Hartlepool zero tolerance call for derelict buildings

Hartlepool's 42nd Street nightclub used to be very popular

Councillors in Hartlepool have called for "zero tolerance" when it comes to dealing with derelict buildings and their owners.

They were told laws were available to tackle the problem but the process was complex and owners often hard to trace.

Borough council officers warned dealing with run-down properties was time-consuming and costly.

Councillor Pamela Hargreaves said the issue was "blighting people's lives" across the borough.

The council's list of 27 problem sites includes three which it considers a priority: Admiral Court Care Home on Cleveland Road, the former ambulance station on Elwick Road, and the derelict 42nd Street nightclub on Lucan Street.

The properties were ranked according to time spent vacant, visual impact, condition, location and any ongoing enforcement activity, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Admiral Court Nursing Home has now been cleared and made secure

The council's audit and governance committee was told The Market Hotel, The Hourglass pub and Longscar buildings had been demolished, and Admiral Court had been secured and cleared.

But the care home, ambulance station and club were particularly complex with greater resources required, members were told.

Officers said work was being carried out to secure the former Parkview Nursing Home in Station Lane and to make improvements to the Grand Hotel, Shades and Wesley Chapel sites.

Old Ambulance Station on Elwick Road closed in about 2009

Committee chair Jonathan Brash said councillors "absolutely welcomed" the work but more needed to be done.

"We don't think the current position in Hartlepool is where we want it to be," he said.

Council officers agreed derelict buildings had an effect across the region and stressed when they served a notice on a property they "will push and push until they get the work done".