Residents Concerns in Deburgh Street

I didn’t have to wait long for my introduction to being a local Councillor and taking on casework.  Just a few days after the election, I was faced with the Swindon Advertiser’s front page detailing a fire in a derelict building in the ward and it wasn’t long before residents were contacting me.

I didn’t have to wait long for my introduction to being a local Councillor and taking on casework.  Just a few days after the election, I was faced with the Swindon Advertiser’s front page detailing a fire in a derelict building in the ward and it wasn’t long before residents were contacting me.

I knew that there had been a fire before at the property at 9 Deburgh St at the end of last year and that the Council were in the process of a getting a Compulsory Purchase order granted on the property.

I contacted Council Officers to find out the latest news on the legal wranglings, and my fellow Councillor, Kevin Small, asked an emergency question at the next Council meeting to ensure that we could get the latest news to residents.
 

I followed up the question by getting the Council Chief Exec, Gavin Jones, to update me on the progress of the Compulsory Purchase Order.

He has been keeping me up to date, and I’m pleased to report that the Council made the Compulsory Purchase Order on the 26th June, and that if no-one objects before the 20th July, the Council will be able to take the order to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and take over ownership of the property in due course.

I’m really pleased that we were able to support residents and get this long running issue dealt with in a way that hopefully will stop any issues with the property and get people back living in the house as soon as possible.