said the works at her home, called Meadows View, might continue until 2030 - has not commented on the situation. But in a statement to the Planning Inspectorate, the mental health worker for the NHS said she had taken on the work herself to 'keep costs down' and work commitments had caused delays. She added: 'Furthermore, due to increases in the cost of living, mortgage payments, labour and materials, the renovation project has not yet able to have been completed. 'It has involved much more work than was initially anticipated.' The works she has completed are understood to include renovating the chimneys, windows, radiators and installing a new boundary fence. Still to come are roof repairs, replacing the front and rear porches, new ceilings in the bathroom, dining room, bedroom and kitchen, as well as fitting a new kitchen and bathroom, swapping out the downstairs floorboards and installing a new driveway and pathway. Frustrated neighbours include Donna Nevill, 38, who has lived in the road all her life. She told the Mail: 'It annoys my husband. He moans about it every time he drives past. 'The thing that bothers me was when they dug up the road last year, which affected our power. Now we regularly have power surges. 'It blew up our heat pump which cost us £8,000 to replace. We had to claim it off the house insurance. 'We still get power surges every day, with the lights going on and off and I've had three new microwaves in the past year. The washing machine is always going on and off.' Mrs Nevill, who said UK Power Networks had confirmed the roadworks were for Ms Smiths property, added: 'It's an eyesore and it isn't nice.' Another resident, Joan Bartlett, 63, said people had become 'fed up'. 'The scaffolding has been there for so long it's taken root,' she added. One homeowner, who asked not to be named, said: 'I think it used to belong to an old chap and it was very pretty, nice to look at. 'Now it's a permanent eyesore. Most people think enough is enough.' Others said they had effectively turned a blind eye to the never-ending DIY in their street, however. Dave Gray-Taylor said: 'It's their own place and they've been doing it up at their own pace. The scaffold house has become a bit of a landmark.' And Emma Farrow added: 'I don't have a clue what they're doing but it doesn't affect me. 'It has been like that since I moved in and I've got used to it.' Breckland Council first looked into the matter in 2021 after receiving a complaint but decided the following year not to take it further year after concluding that materials stored there for the purposes of renovation were in place on a 'temporary' basis. The case was resurrected in 2023 because of an increase in the amount of materials , with neighbours calling it an 'extreme eyesore' and 'dreadful'. The enforcement notice was came into effect in January this year and ordered Ms Smith, who is understood to be in her 30s, to remove debris and materials by November. It stated that the amount of items outside the house suggested 'the material change of use of the land from residential dwelling house to the mixed use of residential dwelling house and storage of materials and paraphernalia'. There were 'real concerns that external storage of non-domestic items at the property will continue unabated thus having an increasing detrimental effect to the character, appearance and amenity of the area', it added. The council was approached for a comment. The Planning Inspectorate will hold a hearing on a date to be confirmed, when it will consider the council's case and that of Ms Smith. It will decide whether to uphold the enforcement notice or overturn it, allowing Ms Smith to keep the property as it is. UK Power Networks was also asked for a statement about the claim involving the heat pump.
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Church that will feature in Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Venice wedding is covered in SCAFFOLDING - with locals speculating whether the couple knew it was currently being repaired
The historic venue that multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos has chosen for part of his $20 million Venice wedding with Lauren Sanchez is covered in scaffolding, MailOnline can reveal. The lavish three-day event will feature a party held within the fabulous 15th Century Madonna dell Orto church in Venice's quaint Cannargio district tomorrow night. In preparation, security guards have now blocked off entrances to the closure where the party will be held but what guests will first see when they arrive is the iconic bell tower covered in scaffolding. This has left locals speculating that Bezos may have booked the venue based on seeing pictures on Google without realising it is being repaired. The revelation comes just a day after MailOnline revealed how a careless wedding-organiser had unwittingly leaked sensitive details of the VIP event to the media by being photographed carrying a printed guest list. Meanwhile the fact that the huge wedding is taking place in one of the world's most vulnerable heritage sites has become so controversial that it is being angrily discussed in Italian parliament. This controversy intensified overnight as council chiefs ordered the blocking off the canal running in front of the church for around 200 metres with a landing point for boats closed off with red and white tape. Access from the Brazzo and Dei Muti canals blocked as well from 6pm tonight - when the wedding festivities kick off with a pyjama party at a secret location - until midnight tomorrow. Dozens of electrical cables, threading along the ground like spaghetti, are being run from a noisy generator boat moored in the Madonna dell Orto canal which is creating a noisy din. The venue for the party is the cloister next door to the church – which is where the famous Renaissance artist Tintoretto is buried. The website for the cloister describes the venue – which is used for the famous Biennale art exhibition in Venice – describes the colonnade as 'simple and yet elegant'. Pictures from previous events show tables beneath the vaulted ceilings, atmospherically lit by candlelight– but this week the scaffolding on the church tower will be clearly visible. The cloister extends to three sides and is supported on ornate columns with a beautiful herringbone floor. When MailOnline approached a guard and asked if the cloister was open, we were told: 'No, it's closed, there is a private function.' Extra police and added safety measures have been brought in for the wedding – and local authorities have been holding a series of daily meetings to discuss how to protect the expected 200 VIPs. According to local media reports, the city will pay overtime to an unspecified number of police officers involved in security for the wedding organisers. When guests first arrive, they will see the iconic bell tower covered in scaffolding This has left locals speculating that Bezos may have booked the venue based on seeing pictures on Google without realising it is currently being repaired Among the assorted billionaires and millionaires on the guest list, there is also Ivanka Trump, who as the US president's daughter has an extra added level of security. All of this has prompted questions in parliament from furious MPs - mostly from opposition centre left and environmental parties - wanting to know just how much Italian tax payers' money was being spent. Angelo Bonelli, an MP with the Italian Green and Left Alliance angrily demanded that Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi from the ruling Brothers of Italy right wing party provide cost details. Mr Bonelli said: 'We need information because from Wednesday until Saturday night the city of Venice will be in a virtual lockdown to allow the Amazon magnate's wedding to go ahead. 'It will be locked down, but it will also be a city bought for three days in a sort of unbridled celebration of luxury that will limit the movement of citizens. 'I am here to ask the Ministry of the Interior to guarantee the freedom to express dissent. How is it possible to buy a city for three days creating a series of inconveniences?' He added: 'I remember that Amazon is under investigation for the exploitation of workers, Bezos' wealth comes from this. If they can buy Venice for three days, these super rich can pay taxes.' Bonelli's request was echoed by opposition M5S deputy Antonio Iaria who said: 'We too, as the Five Star Movement, ask Piantedosi for information. The fact that the huge wedding is taking place in one of the world's most vulnerable heritage sites has become so controversial that it is being angrily discussed in Italian parliament 'In the Senate as M5S we also proposed an increase in the web tax not to go against a sector but to address a problem of the future. 'This government immediately bows to billionaires, it does not ask itself if in a historical moment like this a public order problem is not created. 'The government shows that Venice must not be a playground for billionaires, tourism is welcome but not to those who rent a city to the detriment of the citizens themselves.' He added: 'Bezos is getting married. Venice is blocked. And how much does it cost the Italian State? 'We asked Interior Minister Piantedosi. We pay, certainly for security, for public order, to lock down an entire city and protect a cover wedding. 'But how much does all this cost Italy? Who guarantees security? Who coordinates traffic? 'Who manages the inconveniences for citizens and workers? The answer is always the same: the public machine, with public money. 'And in exchange? Selfies and luxury, while those struggling to pay the rent watch from afar.' Campaign group No Space For Bezos have already said they plan to disrupt the wedding by blocking canals and have asked activists to 'turn up with snorkels and masks', They have also been encouraged to bring inflatable crocodiles or other toys to scatter along the canals to impede the dozens of water taxis hired to ferry guests between venues. Ruling Brothers of Italy MP Salvatore Caiata hit back and said:'We do not agree that Piantedosi should report to the Chamber on this topic also because the Minister of the Interior is not a wedding planner, we cannot ask that the government come to report to the Chamber on every topic, it is paradoxical that every situation is used to exploit.' No-one from the organisers or Venice town hall who cover the local police budget was immediately available for comment.
News24
24-06-2025
- News24
Construction accident in Durban leaves one dead, four injured
A construction worker died and four were injured when they fell approximately six metres during a scaffolding collapse in Umgeni Road, Durban, according to paramedics. ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said emergency services officials were called to the scene at around 11:30. 'Initial reports were that a construction team were working on a scaffolding when the scaffolding gave way. Paramedics arrived on the scene to find total chaos,' he said. Five workers had fallen around six metres, he added. 'Immediately, more ambulances, as well as advanced life support paramedics, were dispatched to assist,' Jamieson said. A male construction worker, believed to be about 40 years old, was declared dead on the scene. The other four sustained injuries ranging from moderate to critical. They have been transported to the hospital. Police are investigating the matter.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Yahoo
Edinburgh gang war continues as firm with 'links to Mark Richardson' torched
A Midlothian scaffolding firm was targeted on Saturday night in the latest incident in an ongoing gang war plaguing Edinburgh and the west of the country. RTR Scaffolding in Loanhead was allegedly torched, with sources saying foot soldiers working for Dubai-based Ross McGill were behind the latest incident. The business is believed to be linked to men McGill holds responsible for using counterfeit notes in a £500,000 cocaine deal gone wrong. READ MORE: Edinburgh locals warn 'we will go to war over parking' if development goes ahead READ MORE: Edinburgh locals party atop Arthur's Seat at stunning sunset rave The incident sparked the gang fued which has seen a flood of attacks between the associates of cocaine kingpin Mark Richardson and Glasgow's Daniel clan. It has been alleged the latest target is the pal of a thug who was slashed in Thailand over the so called dodgy deal. Police Scotland are carrying out enquiries into the fire, which they are treating as wilful. Officers have been seen guarding the site, with forensics seen taking images of the scene. A burnt container has been spotted from the street. A spokesperson said: "Police received a report of a fire at a premises on Engine Road in Loanhead around 11.50pm on Saturday, 21 June, 2025. 'Emergency services attended and the fire was extinguished by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. No-one was injured. 'The fire is being treated as wilful and enquiries are ongoing.' Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
CBC
12-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Scaffolding signals a summer patio return for downtown Halifax wine bar
New scaffolding is being built around Obladee Wine Bar, creating space for a summer patio the business has not had access to for the past two seasons. The municipality ordered the latest construction work last month for safety reasons. Gareth Hampshire tells us more.
