The building control authority also supervises the built environment. The building and its surroundings must be kept in such condition that it constantly meets the requirements of health, safety and usability and does not cause environmental harm or pollute the environment. The built environment must be used in accordance with the building permit and kept in a clean condition.
Yard areas must also be kept in good condition and outdoor storage must be organized in such a way that it does not spoil the landscape visible from the road or other public passage or the area or disturb the surrounding population. In the site plan area, the outdoor storage ban is stricter. If nothing else follows from the site plan, outdoor storage that causes disturbance and spoils the environment is prohibited. The ban also applies to long-term or extensive outdoor storage of goods, even if it does not cause a disturbance.
If the obligation to maintain the building or its surroundings is neglected, the building control authority can order the building to be repaired or its surroundings to be cleaned. Notices concerning the built environment must be submitted in writing to the building control authority, and the notice must include the contact information of the notifier. Anonymous and notifications made with incomplete or incorrect contact information will not be processed. The notification can be submitted by letter or email to the building control’s general email.
Environmental tour
The environment and building control authority conducts an annual review of the built environment in May-June. In the inspection, attention is paid to buildings that have been left in poor condition and even cause danger, as well as plots of land that spoil the environment with their untidy nature. During the coming winter, everyone must be prepared for the fact that there may be a shortage of electricity from time to time. Availability is weakened, for example, by long and windless periods of frost, the low supply of electricity produced by hydro-power, maintenance or operation interruptions of electricity production plants, and the demand for electricity in central Europe. In winter, the costs of electricity use and heating may be exceptionally high.
Power shortages can lead to interruptions in distribution. We can reduce the risk of power outages by paying attention to our own ways of using electricity and what time of the day we use electricity. Electricity can be saved, for example, by paying attention to room temperatures, the use of entertainment electronics and a sauna heated by an electric stove, floor heating, etc.