Page 28 - City Life Magazine - Spring 2022

28 Issue 58 • March 2022

HOUSING

Taking action on

untidy properties

Worcester is seeing the benefits of City

Council powers requiring landowners to clear
up and maintain their land and buildings.

From the yard bursting taken, and the time within overgrown trees and ivy. live there, and businesses
with rusty old cars, to an which they must be carried These powers are want to operate there too.
overhanging hedge that out. The scope of works is designed to allow the
pedestrians have to walk wide and includes planting, Council to take action on Another benefit of the
into the road to avoid, clearance, tidying, the bigger issues like the successful use of tidy-up
every neighbourhood enclosure, demolition, external appearance of notices is the ‘ripple’ effect
has its share of cluttered, rebuilding, external repairs dilapidated properties and it generates, especially in
overgrown and ramshackle and repainting. untidy land, rather than residential areas. Councils
areas that could do with a minor matters such as stray across the country report
tidy-up. In recent times, the bin bags or old fridges. that often once a notice
City Council has been has been issued and
If you’ve ever walked getting on the front- THE ‘RIPPLE’ EFFECT work begun, work on
down a street and spotted foot by undertaking the The Council has instigated neighbouring properties
something similar but not clean-up works itself and four tidy-up actions in the also begins.
known how to address then taking action to last year alone and nearby
the matter yourself, then recover the costs from the residents have been If you are concerned
help is at hand. The Town landowner. grateful. Indeed, studies about a property or a
& Country Planning Act show that if a council parcel of land that is
1990 gives Worcester City The Council’s Planning takes comprehensive adversely affecting the
Council the power to serve Enforcement Team has remedial action, people amenity of your area,
a tidy-up notice on the targeted properties that feel better about the you can contact the City
owner of land or premises have been a problem for area, whether they are Council to investigate.
that are adversely affecting a long time, such as the residents, businesses or
what is called “the amenity” house in Somers Road tourists. There is also  For more information
of the area. shown here. This had been an important economic about what and how
neglected for so long that issue in favour of action: to report:
These notices set out the the house was almost if a town is presentable, W: www.worcester.gov.
steps that need to be completely obscured by people want to visit or uk/report-it

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