Residents of ‘blighted’ centre to be rehoused
PEOPLE are likely to be rehoused as the council looks to buy their properties to redevelop a “negative” site in Ainsdale.
A Sefton Council report said the local authority wants to buy the homes of people in the Neighbourhood Centre properties on Sandbrook Way.
The council said it believed four of the 15 people living in the building owned their flats and the remaining 11 were understood to be rented out by private landlords.
There are also six commercial units, garages, a common area, a service yard, and a car park on the site.
The press and public were excluded from discussions at a cabinet meeting in February when members agreed to progress with plans to buy the properties.
Discussions of relevant compensation for residents who would lose their homes was also agreed to move forward ahead of the redevelopment of the site.
Documents on the council’s website said the overall condition of the property was “very poor” and it was blighted by anti-social behaviour.
The report said: “The overall condition and appearance of the property is very poor and the site suffers from increased anti-social behaviour and has a negative impact on the local community and area.”
The council said it would need to engage with residents to determine their rehousing needs and wishes.
But it added that this had been made more difficult because of the lockdown.
According to the document, letters were sent to residents with information on contacting the council’s housing options service and a meeting with the Woodvale residents group in April was postponed.
The report said there was a particular concern that there may be residents, particularly those deemed vulnerable, who would need help finding a new home and it was recommended the council assist them.
It added that this should be done once terms of agreement to purchase are reached with the relevant property owner to avoid the risk of the flat being re-let to another tenant.
The document said the council will only buy the property once the tenant is rehoused “in order that the council purchases with vacant possession”.
Councillors will have to decide whether to place residents who qualify for social housing or are deemed vulnerable in the “Band A regeneration status” of its social housing allocation.
This would mean finding homes for them would be an urgent priority as they have been “displaced as a result of their home being included in a regeneration area for clearance or redevelopment”.
The report recommends cabinet members agree to this, saying that if they choose not to do so, it may lead to delays in residents being rehoused or at worst not being found homes at all. It said: “This would delay or prevent the council achieving vacant possession of the residential properties in the neighbourhood centre, which in turn would delay or prevent future redevelopment of the site.”
The decision on whether to place residents in the urgent priority housing status (Band A) is due to be made on Wednesday, June 3.