Government backs Stafford Borough Council derelict home move
The house has been empty for more than a decade and neighbours have complained about its poor condition
The Government has given Stafford Borough Council permission to sell a derelict house in the town.
The house on Tixall Road, Stafford has been empty for more than 13 years and neighbours have complained about its poor condition.
The owner of the property died in 2013 and with the Borough Council unable to trace any next of kin, despite extensive searches, they applied to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for consent to make a ‘Compulsory Purchase Order’ (CPO) – which allows the local authority to take control of the house.
The CPO notice has now been published following what a senior councillor said was a “lengthy legal process.”
The three-bedroom semi–detached property is expected to be sold at auction later in the year with a condition that the buyer brings it back into use within a set timeframe.
Cabinet Member for Communities and Health, Councillor Jeremy Pert, said: “We are always looking to help people bring their empty or run-down homes back into use. Last year we assisted more than 75 homeowners to do this.
“Empty properties are a wasted resource which can quickly become a blight to the community – but we have a range of measures where we can help homeowners, or their next of kin, make their property habitable.
“Obtaining a CPO is always a last resort and can be a lengthy legal process which is why we would much rather work with people to remedy the situation in other ways.”
He added: “This is clearly an exceptional case in needing to go to these extraordinary lengths, but we could not let the situation carry on until the property fell down and I am sure with the right investment and works it will make someone a nice home in time.”