HOUSE CLOSURE ORDER AFTER DRUGS REPORTS

POLICE have moved to play down the significance of the number of calls relating to a Runcorn block of flats in the first six months this year.

Their comments followed exclusive Freedom Of Information data published by the Weekly News released by Cheshire Constabulary that said the force had received 54 callouts to Castle View House on East Lane, 29 of which related to ‘incidents’ and 25 to ‘crimes’.

The FOI request was filed after a distressed tenant contacted the newspaper about conditions and what they said were regular police attendances at the block.

Cheshire police has now broken down the figures issued by the force, saying two logged matters were duplicates for the same attendance.

A constabulary spokesman said the 25 calls relating to

‘crimes’, were the total number of calls relating to attendances over reports of crimes on 16 occasions.

He said that furthermore, three of those reports related to alleged offences that occurred off-site.

The spokesman said police dealt with 24 reports of other matters at Castle View House, 11 of which related to concerns for safety and subsequent safe and well checks.

Two matters related to police bail.

Other reports concerned a sudden death, a blocked-in car and a civil dispute regarding an unpaid bill. Castle View House was converted into flats under the Coalition Government’s controversial Permitted Development strippeddown planning rules for residential office conversions.

A Halton Borough Council spokesman told the Weekly News on June 29 that the building’s previous owners, based offshore, still owed the local authority £500,000 in unpaid rates.

At present, the block is subject to a fire safety notice, requiring improvements to be made by July 29.

Castle View House is designated part of the ‘Halton Lea NHS Healthy New Town’ scheme, launched in 2016.