I recently visited the site of the old Nautical William pub after being contacted by local residents concerned about its condition.
The site has been left empty for far too long and remains a derelict eyesore. I have been pressing the council to improve the fencing and tidy up the area, and while some work has been carried out, it is still in a poor state.
I have spoken to the landowner, who wants to turn the site into housing, which would be a much better use of the site than leaving it derelict. However, the plans have become stuck around Section 106, with the council saying it has been unable to find the professionals needed to negotiate with the landowner.
This is particularly frustrating because I worked for years to replace Section 106, and in 2023 we legislated for a better system that would avoid these kinds of delays. Unfortunately, the Labour Government has chosen not to commence that legislation.
It is clear that nobody wants to see the Nautical William left standing empty and neglected.
I will continue to press the council to do everything it can to get things moving and bring this site back into use.
