Councillor calls on South Tyneside Council to tackle a derelict office block
A South Tyneside councillor is urging the Council to deal with a derelict office block.
Councillor Katharine Maxwell, on the Biddick and All Saints Ward, is asking South Tyneside Council to focus on Landreth House, on Boldon Lane.
The office block had previously been leased to South Tyneside Council but it now stands empty and derelict.
In 2021, planning permission was granted to the owner to convert the premises into apartments, but to date, no work has been carried out.
Councillor Maxwell stated: “This is an unacceptable state of affairs, the building brings down the Boldon Lane shopping district and is a source of concern and aggravation for the residents of South Dene due to ongoing vandalism and the fact they have to live next to this derelict building.
“One resident told me that he had seen rats on the inside of the windows, he has had issues with vermin in his garden and the area is becoming a magnet for illegal fly-tipping.”
Councillor Maxwell has stated that she has already raised concerned that the developer was required to complete the works within three years of planning permission being given.
She is now demanding that action is taken to bring the developer to the table to explain their intentions for the site, a timeline for action and assurances that local residents will be keep informed.
Councillor Maxwell added: “Similarly to the Pickwick Arms saga, if the developer is not prepared to talk to the Council or provide necessary assurances as to their intentions for the building, then I believe we need to step in and resolve the matter, through the Courts if necessary.
“One thing is clear, I will not rest until this matter is brought to a successful conclusion.”
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