It has to be pulled down... it is an eyesore
Fed-up residents have called for action to end a decade in limbo for a former care home on their doorstep which has fallen into rack and ruin.
They say derelict Marsden Rock House should be pulled down to put an end to years of vandalism which has blighted the area.
The building, Marsden Lane, near the Marsden Inn, South Shields, closed about 10 years ago, but remains the subject of what the council says is a “complicated” legal wrangle.
It has been targeted by vandals, but council attempts to make progress over its future have stalled due to legal issues.
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Christine Scott, 76, whose house in Hampshire Way backs on to the land, said: “It has to be pulled down, it’s an eyesore.
“Although things aren’t quite so bad now, until recently, the police were here night after night to deal with vandals.
“I know there are legal issues with the care home, but the council should be able to do something.”
Neighbour Deborah Elstob, 59, a hospital nurse, added: “It’s an absolute eyesore and lowering the tone of the area.
“The vandalism is a lot less than it used to be, but there are still problems.
“We’ve been told that 50 people own the property and that there are legal issues, but I still don’t understand how it can take this long to do something about it.”
Kevin Ball, 54, of Lincoln Road, said: “It is an awful eyesore.
“We all want to see something done about it, but hopefully just not a block of flats taking its place.”
South Tyneside Council is understood to be in talks with various parties over the fate of the sprawling property.
Cllr Leask said efforts at a resolution had been thwarted due to legal matters, adding: “The process of taking control of the site is not straightforward.
“With the matter being subject to legal proceedings, and due to sensitive ongoing discussions, there is a limit as to how much information that can be shared.”
She added: “I really do feel for residents living next to this building, but given the nature of the ownership of the site and the fact that the courts are involved, it may take a little more time to resolve.
“I am confident, however, that it will be satisfactorily concluded and want to thank council officers for their efforts to date trying to bring closure to this saga.
“The council cannot discuss its next steps but I do want to reassure residents that this site is far from forgotten. Complex work is going on behind the scenes to draw this to a close.”
A South Tyneside Council spokesperson said: “The property and wider site are not in council ownership.
“The council is awaiting the liquidator’s wider plans for the site before there can be any dialogue regarding future use.
“Site security is now in the hands of the liquidator and its agents. However, council fencing will remain in place until a decision is made regarding the future of the site.”