Rishton: Owner of Spring Street property found guilty

The owner of a derelict empty property on Spring Street, Rishton has been taken to court and ordered to pay £1,300 in fines and costs recently after ignoring a notice from the Council ordering him to make repairs.

Mr Antony Ridgway Faulkes, of Sands Road, Rishton, was found guilty in his absence of non-compliance of a notice served on him by the Council, ordering him to make repairs to his property, including roofing and guttering repairs, new doors and windows, rendering and new yard walls.

Cllr Clare Cleary said, “Where people refuse to bring their properties into a decent state of repair we always give them plenty of chances to do so, but where they refuse to comply we will take them to court. Mr Faulkes bought the property in 2010 and it has been declining ever since. Council officers have requested repairs over a period of time but Mr Faulkes did not make the repairs so a notice under section 79 of the Building Act 1984 was served, ultimately landing him in court with hefty fines and costs.”

Mr Faulkes was fined £400 plus £40 victims surcharge and ordered to pay costs to the Council of £860 pounds with 28 days to pay.