We live in an age where it’s easier to demolish a tower block than to navigate the regulatory minefield leading up to it. I’ve been around this game over thirty years, and if you think the walls are what stand in the way, think again. It’s the wall of red tape. And it’s getting thicker by the day.
There was a time — not saying it was perfect — but there was a time when if a structure was unstable, unsafe, or unwanted, you’d size it up, brief the crew, fire up the gear, and do the job. Now? Now you have to conduct a pre-demolition audit, followed by an asbestos survey, a bat survey, an ecological impact study, noise impact assessment, vibration risk assessment, dust control plan, waste management plan, heritage consultation, traffic management plan, community engagement report, and I shit you not — a “considerate constructor” pledge.
And that’s before you’ve lifted so much as a clipboard.
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