Council to Pursue Compulsory Purchase of Bridlington Bungalow

Thursday, 3 November 2022 06:00

By Matthew Pells

The compulsory purchase of a house in Bridlington looks set to go ahead as the East Riding of Yorkshire Council takes steps to address a housing shortage in the county.

The property on Darwin Road has been empty for over seven years.

The council's Director of Environment - Paul Bellotti - says long term empty properties are a persistent problem in the county.

East Riding of Yorkshire council says the Bungalow on Darwin Street has been empty for over seven years and could be bought back into residential use.

A report presented to the councils cabinet this week said:

"The Property is a semi-detached bungalow in a residential area comprising of entrance hall, bathroom, kitchen, reception room, and two bedrooms. The Property has been confirmed empty since 2015 and is defined as a “long-term” empty property under the Council's Empty Homes Policy. The Property has reached the stage where it is starting to have an impact upon the amenity of the area with some disrepair and overgrown vegetation and there have been six (6) complaints about it being empty and its condition since 2013. There are category 1 and 2 hazards as defined in the Housing Act 2004"

Director of Environment - Paul Bellotti - says there a large number of empty homes across East Yorkshire causing a number of issues.

The council says many attempts have been made to get the current owner of the property to bring the bungalow back into use. The report presented to councillors said:

"The owner of the Property was identified in 2019 and six (6) letters were sent before a response was received from an advocate advising that the owner’s intention was to bring the Property back into use. From 2019 to 2022, a further eight (8) letters were sent the owner without response,85
before the Property was entered under a Warrant of Entry for inspection and valuation on the 7 June 2022"

Councillor Claire Holmes says compulsory purchase orders are not something the council enters into lightly.

The council say that the owner has been offered by letter, the opportunity to allow the Council to acquire the Property through the voluntary acquisition process but say the owner has not responded to any written communication and therefore it has not been possible to progress with this option. The council's executive has now voted to progress with a compulsory purchase.

Councillor Holmes says it's right to do so given the housing shortage in the county.