Sheerness "eyesore" water tower set for much-awaited clean up
The 1862 building on Trinity Road has become a "magnet" for anti-social behaviour
A disused water tower in Sheerness, said to be a "magnet" for anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping, is set to be cleaned up and the site secured.
It's after the 1862 building on Trinity Road fell into disrepair.
Swale Borough Council says it's "finally tracked down" the London-based owner and given him two months notice to improve the building’s safety and appearance.
In 2017, the council approved plans to convert the Victorian Tower into 29 flats and maisonettes but the planning permission lapsed.
In 2020, a Revive the Water Tower campaigners attempted to raise £1 million to secure the Tower's future but the efforts were criticised by councillors.
In 2022 a huge blaze broke out and five fire engines were sent to the site. Scorch marks were left on the walls.
In 2024, it went up for sale for £500,000 but was not sold.
Now, the site attracts trespassers which has led to accidents.
There is also frequent fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour, according to the Council.
The council hopes their actions will restrict public access and reduce the risk of injury, while improving the look of the local area.
The required work includes:
- sealing all window openings with fresh, black-painted plywood
- cleaning the building's exterior brickwork and removing all scorch marks
- cutting back all overgrown vegetation to ground level
- remove all rubbish, waste, and any fly-tipped material from the land
- installing a secure, 2-metre-high, dark green wooden fence around the entire site boundary
The council has served a statutory notice under Section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, meaning if the landowner fails to make changes, the council could consider prosecution or complete the work and bill the owner.
Cllr Tim Gibson, leader of Swale Borough Council, said:
“Thanks to a lot of work behind the scenes, we have been able to track down the water tower’s owner and issue him with a notice to make these much-needed improvements.
“Over time this building has fallen into a state of disrepair, becoming an eyesore, a magnet for antisocial behaviour and a risk to public safety.
“The changes we are enforcing, through our planning powers, will help make the area safer and improve its appearance substantially - following our refurbishment of Masters House and improvements to the nearby Trinity Gardens.”