A sale has been enforced by Thanet District Council on a Cliftonville property that’s been falling into disrepair for more than 20 years in what’s believed to be the first case of its kind in Kent.
The property at 77 Eastern Esplanade has been a key target of the Council’s empty properties campaign over the last few years. They have been supported in their work by the No Use Empty campaign which aims to bring empty properties back into use across East Kent.
After the owner died in 1981, the building, which is divided into three two bedroom flats and a one bedroom flat, started to fall into disrepair and was finally vacated in 2003. The Council then became involved with the building, when it was classed as a dangerous structure. Two chimney stacks were removed, the property was boarded up and scaffolding put up by the Council’s Building Control team.
Earlier this year, training was given by officers from Manchester City Council on enforcing sales, organised by the No Use Empty campaign, ensuring the Thanet team had guidance on this procedure.
Following this, the Council’s Empty Property Officer used a law dating back over 80 years, called “The Law of Property Act 1925”, which states that a local authority with a debt on a property can, under certain circumstances, register the debt as a first charge with the Land Registry. This would even take precedence over a mortgage. Once registered, the Council can then ask for the debt to be paid in full and, failing that, the Council is empowered under law to enforce the sale of the property, which has now been done.
The building has been sold to one of the Council’s preferred affordable housing partners, the Town and Country Housing Group, who will be refurbishing it over the next year, with the four flats eventually being offered on a shared ownership basis. This allows people on a low income to own part of the equity of the property and acquire more at a later stage when they can afford to, thereby helping them on to the property ladder. They pay rent on the share of the property they do not own. This is an initiative that Thanet District Council is keen to support and is working with partners to develop further shared ownership opportunities.
Empty Property Officer Mike Thompson said: “I’m delighted that this property, which has been a major eyesore on the seafront in Cliftonville, has now been sold on to the Town and Country Housing Group and is now going to be brought back into use. This has not been an easy case and as happens so often with empty properties, the ownership of this building has not been clear. The training we received, thanks to the No Use Empty campaign, gave us a far faster route to bring this property back into use. Hopefully this will send out a strong message to those owners with derelict properties in Thanet that the Council will take whatever action is required to bring them back into use, providing much needed homes for people.
Tim Warren, New Business Manager at Town and Country Housing Group, said that they looked forward to turning an eyesore into a real asset for the community. “Empty properties are not only a blight on the streetscape but a wasted opportunity, especially at a time when there is an ever increasing shortage of affordable housing. We look forward to sympathetically restoring this late Victorian property back to its former glory and hope that it encourages wider regeneration in the area. The enforced sale of this derelict property highlights the benefits of working in partnership in bringing empty properties back into use.”
Susan Pledger, project manager of the No Use Empty campaign said: “The No Use Empty campaign is designed to offer training and support to Thanet District Council in cases such as these and help bring empty properties back into use which otherwise have a negative effect on neighbourhoods, causing vandalism and act as an obstacle to wider regeneration. This is a great example of how Kent County Council has worked in a partnership with Thanet to achieve something hugely beneficial for the community.”
Anyone wishing to find out more about shared ownership in Thanet should contact the Council’s Housing Options team on 01843 577277.