Company that let building fall into disrepair fined
They have to pay over £8,000
A fine of over £8,000 has been handed to a company that let a historic building within Tunstall's Tower Square Conservation Area fall into disrepair.
The company and its two directors have been ordered to pay due to the state of property.
Planning enforcement officers found issues following a period of neglect.
Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, Cabinet Member for Growth, Regeneration and Transport, said: “People all across our city are sick of walking past buildings left to rot. So am I. If you own a historic building in Stoke-on-Trent and you walk away from it, we will come after you.
“We declared a heritage emergency in this city because too many important buildings had been left to decline for too long. Since then we have taken enforcement action on more than 100 buildings, and we are restoring 24 more through our Centenary Restoration Fund. This prosecution shows that where owners ignore us, we are prepared to follow it all the way to court.
“This building sits at the heart of Tunstall, yards from the Town Hall and the Clock Tower. It was left to fall apart by a company hundreds of miles away that decided it wasn’t their problem. It is our problem, and we have dealt with it. We will continue to do so because Stoke-on-Trent deserves better."