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Colchester: New flats going to ‘rack and ruin’
9:39am Tuesday 25th March 2008
Comments (7)Flats in Colchester which were built six months ago but never occupied have been left to go to rack and ruin, it has been claimed.
Around 20 flats in Groves Close, off Mile End Road, have been unoccupied since they were bought by Flagship Housing Group, which is in negotiations with Colne Housing Society to sell them.
But while talks are ongoing, the new homes have been targeted by vandals, who are believed to have smashed windows with ballbearing guns, damaged doors, daubed walls with graffiti and left the surrounding area strewn with rubbish.
Myland Parish Council member, Martin Goss, said he wanted to see the homes occupied as soon as possible and kept in a decent state until then.
"I am very frustrated that these properties have been let to go to rack and ruin since they have been built," he said.
Andrea Smith, senior partnership manager at Flagship Housing Group, said: "These properties have been unoccupied for some months due to some legal complications in their transfer to a local housing society, but the sale process is progressing towards imminent completion.
"It is a sad reality that empty properties do attract vandalism but our contractors are in the process of rectifying the damage prior to transfer."
- More in today's Gazette
Your Say YourGazette
Say It As It Is, Clackers says...
12:46pm Tue 25 Mar 08
Janet, Inverness says...
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Martin Goss, Colchester says...
1:25pm Tue 25 Mar 08
martin hunt, Colchester says...
1:37pm Tue 25 Mar 08
Fed Up, N E Essex says...
5:46pm Tue 25 Mar 08
Cliff, Colchester says...
10:23pm Tue 25 Mar 08
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Unhappy Martin Goss at the site where new unoccupied homes have been vandalised. Picture: ROB SAMBROOK (76356-1)
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Victor, Myland says...
11:16am Tue 25 Mar 08
Why is it necessary to build on every available plot of land in Colchester if, when properties are built, they are not occupied.
We're led to believe that there is a shortage of affordable housing - what utter tripe. Colchester already has in excess of 2000 empty properties (private and social) and this proves it.
Flagship Housing should sort out such 'legal complications' before completion, not wait months until the properties have been repeatedly damaged. What a waste of money all round.