Opposition leader demands end to ‘softly softly’ approach with derelict sites

The opposition leader at Walsall Council has called for an end to the ‘softly softly touch’ with enforcement notices.

Councillor Adrian Andrew, Conservative group leader, said the authority should be ‘asking for forgiveness rather than permission’ when it comes to sorting out nuisance sites.

The comments were made at a regeneration scrutiny committee meeting on October 15 where a report was presented on Section 215 notices.

The enforcement tool can be served on land owners or occupiers when the state of a property impacts the surrounding area, whether that be because it is overgrown, untidy or derelict.

Since 2021, eight Section 215 Notices have been issued. The report states that powers to secure compliance have not been fully utilised due to ‘limited resources and support’.

In September last year, the then-Conservative cabinet approved a £4.7million investment into all enforcement activities carried out by the council.

Councillor Andrew, who was the portfolio holder for regeneration ahead of the 2026 local elections, said: “I really hope you’ve brought your brick back with you, because we need a cultural change.

“Not this softly softly approach in the past. We’ve got to ask forgiveness, not permission.

“I put my hands up, I was there as a politician, but Simon Tranter [director for economy and growth] will tell you that, in many meetings, I asked for tougher and tougher things to be done.

“The resources are there now, through the previous administration and this administration, but we need to make sure that resource is in other departments, like legal, so when you guys draw up a Section 215, we know it’s going to be implemented.”

Chris Horan, interim planning enforcement team leader at Walsall Council, responded: “It’s been an observation in the past that we haven’t had the infrastructure set up, especially if we’re looking to take direct action, looking to follow through to a charge on the land.

“If we get a charge on the land, we’re guaranteed to get the money. We won’t get it today but we will get it at some stage. We are working with legal services as the production of our notices is going to be more and more seamless.

“There is just that initial investment, there is a cost implication with this. In the long term, if we get this right, then the ones from five years ago will start to pay for the ones today. It’s getting that cycle set up so it is a sustainable process.”

By Rachel Alexander | Local Democracy Reporting Service