Legal action could be taken to save a historic derelict building which may contain the last remnant of Spalding’s historic priory – while calls have been renewed for similar action to be taken on the Old Johnson Hospital.
South Holland District Council is looking to serve a notice on the owners of The Vachery, also known as Vacarry or Thonholme Grange which is on Mallard Road.
But Coun Jim Astill told the council recently the building had suffered two recent collapses and the Grade II listed building remains derelict.
“A report is likely to be shared shortly to consider service of a notice and the possibility of the council carrying out works in default to secure and prevent further deterioration,” Coun Astill said in his update to South Holland District Council.
It was at a meeting of the council that Coun Mark Le Sage asked for an update on a more well known derelict site, the Old Johnson Hospital.
He asked if the council could do something before its likely to cease being in existence as part of the proposed local government review.
Leader Coun Nick Worth responded that the authority has finally identified ‘an intermediary’ for talks with its owners.
It’s believed the historic building is owned by Dyden Ltd a company registered in the British Virgin Islands.
Coun Worth said: “It’s a bit of a slow burn but we’re making some progress and I now have an intermediary to contact whoever it is that owns it.
“We’re now in a situation where we can at least have a dialogue through that intermediary which will be a lot better. It’s taken us this long to find out who it is. Hopefully at some point we can come back with some progress.
“We’ll have a meeting with the intermediary in the next few weeks, but I’ve no idea where that’s going to lead to.”
Speaking after the meeting, Coun Le Sage said he’d put in Freedom Of Information requests regarding the site but had been refused information requested with the council quoting GDPR rules as a justification for not doing so.
He asked: “Why did they not do this years ago?
“Every time I go to the council I walk past that historic building where my two sons were born and it’s heartbreaking.
“It’s a part of Spalding’s history and frustrating nothing has been done about it.
“Politicians, of all parties should be coming together to put this right before the end of South Holland District Council.
“We have the officers and resources here in the town now which likely won’t be if local government reorganisation takes place.
“We shouldn’t be leaving the place where many of our children were born in this town to rot.”
But Coun Worth said the ‘intermediary’ had contacted the council themselves but clarified “If the owners of the building don’t want to be contacted, there’s little we can do.
“There’s compulsory purchase orders but they’re very expensive and you have to come up with a viable option of what should be done with the building, and that hasn’t happened yet.”
