Fresh High Court bid for demolition of building

The authority said Michigan Construction Limited had refused to allow council officers and agents access to the building

A fresh application has been made for the immediate demolition of a six-storey town centre building which is still under construction.

The building, in Job's Yard, Kettering, Northamptonshire, was the subject of a demolition order last year, following a three-day trial at Birmingham High Court.

Developer Michigan Construction Limited (MCL) was told it would be responsible for pulling the building down by spring 2024, but no progress has been made since, the council said.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said MCL had not responded to a request for comment.

North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) claimed MCL had refused to allow council officers and agents access to the building to carry out a pre-demolition inspection.

A cordon has been in place around the building since June 2022 to protect the public, and NNC said this would stay in place until after the demolition was completed.

The council said the fresh high court order would seek to progress the demolition without obstruction from the site owner, however the council has not shared an anticipated timeframe for when a hearing could take place.

NNC had previously stated that the demolition could take up to 12 weeks, once preliminary assessments have been carried out.

A cordon has been in place around the building since July 2022