It's time for action now

Published date29 April 2022
A slice of the road has been cordoned offafter debris crashed down from an unsafe building formerly known as Treasure Cave

Pedestrians still have access to the businesses there, but owners have insisted the property should be knocked down and soon.

MSP Colin Smyth (pictured, right) blasted absent landlords for allowing buildings in the town to be run down into derelict states.

He said: "It is time for a zero tolerance approach to absent landlords.

"It's all very well for people to say the owner has plans for a building, but after eight years of inaction and utter neglect, no one believes them.

"There are examples of such dangerous buildings in just about every town in our region.

"And, clearly, absent owners have no interest in the streets or towns their buildings are located so they don't bother to maintain them to an appropriate level.

"Councils are understandably reluctant to take action except in emergencies because under the current inadequate Scottish Government laws, councils have to pick up the bill and are then forced to go through the courts to try to recoup the costs from the landlord.

"It can take a huge amount of time and taxpayers money, and often in the end the council get left with the building which is worthless."

Mr Smyth added: "Give councils the proper powers and funding that allow them to seize the assets of absent owners to pay for the upkeep of buildings and change the business rates system so that owners who let their buildings fall into a state of disrepair are hammered."

Meanwhile, MSP Emma Harper said: "I have been calling for urgent action to address the significant number of vacant, derelict and abandoned buildings across our region, including the Treasure Cave on English...

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