ACCUSATIONS of negativity and causing a hindrance have been made over the lack of action on Caterham's most notorious eyesore. The former Rose and Young car showroom site in Croydon Road has stood empty and forlorn since 1994.
But, following a Freedom of Information request by the Mirror, it has emerged that the site's South Africa-based owner has blamed Tandridge District Council for the lack of progress.
The council issued a Section 215 legal notice in the summer demanding Liam Power demolishes the building or carries out radical improvements. The notice will expire on January 13, after which Mr Power could face mounting fines.
Mr Power wrote to the council in August, saying: "The council's move from 100 per cent co-operation between us to one of legal action without notice is not conducive to achieving the necessary task at hand. I need help rather than hindrance to achieve that end."
But Piers Mason, the council's chief planning officer, responded: "It is not justified to hold off the service of the notice given the appearance of the building, the length of time it has remained derelict and the continued detrimental impact it has on the amenities of the area."
