A council has been forced to take action over “serious concerns of ongoing criminality” and “drug dealing” at a burned-out former hotel.
The Central Hotel, on Clifton Crescent in Birkenhead, Wirral, closed down in 2013 and has remained unoccupied since. It has “become a hotspot for nuisance and criminality” according to Wirral Council
In 2016, a f ire engulfed the ground floor of the hotel but firefighters were quickly able to contain the flames to one floor. Since then, the building has continued to decline and “is increasingly in a state of disrepair.”
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There are now serious concerns for the safety of anyone getting into the building as the structure of the building has “considerably weakened” made worse by criminal damage to the property.
Photos by an urban explorer taken inside the building in June 2021 showed the building with crumbling staircases, a missing roof, scorch marks from the fire, and graffiti. Cllr Pat Cleary, who represents Birkenhead, expressed support to have the building demolished at the time.
The council has now obtained a full closure order on the property after a Wirral Magistrates Court hearing. The order means anybody who is found in this property, with no legal reason to be there is at risk of being arrested.
Breaching a closure order could mean a prison sentence of up to six months or a fine of up to £5,000 or both.
There is an option for the council to extend the order for another three months if it's considered the problems will return if it expires in February.
This is the second order the council has imposed on the property in the last 18 months after it sought one in July 2021. That last order expired in January 2022 and the local authority said the problems related to anti-social behaviour had risen since then.
Cllr Helen Cameron, Chair of the Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee on Wirral Council, said: "This is not a typical type of closure order as it involves an already vacant property and groups of people illegally gaining access to it in order to commit crime and anti-social behaviour.
“A previous closure order was effective in deterring this behaviour while it was in force, but since it expired in January, the number of problems being reported around the property again means further action is needed.
“Actions such as this show how much importance authorities attach to supporting law-abiding residents who suffer when this kind of anti-social behaviour happens around where they live.
“We will use the full powers available to us to act against people who make life a misery for their neighbours. It is vital that people report problems to us so we can take action."
Anti-social behaviour can be reported using an online form here or by email to neighbour.nuisance@wirral.gov.uk.
People can also call the council on 0151 606 2020 between 8.45am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday. An answerphone service is provided out of hours and calls will be returned the following working day.
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