Today’s blog is about empty properties in Blackpool. Before I get onto that, a quick mention about the garden, which is suddenly bursting into life.
My pear tree is one mass of flower buds, all waiting to come out at the first sign of a bit of warmth. It’ll be a picture when it does, it’s so full of buds, and we get lovely pears from it too. The flowering cherry tree is full of flowers making me realise why I love Spring more than the other seasons.
I love my fruit trees as you get a double yield from them, beautiful flowers in Spring and then fruit in the Autumn. We just prune them to stop them becoming enormous, so they don’t get out of hand and fill the garden.
Empty Properties in Blackpool
Anyway, enough about the garden for now, and onto the empty properties in Blackpool. As we all know, there are empty properties all over the place, not just in Blackpool, but it’s interesting to see that Blackpool are doing something about it.
I don’t know about you, but I think empty, neglected properties are the thing that makes a street or town look really shabby and Blackpool gets enough flack for the grot spots without having to look at all the rundown properties. One that springs to mind is the Ambassador Hotel at Blackpool North Shore, not far from the Imperial. The place is what you can only call a dump, and what a big dump it is too. It’s a mauve monstrosity with pulling power for squatters, vandals and any other low life who are attracted to these properties like a magnet. We also have some examples of pigsties here in Cleveleys, and what a sight they look too, goodness knows what other people think of them especially neighbours. Imagine taking pride in your property and then having such places near to you.
Powers to Clean up Empty Properties
As a result, the council are taking advantage of tougher new powers which have been granted by the government. Not before time I say. The fire service have attended to fires in the Ambassador hotel due to people squatting and vandals. A task force has been set up to deal with this problem and they are teaming up with the fire service and police to make use of the tougher new powers they have been given. In a lot of cases it’s down to absentee landlords, so the Problematic Empty Property Group includes council officials from legal services, housing, planning enforcement, environmental and council tax.
According to yesterday’s paper, the 200 or so properties which are in this state face court action and a possible fine of £30,000 if they don’t renovate them.
Action can even lead to prosecution, and so it should, they’ve got away with too much for too long. One notice forces people to secure their properties, there are improvement notices to make people improve the inside of the property. There’s also a section 79 notice which can be used to safeguard dangerous buildings, along with an empty dwelling management order that makes owners bring empty properties back into use. If none of this works, an enforced sale or compulsory purchase order can be issued.
The wayward owners of these properties are at long last being made to sort things out, so let’s hope it works and we can get rid of some of the awful properties that are dotted around.
Absentee Owners
In times past, we’ve had our share of neglected properties on our prom. When neighbours of these properties have asked the council if they can do something about it they are told ‘no’, so hopefully this might change things around here. Don’t get me wrong, it’s mostly second-home owners who hardly ever come and don’t care what their properties look like that have been the problem. Thankfully most of them have changed hands and a lot has been done to greatly improve the whole look of the place.
I’ve ranted on many times about the state of the derelict hotels in Blackpool like the Ambassador and the ones at South Shore in the very first photo on this page. They’ve become homes for squatters and criminal activities while making the whole areas look a right sorry mess. So it’s music to my ears to hear that councils are being given more powers to do something about it. Well done Blackpool Council!
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