CHINGFORD: 'Magnet for vandalism' set to be bought by council (From This Is Local London)

CHINGFORD: 'Magnet for vandalism' set to be bought by council

9:47am Monday 13th February 2012 in Where I Live

A RAT-INFESTED derelict house is set to be bought by Waltham Forest Council after a 17-year battle to force the owners into action.

The neglected property at 34 Mount Echo Avenue in Chingford was badly damaged in a fire last May leaving it with no roof, while its interior is full of rubbish and the garden is overgrown.

The semi-detached, three-bedroom, mock tudor property has been vacant since the mid-nineties and used for storage.

The sheer volume of material in the house has prevented council staff from inspecting the interior.

The authority has received a number of complaints about rats and the effect of the “magnet for vandalism” on nearby properties, especially the adjacent home.

Cllr Saima Mahmud, cabinet member for housing, will decide on Monday (February 20) whether to pursue a compulsory purchase order (CPO) on the property.

It is likely the building will be demolished and the land developed for social housing.

Council documents show numerous attempts have been made to force the owners, Roy and Kathleen Henderson, into bringing it back into use.

Mrs Henderson is described as a known hoarder and this is said to have worsened the problems on the site.

She was relocated from the house to Northwood Tower in Walthamstow by the council. Last September the authority took out an order to clear her new home under the Public Health Acts following similar concerns about hoarding.

Numerous charges issued against the owners remain outstanding. These relate to problems such as rats, discarded furniture, untaxed vehicles, rubbish and structural problems.

The report states: “The site is a magnet for vandalism and overgrown with trees and shrubbs overhanging the public highway. Little of the property is visible from the footpath due to the condition of the gardens....The property is no longer wind and water tight.”

The property is on the council’s list of buildings which require urgent attention.

Neighbours welcomed the council's move but questioned why it had taken the authority so long to act.

The council has taken out a number of orders since 1997 against the house's owners demanding they clear rubbish but this is the first attempted CPO.

John Tack, 87, has overlooked the house for 45 years.

He said: "I think it's jolly good they're finally doing something like this.

"It used to be a lovely family house and it is a terrible shame what's happened to it.

"There has been a worry that if children get inside they could get hurt, so it will be a relief if it gets repaired or rebuilt."

Fellow neighbour Denise Massett, 50, said: "I'm very glad. It's quite an eyesore and there have been lots of problems with it in the past, such as the fire last year.

"Hopefully it will be replaced with something similar like another family home."

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