Fleetwood eyesore a real danger, says councillor

The former Fleetwood Health Centre building on London Street, has been empty for almost 10 years and is currently subject to a planning application for demolition and new homes to be built on the site.

Although the old centre was boarded up, the intruders have ripped down the boards and forced their way in, giving rise to a string of complaints from residents.

Coun Rachel George, one of the councillors for the Wyre ward of Pharos in Fleetwood, says there are fears someone could be seriously injured and says the building should be more robustly secured.

She said: "Groups of young people are congregating in there late in the evening but this building is falling down and just isn't safe.

"By forcing their way in, they are making it even less safe.

"There have also been boards on the pavement with nails sticking out of them.

"While I welcome the fact that the owner has plans to develop it and finally rid this part of town of an eyesore, they must secure it better until work starts.

"Recently things have been getting worse and something needs to be done about it now.

“The owners may have put boards up but clearly they are not adequate and it needs either doing properly or metal shutters.

“They just need to take responsibility for this building and stop our community being at risk.”

Coun George said she had received a number of complaints about the situation from ward constituents.

In March this year, firefighters and police had to attend the building when there was a blaze there, and there have been a number of similar incidents at the site.

There is a current planning application relating to the site to demolish the existing former health centre building and construct 18 new houses on the extended site.

In addition, there is already an existing permission for the part demolition and part refurbishment of the site to create 19 residential units and 3 homes; creation of four dwellings and a 12 unit flat development, but this expires on December 21.

The building became vacant when the GPs based there, including those from Fleetwood's biggest practice, Mount View, moved out.

The Mount View practice has relocated to the Health and Wellbeing Centre on Dock Street, Fleetwood.