Council in talks to tidy 'eyesore' water tower

Trinity Road Water Tower is a fly-tipping hotspot that caught fire in 2022, Swale Borough Council says

Discussions with the new owner of a derelict water tower about tidying up the site have been "positive", a council has said.

The Trinity Road Water Tower in Sheerness, Kent, has become "an eyesore and a magnet for antisocial behaviour", according to Swale Borough Council.

The local authority said in August the site had to be cleaned up and it would prosecute the owner or bill them for the work if it was not done within two months.

Council leader Tim Gibson said "an extension to get these important works done" was arranged after the previous property owner agreed a sale.

The council said the locally listed site was a fly-tipping hotspot, had caught fire in 2022 and trespassers had "entered the dangerous structure multiple times, leading to accidents".

The previous owner was ordered to reseal the windows with plywood, remove scorch marks and install a new fence, according to the council.

The site's purchaser now has until 8 January to carry out the work.

"The changes we are enforcing, through our planning powers, will help make the area safer and improve its appearance substantially," Gibson said.

Sheerness Board of Health built the pumping station in 1862, according to the Swale local heritage list.

An application for permission to demolish the tower was rejected in 2012 as it was deemed to be a heritage asset.

Swale Borough Council granted the previous site owner planning consent in 2017 to convert the structure into 29 flats.