The derelict Coxmoor Inn on Walesby Drive in Kirkby, had become a target for anti-social behaviour, prompting the Council to contact the owners – Lancashire-based Trust Inns – and demand that the site be cleared on a regular basis. When this failed to happen the Council took matters into its own hands, and last week moved in with a clean-up team.

Residents living near the Coxmoor Inn have had to contend with smashed glass on the car park, heavy littering and fly-tipping, all of which has led to further anti-social behaviour around the site.

Enforcement action had already been taken against Trust Inns, and the clear up was the next step in persuading the company to take responsibility for its site. The cost of the clear-up will be charged back to Trust Inns and regular visits by an Ashfield District Council Enforcement Team will take place to monitor the situation.

Following the clean-up the Council Neighbourhood Enforcement Offices and Community Protection Officers delivered more than 300 letters to households in and around the area advising them of the work at the Coxmoor Inn, and requesting assistance in keeping the area free from fly-tipping and offering assistance and advice to any householder who is experiencing difficulty in disposing of their waste.

Commenting on the clean-up, Ashfield District Council’s Head of Neighbourhood Services, Edd de Coverly, said:

“The work we have carried out has significantly improved the Coxmoor site. However, it is now up to Trust Inns, as the property owner, to fulfill its responsibilities to local residents, and we will be keeping a very close eye on the situation to make sure this happens.”