Burnley Council to compulsory purchase more empty properties

On Wednesday, the council’s executive will be asked to approve the orders needed to buy the homes.

They are 10 Penistone Street, Burnley; 71 Albion Street, Burnley; 6 to 8 Whitefield Street, Hapton; 23 Bramley Avenue, Burnley; and 17 Pheasantford Street, Burnley.

The senior councillors will also be asked to approve a programme of external property facelifting works on Piccadilly Road, Albion Street, Baker Street, Raglan Road and Willis Street in the borough’s Trinity ward.

A report to Wednesday’s meeting says of the five proposed Compulsory Purchase Orders: “The owners of these properties have been contacted and have either not responded at all or have given no reasonable proposals for renovating the property or bringing it back into housing use.

“The majority of the properties are long term vacant properties, being empty, in one case for 12 years.

“Without intervention by the council through acquisition by agreement or CPO the properties may remain vacant, continue to deteriorate, attract anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping and arson, all of which cause fear in local residents.

“Through the Vacant Property Initiative and Empty Homes Programme more than 150 properties have been acquired, refurbished and re-sold or re-let, bringing those properties back into use and providing high quality accommodation.”

The report adds: “There are more than 80 properties in the proposed facelifting scheme.

“The main purpose of facelifting schemes is to contribute to the transformation of the housing market, give confidence to the community in a neighbourhood through works to external elevations of sustainable homes including works such as stone cleaning, siliconing, pointing and gutter replacement."