Eyesore empty home in Mill Hill to be bought up by Blackburn with Darwen Council

The local authority has begun the process of buying 41 New Wellington Street in Mill Hill, Blackburn, by using compulsory purchase order powers.

Council bosses say substantial efforts have been made to identify and contact the owner to encourage them to bring the property back into use since 2015, including searching land registry for the owner and the owner’s contact details and searching council tax records for the owner and the owner’s contact details.

Notices have been posted on site requesting the owner or any person having legal interest in the property contact the Empty Properties team, and seaches have been carried out on telephone, birth, marriage and death records/databases for the owner and the

owner’s contact details.

The council’s attempts to contact the owner have been unsuccessful, which has resulted in CPO action being recommended as the most appropriate way forward.

Further notices have been posted on site, including stating the council’s intention to go to use CPO powers.

The mid-terraced red brick house is in extremely poor condition according to the council, who say it is in need of full refurbishment.

All doors and windows have been boarded over and the property remains empty, though rubbish is frequently dumped in the back yard.

There are currently around 2,660 empty and unfurnished properties in the borough, of which 475 have been empty for over 2 years and are being charged a premium rate for council tax.

Borough regeneration boss, Cllr Phil Riley, said: "Engagement with the owner of the property, including an attempt to acquire the property by agreement, has been exhausted and compulsory purchase action is now considered to be the only course of action left to the council to bring the property back into use.

"Empty properties in the borough can have negative environmental impacts on neighbourhoods in addition to being a wasted housing resource. At neighbourhood level, empty properties attract fly tipping, crime, arson and nuisance. It is a priority to tackle these problems through enforcement as part of the wider effort to improve neighbourhoods and prevent blight."

Proposed CPO action for this property will be funded through the Neighbourhood Intervention Fund which is part of the council’s housing capital programme.

The property is expected to be valued at less than £30,000 and there is currently £143,450 of uncommitted funds available to support individual CPOs.

Once acquired by CPO, the property will be offered for sale via an estate agent to the highest bidder with preference given to buyers who intend to owner/occupy the property once renovated.