Re: 5 Houses & Garages, Bowden Lane, High Wycombe.

Building Regulation approval was granted for the construction of 5 houses and garages in November 1979, Building Plan Certificate.
The work commenced shortly after the approval and the foundations were inspected by the structural engineer at the request of the NHBC. During the course of the works Mr WL Ikin, technical services officer for Wycombe District Council, carried out an inspection at joist level. Mr Ikin approved the joists apart from the layout. He said the joists between houses 2 and 3 should be staggered and a brick needs to be put in the cavity between the joists where they face each other to overcome any possible fire risk, which we did. Mr Ikin said that if he did not come back to carry on.
All the houses were completed and final inspections were carried out ready for rating.

On the 3^rd February 1984 Mr Ikin WDC wrote to my solicitors Reynold Parry Jones & Crawford ".......the approved plans must be read in conjunction with the structural calculations dated 11^th May 1979 submitted by Mr Debono's Structural Engineers Messrs. Pearce Edmunds, which state that the first floor joists (the subject of your claim) should be 250 x 75mm at 400 centres. These calculations superceded the sizes shown on the plans, and it is these to which the approval relates. If Mr Debono used inadequate sized joists (225 x 50mm) this is his responsibility as the Council does not supervise work in progress, neither is there a statutory requirement for them to inspect work at that stage".