Sale deadline for quayside eyesore
Adam Lazzari The owners of the burnt-out eyesore in Wells have been given four months to sell the property.North Norfolk District Council has informed the owners of Grays Arcade and the adjoining Yellow Shop that it will make a compulsory purchase order if a sale to a suitable developer has not taken place in that time.
Adam Lazzari
The owners of the burnt-out eyesore in Wells have been given four months to sell the property.
North Norfolk District Council has informed the owners of Grays Arcade and the adjoining Yellow Shop that it will make a compulsory purchase order if a sale to a suitable developer has not taken place in that time.
This would be the first time in history that the council had made such an order and it is now looking for people to show an interest in buying it.
The prominent buildings have been boarded up since they were severely damaged by fire in January 2005, creating a major blemish on the otherwise picturesque Wells Seafront.
They have recently been put on the market.
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The council has now agreed a policy which would enable it to make the order, if it felt necessary, due to a lack of progress in the sale. A period of four months has been given and while no specific deadline has been set but the council has vowed to keep a close eye on progress.
Sheila Oxtoby, deputy chief executive of North Norfolk District Council said: “The council wants to see the site developed in an appropriate way for the town and will continue to work with the current and any future owners to see that this happens.
“However, we are certainly not prepared to see the site remain the eyesore it currently is on Wells Quay indefinitely and, if we feel progress is too slow, we are now in a position where we can make a compulsory purchase order.”
If an order was made the council would then sell the property on with a commitment to redevelop the site within a specific time frame.
