Officials take possession '¨of '˜last house'

Andrew Ratajczak forced the authority to go through a public inquiry to secure the compulsory purchase of his property in Tyldesley Road.

The building is the last standing on one side of the street and is now set to be torn down to allow the land to be cleared for regeneration.

The site will become part of the 410 home Foxhall Village development being built by Hollinwood Homes.

A compulsory purchase order was granted earlier this year and Blackpool Council became the legal owners of the property in September.

Mr Ratajczak was given a deadline of November 21 to vacate the property, one to which he is understood not to have adhered.

The property developer, who claimed the stress of the compulsory purchase process had made him ill, insisted the Council did not have authority to take the building from him and claimed the process was ‘biased’ against him.

Blackpool Council has always maintained the compulsory purchase was an option of last resort and has repeatedly offered 56-year-old Mr Ratajczak assistance.

He is understood to have now taken up the council’s offer of assistance in appointing a solicitor.

Mr Ratajczak has consistently refused to allow surveyors to enter the property to carry out a valuation and The Gazette understands he has received no money so far.

He continues to insist there was nothing wrong with the buildings on Tydesley Road.

He said: “24/24a Tyldesley Road Blackpool is mine, I bought it!

“Prove to me what Blackpool Council is doing is in the greater public interest.”

The Gazette understands no date has yet been set for demolition of the property.