Empty house owners in South Cheshire warned after court conviction

A homeowner from Willaston, Nantwich is among those facing court action in a crackdown on unsightly empty properties.

The warning from Cheshire East Council comes after a Crewe man was convicted in court for allowing an empty home to become dilapidated.

Now homeowners in Willaston as well as Weston, Alsager and other areas of Crewe are facing similar action.

It’s part of a Cheshire East campaign to help bring more houses back into use and improve the appearance of the area.

They served a notice under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to require that the front of David Moreton’s house on Gainsborough Road, be upgraded and brought into a better state of repair.

Mr Moreton was fined £1,000 for failing to comply with the requirements of the notice – the maximum for this type of offence.

His property had been left empty and neglected for more than five years.

The council had asked Mr Moreton to cut and tidy his garden and hedges, remove boards covering broken windows, repair broken windows and repaint frames, repair broken guttering, replace missing roof tiles and repaint fascia boards.

The council was awarded costs of £550 and Mr Moreton was also ordered to pay a £100 victim surcharge.

Owners of other unsightly empty properties in Willaston, Weston, Crewe, and Alsager have also been issued with notices and  could be brought before magistrates.

Cllr Don Stockton, in charge of housing, said: “Empty properties are a wasted resource, particularly as affordable family homes are in short demand throughout Cheshire East.

“This is about sending a clear message to absent property owners that they cannot simply dodge their maintenance responsibilities and leave the neighbours and the rest of the community to suffer the effects of their negligence.”

To complain about an unsightly empty home, email [email protected]

Property owners seeking help or advice on how to bring it back into use, including financial assistance, can get in touch at the same address. For more information, call 0300 123 5017 and select option 4.