commercial

[MargaretR]

The gov. report on the Hyndburn Gateway project included -
"Hargreaves’ Warehouse is a Grade II Listed Building at the heart of the Church Canalside
Conservation Area. It is also a key building prominently located at the Church Oswaldtwistle
Gateway.
The building has suffered from long-term vacancy and its deteriorating condition has been a
cause of concern in recent years. The poor condition of the building creates problems for the
historic building fabric; the character of the canalside; the regeneration of the surrounding area;
and the image of the borough at this gateway location.
3.2 Officers have had prolonged negotiations over many years with the owner of the Warehouse to
secure essential maintenance and the long term economic use of the building. However the
building continues to be vacant and in a deteriorating condition"

Grade 2 listed = expensive restoration

[MargaretR]

http://www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk/downloa...407_report.pdf
3. BACKGROUND
3.1 Hargreaves’ Warehouse is a Grade II Listed Building at the heart of the Church Canalside
Conservation Area. It is also a key building prominently located at the Church Oswaldtwistle
Gateway.
The building has suffered from long-term vacancy and its deteriorating condition has been a
cause of concern in recent years. The poor condition of the building creates problems for the
historic building fabric; the character of the canalside; the regeneration of the surrounding area;
and the image of the borough at this gateway location.
3.2 Officers have had prolonged negotiations over many years with the owner of the Warehouse to
secure essential maintenance and the long term economic use of the building. However the
building continues to be vacant and in a deteriorating condition.
3.3 The gateway area around the Warehouse is a high priority for regeneration within the borough.
A feasibility study for the area was produced for the Council by consultants in 2005. Planning
guidance based on the study was adopted by the Council in 2006 to create confidence for
investment in the area. This has been followed up with the selection of a private sector
development partner to work with the Council to bring about the much needed rejuvenation of
the gateway. This will involve a complex package of masterplanning, site assembly and
partnership development.
3.4 There is widespread recognition that the regeneration of the area requires early action to
address the problems associated with the Warehouse. Local authorities are empowered by the
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation areas) Act 1990 to take action to secure the
repair of listed buildings when it becomes evident that a building is being allowed to
deteriorate. There are two forms of potential action :
• Urgent Works Notice
Section 54 of the Act enables a local authority to carry out urgent works considered necessary
for the preservation of a listed building. The owner must be given notice of the intended works.
These powers extend only to the minimum work necessary to keep the building wind and
weatherproof; safe from collapse; and protected from vandalism or theft. Local authorities may
recover the cost of urgent works from the building’s owner.
• Repairs Notice
Section 48 of the Act enables a local authority to serve a Repairs Notice on the owner of a listed
building which is not being properly preserved. These powers should be used where protracted
failure by the owner to keep a listed building in reasonable repair places the building at risk. The
Notice is intended to secure work for the long-term preservation of the building. The extent of
repairs is largely determined by the condition of the building at the time of listing. If, after at least
2 months, it appears that reasonable steps are not being taken by the owner, the local authority
may be able to begin compulsory purchase proceedings under Section 47.
A further report will be sent to Cabinet if the owner defaults on the Repairs Notice.
A local authority may serve an Urgent Works Notice and a Repairs Notice concurrently.

That report was april 2007 - did the council compulsory purchase? if they did WE pay to restore its ugliness

[garinda]

Originally Posted by West Ender

Church starts after the railway bridge and the Twenty Steps.

Not many people call it that anymore.

As children we were always excited if our Nan took us on an adventure, that included going to the Twenty Steps, before jumping brooks, and other fun stuff, before perhaps ending up at the Fairy Caves for a picnic.

[Nickelson]

Last i heard a doctor from london owned the hargreaves warehouse.

Article from LET : Building hope for warehouse

[panther]

what did that place used to be called and what did they do there?

[MargaretR]

Originally Posted by Nickelson

Last i heard a doctor from london owned the hargreaves warehouse.

Article from LET : Building hope for warehouse

That was 2 months before compulsory purchase was being considered in the report I have quoted - safe to presume that IF it found a new owner, the new owner wasnt complying with council's request to repair either.

[harwood red]

it was sold by auction for £160,000 - 21st feb 2007

Pugh & Company Ltd - Property Auctioneers

so seems the new owner is prob holding out for some kind of grant or such like

[derekgas]

It was the stone building next to the commercial, the end part (with the apex at the front) had some coping stones dislodged and the rubble came down onto the road, if the thieves had left the lead and slates alone it would not have happened, I was coming out of bridge street as the traffic had stopped, just missed the fall, when I passed again 30 mins later, the police had closed the road.

[West Ender]

So it wasn't near Thwaites Rd. at all. Yep, I'll concede that where that warehouse is (or was) is in Church. It figures large in my childhood memories, that place. I used to get the Blackburn bus at the stop opposite (large, green painted wooden shed - very cosy and weatherproof) and you couldn't avoid the warehouse with the canal beside it. After the war, for years, the letters E W S were painted on one wall inside the arch. Somebody told me, when I was 6, that they stood for "Enter water softly". Naturally, I believed it.


Rindy - The Twenty Steps will always be that to me. For some reason I haven't a clue about I always found that bridge and the steps a bit scary. Probably my brother telling me horror stories about it when I was small.

[panther]

ya know iv lived in ossy all my life and i have never once been on them steps

[sparkie]

Just heard that its fallen down on talk sport, anyone know any more?

[Neil]

The area would look nicer if they both fell down. On second thought it would look better if everything within 500 yards of the traffic lights fell down.

[sparkie]

I used to work in the red brick building to the left of bridge street, someone did buy it after consultations with the council as to it possible usage, he then purcased it and started work on the windows and entrances, only to be told he couldn't use it for what he planned, (as discussed with the council) due to it being situated within the vacinity of Blythes. He planned to turn it into a restaurant/hotel venture I believe. Needless to say he stopped working on it.

[derekgas]

Originally Posted by sparkie

Just heard that its fallen down on talk sport, anyone know any more?

It was still there last night, but the roadblock was there too, as I said, it was falling rubble from the roof, all undermined by the fact that the roof has been stripped.

[Tealeaf]

I am 250 miles away, but I can tell you now that the roof that has collapsed is the temporary roof that the council ordered to be placed on the building about 18 months ago. A clear view of this could be had from the spot where the Gypos where encamped last year. So much for modern building techniques, eh!