The Isle of Wight Council has taken one step forward with plans to use compulsory purchase powers to acquire a derelict building which has stood empty for more than a decade.
As previously reported by Island Echo, the council is taking steps towards forcibly buying the eyesore on the corner of Fitzroy Street and Station Avenue in Sandown, which is currently estimated at being worth around £405,000.
In approving the move in principle, Cabinet members said it showed the authority was prepared to get tough to bring long-term vacant properties back into use.
Council leader, Dave Stewart, said:
“First and foremost we want to support owners to bring empty properties back into use. That said, we also want to make best use of available homes on the Island and we want our neighbourhoods to be pleasant places to live.
“For the minority of empty homeowners who knowingly and deliberately leave their properties empty year after year, we will take action. Overgrown and boarded up buildings attract pests and crime, and can make people’s lives a misery.
“In this case, I am extremely grateful to the local member, Councillor Ian Ward, who has worked hard on behalf of the local community to get this matter resolved. It has been a long, long saga.
“The council has made every effort to work with the owner over many years to bring these premises back into use and secure repairs as in their current state they severely affect the amenity of the area.
Article continues below this advertisement “We will be looking at other properties around the Island.”
Last month, the council issued a notice requiring the owner to carry out repairs to the property which has deteriorated significantly since an arson attack in 2008.
On Thursday, Cabinet members agreed in principle to use compulsory purchase powers to acquire the premises and a further report will now be prepared.
The council’s Empty Property Strategy, as part of its wider Housing Strategy, targets those homes which have stood empty for more than 2 years.
While the authority aims to work with owners to bring properties back into use in the first instance, it has warned it will consider using enforcement action where necessary.
Not quite as bad an eyesore as hacking down beautiful trees and greenery then building cheap sh1t micro rabbit-hutches on them. But still, this might be a step in the right direction.
I agree. Problem is that consecutive governments (of both sides) have relied on the housing market to prop up the economy. As a result the best place to put your money is in bricks and mortar even if it’s left empty. This also drives the desire to build new housing estates at any cost. I hope the 400k they will pay is a good deal. The owner could be laughing all the way to the bank. And I don’t trust the council not to pay more than it’s worth..
Why is the council using our money to buy this property £405,000 when they know who the owner is ??, and the property mysteriously caught fire ??. Was the owner hoping to knock it down and redevelop it and make 1000’s ?? but maybe the Council would not allow this !! What a scandal or at the very least it should not be paying the owner of the derelict property which is probably worth a great deal less.
and then these d ic ks put up council tax