The post you are reporting:
I agree that Pat has worked hard, but so have other people. I'm not going to blow my own trumpet, but when this was first put to DDC, the then enforcement officer had just passed away suddenly and money was very tight - more so now.
Just to put a part of Pat's letter via Howard right, the new enforcement officer is not on loan from Canterbury, he is (now) a permanent member of (DDC) staff.
I spoke with him at length yesterday and there is a new positive note in the air. Hastings was a very useful and interesting day - lovely seafront, lots of 215's issued and being actioned and all successful.
With money from somewhere, a good number of empty and run-down buildings have been bought and brought back into use; we actually went inside one of them and saw the high quality of renovation.
Most if not all of the buildings they buy and renovate, will be kept for a while and rented out. A question I forgot to ask was about who will rent these new town-centre conversions - homeless people on benefit, or council-tenant type of people.
If money can be found here, I would recommend this (empty-house-buying and CPOs) to DDC, so we can create more good quality housing for people.
I do believe that we can make some serious improvements to our Town Centre and other buildings, even some residential housing outside of the town-centre.
Roger
