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Council orders demolition of care home
Reporter: DAWN MARSDEN
Date online: 04 March 2010
A run-down Glodwick care home will be demolished after owners refused to carry out vital repair work.
Lake View in Kings Road, opposite Alexandra Park, has been in a serious state of disrepair for years.
Council officers have made repeated attempts to contact the owners to discuss the options of sale, renovation or demolition but have not heard back from then since February, 2008.
Enforcement
The council used its powers under section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to issue an enforcement notice that the building must be renovated or demolished by August last year.
They received no reply and, as a result, the building will be demolished with the full costs recharged back to the owner.
Councillor Mark Alcock, cabinet member for environment and infrastructure said: “The council has given the owner every opportunity to work together with the council to come up with a solution to this long-running problem.
“It is wholly unacceptable that a building in such a dreadful condition is situated so prominently on one of the major gateways to Oldham town centre.
“The complete lack of contact from the owner has left us with no choice but to use the appropriate legislation to carry out the work and recharge the owner in full.
“If the owner does not reimburse these costs then the council does have the power to enforce a sale to recover them.
“This is not a decision that has been taken lightly. It was done after every alternative had been exhausted in trying to work with the owner to come up with a solution.
“The council invests millions of pounds a year in keeping the borough clean, tidy and safe. It is important that property owners appreciate that they have to take responsibility for the state and condition of their buildings. If not, the council will take action.”
Asbestos removal work started this week with demolition planned to start on Monday, March 29.
Comments
About time that eyesore was demolished. Something should have been done about it years ago whilst it was still possible to use the building.
Lake View was owned by the council and sold off, well that’s another failure, but doesn't alcok live in oldham what about the dilapidated building on park road the real gateway, come alcok engage your brain
Al£ock says "It is wholly unacceptable that a building in such a dreadful condition is situated so prominently on one of the major gateways to Oldham town centre"
haha! shows how much he really knows about the town he works in. its not a major gateway at all!
its quite funny as there are far worse structures under council ownership which they seem to be doing nothing about! and one of them is in the background of the photo in this article!
But it's ok for Oldham Council to let a magnificent building like the TOWN HALL prominent on one of Oldhams busiest streets to go to ruin and do nothing about it.
find it quiet ironic that in the background of this picture is the disgraceful railway warehouse that has been left to wrack and ruin by the same authority who are now making statements about "unacceptable buildings " on "major gateways to Oldham". Absolute joke this authority.
As the above comments, I find this laughable from Alcock.
Why not have the council offer this building to Vince Miller instead of him having the old town hall.
What about the eyesore of the Royton Assembly Hall?
We constantly hear threats, but why has nothing been done about that?
It it because it is owned by a large company?
It will be interesting to see what happens next with this site !!! If the council cant get the owner to respond now what chance have they in the near future.I will bet that this piece of land will lie barren for the next 10 yrs. or more.I think the only reason for concern now is the safety aspect of it.I see the old railway wharehouse every day and i could weep ,it is such a waste of a wonderful piece of our heritage.Give it to Vance i say he at least wont let it fall down.
Have Your Say
Funny how it takes so long to sort an eyesore like this. You miss a council tax payment and you are threatened with magistrates court straight away.
There are plenty other eyesores around Oldham that need to be razed to the ground.
By ProDriver @ 04/03/2010 12:19:41