Calderdale political group launches petition over derelict sites

Calderdale Liberal Democrats are campaigning for more to be done to tackle derelict sites across the borough.
The Coach and Horses, Luddenden FootThe Coach and Horses, Luddenden Foot
The Coach and Horses, Luddenden Foot

They have launched an online petition calling on Calderdale Council to take a more pro-active approach to dealing with the issue, with 345 people currently signing.

Leader of the council’s Liberal Democrat group, Coun James Baker (Warley) said the group had begun the petition, which will be handed in to full council at a later date, because residents had recently been complaining on social media about the number of derelict sites across the borough.

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“There are a lot of powers the council has to tackle these sites but we do not think there are enough resources going into this problem.

“Despite recent press releases and policies on empty homes there are still so many in Calderdale.

“There are also numerous empty pubs, bits of wasteland and empty shops that are not in use.

“A few examples are the old Stone Chair pub up at Mount Tabor, the Coach and Horses at Luddenden Foot, the empty shops in Norton Tower, the bit of wasteland on Warley Road.

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“Sites like these attract anti-social behaviour, fire risks and fly-tipping. They also bring down the value of neighbouring properties.”

Coun Baker said the aim was to get 500 signatures on the petition (online at www.calderdalelibdems.org.uk/action_derelict_sites) which would trigger a debate about the issue at one of the council’s scrutiny panels.

The group says the council can decide that the amenity of the area is being negatively impacted by the condition of land or buildings, and serve a notice setting out the possible remedies that the owner of the land can take, with failure to comply with a notice a prosecutable offence.

The council also has powers to enter and carry out the remedial works themselves, as well as subsequently recovering costs from the landowner – such notices can be appealed against by the landowner, said Coun Baker.

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The Liberal Democrats say according to the council’s figures as of December 31 last year there were 1,509 homes unoccupied and unfurnished for more than six months, of which 978 were empty for more than six months, 309 empty for more than two years, 123 empty for more than five years, 80 empty for more than ten years and 19 empty for more than 20 years, of which six had been empty for more than 27 years.

The council has expressed desire, and taken some action to get empty properties back into use, for example Cabinet’s agreement last December to compulsority purchase a house at King Cross Road, Halifax, to allow it to be brought back into use, and also stepped up its use of legal powers avaiable to it in a number of areas, but the Liberal Democrats are urging the pace be accelerated.