Enforcement notice issued to clear demolished pub

The Hourglass pub in Hartlepool was knocked down in May last year

Council chiefs have issued an enforcement notice to try to get developers to clear the site of a demolished former pub.

The Hourglass pub on Eaglesfield Road, Hartlepool, was knocked down in May last year after demolition proposals from M & A Holdings Ltd were approved.

The council said it now had to take enforcement action "in the interests of the safety and appearance of the cleared site", which could lead to more serious legal consequences if not complied with.

An M & A Holdings Ltd spokesman said he had had a "nightmare" with the site since purchasing it about four years ago but planned to get it cleared.

There have been numerous fires at the site since it became vacant in 2019, which led to calls for urgent action to make the area safe to protect residents, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

A council report said it had had to take the enforcement due to a condition of the planning approval not being fulfilled.

That stated the site should "be left in a good, clean and level condition, where all rubble and building materials shall be removed from site”.

Council chiefs said the demolished site must be cleared in the "interests of safety"

In response to the enforcement action, Muj Ansar, from M & A Holdings Ltd, said he had spent “thousands” renovating the site before the fires scuppered plans to open a restaurant.

The Burnley-based shop owner said: “I’m not a developer, I’m just a normal chap.

“I’ll have to give three weeks’ notice to take the days off, my plan now is to come up in three or four weeks and find a demolition team and clear the site up.”

He said he was hoping to get full planning permission for five bungalows for the site after an initial “permission in principle” application for the housing was approved last year.

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