The owner of an 'eyesore' former pub site has been fined after failing to clear rubble from the land and allowing it to become land for fly-tipped rubbish.
Muj Ansar Properties Ltd of Derby Street, Colne, was prosecuted by Hartlepool Borough Council for breaching a planning condition attached to the April 2023 granting of planning permission for the demolition of the Hourglass pub in Eaglesfield Road, Hartlepool.
No one from the company was present at Teesside Magistrates, but the case proceeded in their absence and was found proven.
The company was fined £10,000 with a £4,000 victim surcharge and £400 costs.
Following sentencing, councillor Pam Hargreaves, chair of the Council’s Economic Growth and Regeneration Committee and a councillor for the Manor House Ward where the site is located said: “The Hourglass has been blighting this community for years, way before we forced its demolition.
"We lost count of the number of complaints from Manor residents about vandalism, fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour.
"As a ward Councillor, I welcome this fine but we won’t stop until the site has been completely cleared."
The councillor added: “I’m sick to death of private developers allowing their derelict land and buildings to damage our town
“Let this be a warning shot - if you don’t look after your buildings and you let them blight our communities, we will take action, no matter how difficult, or how long it takes.
“We urge landlords to talk to us, work with us proactively and together we will find solutions that don’t end up with fines and wasted time.”
Planning permission was granted for the demolition of the Hourglass in April 2023 subject to a planning condition that required the site to be left in a good, clean and level condition and the removal of all rubble and building materials.
The building was demolished in May 2023, but a complaint was received in January this year about the poor appearance of the site and that it was attracting anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping and rats.
Council enforcement staff visited the site and found large piles of rubble left over from the demolition of the building along with fly-tipped rubbish, including furniture and mattresses.
A letter was sent to the site owners to seek their voluntary compliance with the planning condition but no response was received.
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A Breach of Condition Notice was issued in March which required that all the rubble and building materials be removed and the site left in good condition.
Court action was taken when the site’s owners failed to comply with the notice by the end of April as required.
The Council has also now served a Building Act notice on the site owners which requires the waste resulting from the demolition to be removed within one month.
It gives the Council the power to remove the waste and bill the owners should they fail to comply.
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