There is still no let up in the Council’s campaign to clean up the town, ten months after the start of its offensive to make the owners of derelict buildings clean-up their eyesore properties - or face prosecution.
A total of 45 legal notices (Section 215 Notices) - which require owners to smarten up their properties or face prosecution - have been served, and approximately one hundred warning letters have been sent out to negligent property owners.
In total, the seafront initiative has resulted in 45 properties being targeted for improvement works. Work is currently underway on 13 of the properties, has been completed on 8, and 1 new Section 215 Notice has been served recently.
The campaign has now been taken inland to Bohemia Road and the Old Town. Sixteen properties have been targeted by the Council along Bohemia Road, and of those work has already commenced on 4 and been promised on a further 5. The Council has also offered shop owners the chance to apply for a one-off grant to contribute to the cost of repainting premises, in the hope that this will help towards rejuvenating the area.
The Old Town has not escaped the campaign. At present 11 properties (9 of them Grade II Listed) have been identified for planning enforcement action. Work has already been completed on one of the targeted premises in George Street. Councillor Mike Bigg, Cabinet Member responsible for Regeneration, said:
As you drive along the seafront between the town centre and Marina there are 17 properties with scaffolding up - mostly properties on which the Council has demanded action.
This campaign has been very visible and extremely effective - the Council has made its commitment to improving the image of the town very clear. The results we have had are very encouraging - works have been completed on 25 buildings and are underway on another 11.
We are determined to see this campaign through. It has been very well received by town’s residents, and there is no doubt that the town’s image will be vastly improved by the time that summer is upon us.
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This page last updated: 12/07/2001