Local council considers buying derelict Great Yarmouth pub that's a 'haven for crime'
The former Trinity Arms pub has been shut for more than half a century
A Norfolk council is considering using legal powers to buy a derelict pub that has become a haven for crime.
The former Trinity Arms pub at 11 Southgates Road in Great Yarmouth has been shut for more than half a century.
It was turned into a home, but it has not been lived in for about a decade.
Despite being boarded up, it has become a problem site for break-ins, antisocial behaviour and other crime, causing a nuisance to neighbours.
Previously, people accessing the site have also caused a major fire to break out inside the property.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council is now considering using compulsory purchase powers to take control of the derelict site.
Officials have asked Conservative cabinet members to authorise issuing the order, which will force the owner to sell the former pub.
The council then intends to demolish the building and clear the debris that has built up over the years.
It has not been publicly revealed how much money the Compulsory Purchase Order will cost.
Cabinet members will meet next week to discuss the proposal.
Boarded up
The former Trinity Arms pub is thought to have opened in the 1840s and served customers for about 120 years before closing in 1963 after the landlord died.
It likely derived its name from Trinity Quay, located down the road.
Trinity House, the official authority for lighthouses in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar, had a storage depot at Trinity Quay from 1841.
The Yarmouth storage depot was closed in 2003.
The site is one of 11 buildings in Great Yarmouth that have been boarded up by the council in recent years.
Other derelict sites include the former Star Hotel in Hall Quay, where Charles Dickens once stayed.
It too, has problems with antisocial behaviour.
Other sites include the former Victory Hotel, the Two Necked Swan pub, Royston House and several B and Bs.