Leeds City Council tackles derelict properties with £75k investment

Leeds City Council has spent over half a million pounds to transform the city’s worst eyesore sites.

In 2012, the council established the derelict and nuisance property programme, which aims to get derelict sites and empty properties blighting communities improved, demolished or back into use.

So far the council has spent £75k of the programme’s £500k rolling budget.

The council’s priority sites that have benefitted from this funding include the Lord Cardigan, a former pub in Bramley and the Spotted Cow, another former pub in Holbeck.

After the Lord Cardigan was demolished, the site was poorly maintained so the council negotiated work to ensure the site was managed more appropriately.

After the owner agreed to seek a longer term solution, the site was sold to a developer who now has planning approval to build eight family homes on the site.

The Spotted Cow was on a prominent site in Holbeck, which happened to be a hot spot for anti-social behaviour and of real concern to local residents and businesses.

With the previous owner having gone into administration, the council has successfully worked with the new owner to have the building demolished and options for future development are being explored.

Councillor Peter Gruen, executive member for neighbourhoods, planning and personnel, said: “The list of properties we started with was relatively small but councillors and residents have identified more that require our attention. With the current list standing at 100 properties, we still have more to do but with a number of successes under our belt we will continue to ensure that these eyesore sites are tackled swiftly.”

Property and land owners have invested around £525k making interim improvements as a result of the council’s intervention.

Councillor Gruen added: “The derelict and nuisance property programme is really paying dividends.

“It’s doing exactly what it set out to do; properties in poor states of repair and neglected land are getting the attention they need, bringing peace of mind to communities fed up with the negative impact they have.

“By taking this targeted, prioritised approach we’ve been able to leverage a significant amount of spend by property and land owners. This is not only excellent value for money from our investment but a clear sign that owners are getting the message loud and clear that they must maintain their properties.”

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