Pigeon-infested Blackpool house transformed into family home after council steps in
A pigeon-infested, abandoned house in Blackpool has been transformed into a modern family home after council intervention.
The property on Gorse Road had fallen into severe disrepair, with pigeons “moving in” and worsening existing structural damage.
Blackpool Council said its empty properties team stepped in to enforce a sale of the home, both to protect neighbours and recover thousands of pounds in unpaid council tax.
Images of the house’s shocking condition previously went viral on social media, showing the extent of the damage before work began.
It has now been completely renovated by a local developer into an attractive three-bedroom home, with a modern open-plan living space while retaining some original features. The property is already occupied by a young family.
Neighbour Veronica Flete said: “The property was causing a lot of issues – there were pigeons making a lot of noise and worse still, leaving a lot of pigeon muck, and some children saw [the house] as an exciting exploration site, posing dangers on so many levels.
“The house has now been renovated by a private developer and they have done a marvellous job.
“It has recently been rented out to a young family and it is so nice to see lights on and life back in in the house. I feel much happier knowing the property is now lived in and cared for.”
Councillor Paula Burdess, cabinet member for street scene, said the property had become a “real blight” on the neighbourhood.
She added: “Leaving it as it was, simply wasn’t an option.
“Understanding that, for various reasons, the landlord was unable to deal with the property, our teams stepped in.
“To bring the home back into use, we issued a Charging Order, allowing us to enforce a sale of the property. This allowed us to recover a substantial sum of unpaid council tax and pass it on to a responsible property developer.
“Where problem properties become a blight on neighbourhoods, we will use our powers to issue Charging Orders like this to seize abandoned properties, or Closure Orders to prevent anti-social behaviour, all to make our neighbourhoods safer.”
The Gorse Road home is one of four properties brought back into use through council action in recent months, with further enforcement activity also taking place in Bloomfield and Claremont.