London-based landlords 'land banking' empty Bishop Auckland shops

Bishop Auckland MP Sam Rushworth said too many prominent properties on Newgate Street and Victoria Avenue remain vacant despite years of investment in the town and called for tougher action, including potential compulsory purchase orders, to bring them back into use.

"There are parts of Bishop Auckland that have been regenerated," he said.

"But once you turn the corner we all know what you see and there's too many buildings that are still left out of use."

"There's people from London that are just land banking basically. They buy them, they've got no interest in doing them up, they're just waiting for somebody else to lift the values of properties in the area."

(Image: Roger Harris)

Mr Rushworth said Durham County Council should consider using compulsory purchase powers to acquire some of the buildings and return them to productive use.

"We need to get a lot tougher on those people," he said.

"I think the council should be looking at doing compulsory purchase of some of those to bring them back into use."

It comes after residents and traders voiced concerns to The Northern Echo about the wider condition of Bishop Auckland town centre.

Business owners and campaigners spoke of vandalism, shoplifting, antisocial behaviour and empty buildings, while members of the Bishop Auckland Community Action Group argued regeneration projects must be matched by investment in the wider town if confidence is to return to the high street.

Multi-agency walkabout around Bishop Auckland. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Labour MP argued the town's problems were solvable and said he did not believe its current condition was inevitable.

"What's so frustrating to me is I believe it's possible," he said.

"I don't think that the state of the town is inevitable."

Multi-agency walkabout around Bishop Auckland. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Among the sites he highlighted was the former Beales department store, which he believes could have a future as a hotel and marketplace if funding could be found to make redevelopment viable.

Multi-agency walkabout around Bishop Auckland. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Reform UK councillor John Kinvig said funding and bureaucracy were among the key barriers to delivering improvements.

"My background is engineering, so I've got some perception of costs on developments," he said.

"We all have the right ideas but it is just getting that money released."

Multi-agency walkabout around Bishop Auckland. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Mr Kinvig said there could be too many layers of bureaucracy involved in securing funding and claimed some legacy regeneration projects had failed to achieve their original aims.

He pointed to the Newgate Centre, saying conditions attached to previous agreements meant it could not simply be sold on by the council.

The councillor also highlighted work being undertaken on a shopfront improvement fund aimed at making parts of the town centre more attractive.

Bishop Auckland councillor John Kinvig. (Image: LDRS)

Durham County Council said it recognised the impact empty units can have on a town centre and pointed to ongoing investment aimed at tackling the issue.

Cabinet member Karen Allison said: "In Bishop Auckland, significant public investment has been made in schemes to improve the high street, increase footfall and create jobs.

"Of this, £1.8m has been spent on refurbishing vacant properties.

"We have brought 14 empty units back into use through the Property Reuse Fund, with more in the process of being occupied.

"Our High Street Rental Auction Scheme also gives us powers to auction out privately owned properties for rent.

"These schemes have helped see vacancy rates fall consistently over the last two years.

"We will continue to engage with the owner of the properties on Victoria Avenue to explore options for progressing works, while ensuring public safety is maintained."