Long-Term Vacant and Derelict Properties in Trimdon Station

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Long-Term Vacant and Derelict Properties in Trimdon Station, County Durham.

Report Date: 26th May 2025
Undertaken Jointly by: Trimdon Station Community Association & Clir Marylynn Franklin
FAO: Durham County Council, Trimdon Foundry Parish Council, Local Housing Associations and other Stakeholders.

Introduction
Legal Framework: Statutory and Discretionary Powers
Triggers for Enforcement Action
Enforcement Mechanisms Available to Durham County Council
Impact on the Community
Case Study: Trimdon Station
Recommendations and Way Forward
Barriers to Local Authority Action and Ambiguities in Risk Assessment
Benefits of Intervention
Call to Action
The Role and Responsibilities of Trimdon Foundry Parish Council in Addressing Derelict Properties
The Role of Housing Associations in Regenerating Derelict Homes, Strategic Partners in Regeneration
Photographs of properties in Trimdon Station and highlighted within this report

1. Introduction

Trimdon Station, a small former coal mining village in County Durham, is facing a period of serious and visible decline. A significant contributor to this deterioration is the high number of long-term vacant, derelict, and structurally unsafe residential properties scattered throughout the village. These neglected buildings are more than eyesores—they are widely recognised by residents as major sources of antisocial behaviour, criminal activity, public health risks, and a broader atmosphere of social and economic decline.
Local community research, survey responses, and direct feedback from residents confirm that these properties are not isolated anomalies but systemic markers of disinvestment and neglect. While Durham County Council possesses a comprehensive range of statutory and discretionary
enforcement powers that could be deployed to tackle these issues, action to date has been limited and largely ineffective. The result is growing frustration among residents, a weakening sense of community cohesion, and missed opportunities to reverse decline through timely intervention.
Trimdon Station is a village with deep historical roots in County Durham’s proud coal mining heritage. Like many post-industrial communities across the North East, it continues to face longstanding structural challenges, including economic stagnation, loss of local services, limited
investment, and the deterioration of its housing stock. These conditions have contributed to a steady erosion of quality of life, confidence, and pride in place among local people. In response to mounting concerns, the Trimdon Station Community Association (TSCA) and local
elected councillor Marylynn Franklin conducted a comprehensive walkaround and site survey on 22nd May 2025. The purpose was to identify and document the properties that are contributing most visibly and significantly to community decline. The survey recorded a number of severely dilapidated buildings, including properties on St Aidan’s Terrace, Station Road East, and Windsor Street, as well as the former Post Office Sorting Office, Ashley House Care Home, and several other key sites within the village boundary.
This report is a collaborative effort between TSCA and Councillor Franklin, created in direct response to community feedback. It reflects the voices of residents and the shared determination of local leaders to see meaningful change. It highlights the persistent and worsening issue of long-term vacant and derelict properties—many of which have stood empty for couple, ten, or even fifteen years. Their continued neglect has wide-ranging consequences: they depress property values, undermine public confidence, compromise safety, and reinforce negative perceptions of the village.
The report serves several purposes. First, it outlines the full range of legal tools currently available to Durham County Council, including both statutory duties and discretionary powers, to address property neglect. Second, it details the impact these neglected properties have on the physical environment, mental health, community safety, and local economy. Third, it explores the potential for strategic collaboration between the Council, Parish Council, housing associations, and other stakeholders to tackle this issue in a coordinated and sustainable way.
Finally, the report presents a set of actionable recommendations. These are designed to initiate regeneration, improve safety and wellbeing for residents, and hold negligent property owners accountable. The findings and proposals presented here are rooted in local evidence, national best practice, and a clear sense of urgency. What is needed now is the political will and institutional commitment to act—before further decline becomes irreversible.
This report is not just a call to action, but a blueprint for regeneration. With collective effort and leadership, Trimdon Station can begin to reclaim its future, restore pride in place, and lay the foundations for a safer, healthier, and more hopeful community.

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2. Legal Framework: Statutory and Discretionary Powers
2.1. Housing Act 2004
Under the Housing Act 2004, local authorities are empowered to act where housing conditions present a risk to health and safety. The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) assesses 29 hazard categories. If a Category 1 hazard (serious risk) or Category 2 hazard (less severe risk) is identified, councils have a duty (for Category 1) or power (for Category 2) to intervene.
Section 11: Requires the local authority to serve an improvement notice where Category 1 hazards are present.
Section 12: Allows service of improvement notices where Category 2 hazards exist.
Section 131: Allows for Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs) to bring long-term empty properties back into use if they have been vacant for two years or more and are causing a nuisance.
Quote – Housing Act 2004, Section 132(1)
A local housing authority may make an interim empty dwelling management order in respect of a dwelling if the dwelling is unoccupied and has been so for a period of at least 2 years... and the authority consider that the order is necessary to bring the dwelling back into occupation.

2.2. Building Act 1984
The Building Act 1984 gives councils powers to deal with unsafe and dilapidated buildings:
Section 77: Where a building is structurally dangerous, the local authority may apply to a magistrate's court for an order requiring the owner to make it safe.
Section 78: Allows immediate action without court approval in cases of imminent danger.
Section 79: Enables councils to serve notices where a building is "seriously detrimental to the amenities of the neighbourhood" due to neglect or ruinous condition.
Quote – Section 79(1):
Where a building... is in such a state as to be prejudicial to the amenities of the neighbourhood, the local authority may serve on the owner a notice requiring him to execute such works as may be necessary.

2.3. Environmental Protection Act 1990
This Act allows councils to address properties that constitute statutory nuisances, including accumulations of rubbish, infestations, and smells.
Section 80: The council may serve an abatement notice requiring the owner or occupier to take remedial action. Failure to comply is an offence.
Quote – Section 80(1):
Where a local authority is satisfied that a statutory nuisance exists... it shall serve a notice imposing such requirements as are necessary for abating the nuisance.

2.4. Town and Country Planning Act 1990

Section 215: Councils may require landowners to tidy up land or buildings whose condition adversely affects the local amenity.
Quote – Section 215(1):
If it appears... that the amenity of a part of their area is adversely affected by the condition of land in their area, they may serve on the owner... a notice requiring steps to be taken.

2.5. Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended)

Council Tax Premiums: Councils may impose council tax premiums of up to 100% on homes empty for over 12 months (from April 2024). For homes empty over 10 years, this can rise to 300%.
Quote – Section 11B(1):
A billing authority in England may levy an empty homes premium on a class of dwellings... which have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for a continuous period of at least 1 year.

2.6. Housing Act 1985

Section 17 – Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs): Used to acquire property to improve housing conditions or increase housing availability.
Quote – Section 17(1)(b):
A local housing authority may for the purposes of this Part acquire land, houses or other property... for improving the surroundings or general amenities of housing accommodation.

2.7. Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014

Section 43 – Community Protection Notices (CPNs): Applied where the condition of a property is having a detrimental effect on the local community's quality of life.
Quote – Section 43(1):
An authorised person may issue a community protection notice to an individual aged 16 or over, or to a body, if satisfied that their conduct is having a detrimental effect... on the quality of life of those in the locality.

2.8. Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949

Section 4: Requires owners to clear accumulations attracting vermin or pests.
Quote – Section 4(1):
A local authority may serve a notice... requiring the owner or occupier of land to take steps for keeping the land free from rats and mice.

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3. Triggers for Enforcement Action
Triggers for enforcement action arise where:
Properties have been vacant for a prolonged period (2+ years).
The condition of the building presents health or safety risks (Category 1 or 2 hazards).
Properties are detrimental to the amenity of the neighbourhood.
Community complaints or surveys indicate widespread concern. Durham County Council has a statutory duty to act where Category 1 hazards or statutory nuisances exist. It also has wide discretionary powers where property condition impacts community welfare.

4. Enforcement Mechanisms Available to Durham County Council
Councils have several enforcement routes available:
Improvement Notices (Housing Act 2004)
Empty Dwelling Management Orders (Housing Act 2004)
Compulsory Purchase Orders (Housing Act 1985)
Council Tax Premiums (Local Government Finance Act 1992)
Community Protection Notices (ASB Act 2014)
Section 215 Notices (TCPA 1990)
Dangerous Building Orders (Building Act 1984)
These tools may be used sequentially or in combination, depending on property condition and owner responsiveness.

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5.Impact on the Community
Long-term vacant and derelict properties have a corrosive impact on community life. Visibly abandoned buildings attract criminal activity, including vandalism, arson, fly-tipping, and squatting. Residents feel unsafe, and such areas often suffer reputational damage. The survey conducted in February 2025 by TSCA shows overwhelming concern, with 74% of respondents citing empty properties and 61% highlighting poor property condition. These figures demonstrate deep-rooted public demand for intervention.
Social Deprivation and Decline: The neglect of these properties contributes to a sense of abandonment, eroding local pride and increasing feelings of helplessness. It undermines social cohesion and contributes to migration away from the village.
Health and Education: Derelict properties harbour damp, mould, pests, and refuse, which can pose serious health risks. Children growing up in neglected environments are more likely to experience lower educational attainment due to stress and instability.
Economic Impact: Property values drop when surrounded by blight, affecting not only individual homeowners but also the local authority’s tax base. Diminished curb appeal and infrastructure degradation reduce attractiveness to investors and developers.
Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour: Abandoned properties are magnets for criminal activity and drug use. Local police and emergency services face increased pressure, diverting resources from other priorities.

6. Case Study: Trimdon Station
The following properties have been identified as long-term vacant and in disrepair:

29 St Aidans Terrace
78 Station Road East
56 Station Road East
55 Station Road East
5 Windsor Street
6 Windsor Street
10 Russell Terrace
20 May Crescent
19 Laburnum Cresent
20 Laburnum Crescent
Former Post Office and Sorting Office
Former Care Home (Ashley House, Thornley Road)

Many have been empty for over a decade. They feature broken windows, unsecured doors, boarded or open to the elements, disrepair and unsecure, unsafe structures placing people and property at risk, often overgrown gardens, rubbish and fly tipping. These homes significantly contribute to the negative perception of the village.

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7. Recommendations and Way Forward
Durham County Council should adopt a proactive and community-driven approach to address the blight of long-term vacant properties in Trimdon Station. The following steps are recommended:
1. Immediate Inspections and Risk Assessments – Conduct HHSRS assessments on all identified properties. Any property with Category 1 hazards should trigger mandatory enforcement action.
2. Serve Improvement Notices – Under the Housing Act 2004 for all properties posing health or safety risks.
3. Apply Section 215 Notices – Require owners to improve the external appearance of properties negatively impacting neighbourhood amenity.
4. Use of Council Tax Premiums – Publicise and enforce punitive council tax premiums to financially incentivise owners to take action.
5. Compulsory Purchase Orders – Begin proceedings against owners who have allowed their properties to fall into long-term disrepair, especially where ownership is unclear or where other powers have failed.
6. Use of EDMOs and Management Orders – Where appropriate, take control of properties and refurbish them for housing use, with costs recouped via rental income.
7. Multi-Agency Taskforce – Establish a working group including TSCA, local councillors, environmental health, planning, and enforcement to monitor and coordinate action.
8. Community Reporting Portal – Set up an online tool allowing residents to report problem properties directly to the enforcement team.
9. Public Engagement Strategy – Launch a local awareness campaign to inform residents of progress and encourage cooperation.
10. Seek External Funding – Apply for central government or Homes England regeneration grants to support capital works and enforcement costs.
11. Form Strategic Partnerships in Regeneration - Work with Housing Associations in regenerating derelict homes.

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8. Barriers to Local Authority Action and Ambiguities in Risk Assessment
Despite the existence of robust statutory and discretionary enforcement powers under legislation such as the Housing Act 2004, Environmental Protection Act 1990, Building Act 1984, and the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, many local authorities — including Durham County Council — routinely fail to intervene in cases involving derelict, dangerous, or long-term vacant properties. This reluctance, or institutional inertia, severely undermines efforts to stabilise and regenerate struggling communities like Trimdon Station.
Reasons for Inaction: Practical and Systemic Barriers

Through research and community experience, the following are commonly cited or observed reasons why local authorities do not exercise their full powers:
Resource Constraints: Many councils operate under severe financial pressures, limiting their capacity to pursue legal action or undertake works in default, especially if recovery of costs is uncertain.

Fear of Legal Challenge: Councils often fear legal disputes with private property owners, particularly regarding Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs), liability, or Human Rights Act challenges (e.g. Article 1, Protocol 1 – peaceful enjoyment of property).

Misunderstanding or Misapplication of Duties: There is often confusion within departments about what is a statutory obligation versus a discretionary power. As a result, powers such as those under Section 29 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 or Sections 79–81 of the Building Act 1984 go unused.

Lack of Political Will: In some cases, councils prioritise developments with short-term visual impact or economic return (e.g. new builds or commercial development) over more complex housing enforcement cases which require sustained commitment.

Fragmented Internal Structures: Housing enforcement, planning, environmental health, and legal teams are often siloed, causing delays and confusion over responsibility and coordination.

Failure to Recognise Community Impact: Authorities may not adequately factor in the wider social, emotional, and economic detriment that neglected properties cause for surrounding households.
The result is a failure to exercise the discretion and duty embedded in housing and planning legislation, despite mounting evidence from residents and community groups.
Inconsistent and Subjective Risk Assessments under HHSRS
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) — the statutory tool used under the Housing Act 2004 to assess the condition of residential premises — is also subject to ambiguity, inconsistent application, and excessive subjectivity, often leading to unacceptable inaction.

Housing Act 2004, Section 9(1):
“If a local housing authority consider that a category 1 hazard exists on any residential premises, they must take the appropriate enforcement action.”
Despite this clear duty, numerous real-world examples in Trimdon Station suggest that Durham County Council has refused to classify even severe safety issues as category 1 or 2 hazards, including:
1. Falling masonry and protruding metal over a public highway — large 3-inch masonry striking on the highway near pedestrians and damaging a passing vehicle — yet no action taken, and no risk acknowledged.
2. Water ingress from broken windows and damaged roofs in vacant properties causing mould and damp in connected, occupied homes — still not classed as a health risk.
3. Unsecured access to empty terraced homes where children have entered and lit fires — despite no fire break walls in attic spaces (common in former colliery housing stock), increasing risk of rapid fire spread — but no enforcement or intervention.

These examples highlight a critical gap between real-world dangers and official risk assessments, which may be downplayed or ignored by local authorities due to limited enforcement appetite or misinterpretation of legal thresholds.
Furthermore, the guidance supporting HHSRS assessments is outdated, and local authorities often fail to take into account the cumulative risk to the wider community, focusing narrowly on whether an individual tenant is presently in danger, rather than broader health and environmental consequences.

The Need for Reform and Clearer Application
These failures point to an urgent need for:

Internal training for local authority officers on statutory duties under HHSRS and relevant building/housing laws.
Cross-departmental coordination to ensure dangerous and blighting properties are not neglected due to bureaucratic confusion.
Transparent risk assessment processes, subject to external scrutiny or appeal, particularly where public safety is at risk.
Greater weight placed on community testimonies, especially where repeated complaints are ignored and hazards persist. A risk-based enforcement strategy must not ignore community-reported harms simply because a formal complaint doesn’t fit neatly within a rigid or narrow interpretation of HHSRS scoring.

Summary: A Culture of Risk Aversion
The current approach taken by some councils can best be described as a culture of risk aversion rather than risk prevention. For communities like Trimdon Station, this leads to:

Ongoing exposure to health and safety risks.
Social degradation and despair.
Long-term costs which far exceed the cost of early intervention.

To break this cycle, Durham County Council must move from passive gatekeeping to proactive enforcement, and local agencies, including parish councils and housing associations, must hold them accountable for failure to act where harm and neglect persist.

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9. Benefits of Intervention
Acting decisively to tackle derelict and vacant properties will:

Reduce Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour – Well-maintained properties deter unlawful activity.
Revive Community Confidence – Residents will feel safer and more invested in their neighbourhood.
Improve Health and Wellbeing – Reduced risk of hazards and infestation.
Increase Property Values – Improved street scenes and living conditions will drive up local housing demand.
Attract Investment – Businesses and developers are more likely to invest in attractive, well-maintained environments.
Prevent Further Decline – By acting now, the council can halt the downward spiral of neglect.

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10. Call to Action
Durham County Council must recognise that the issues outlined in this report require urgent and coordinated intervention. The community has made its concerns clear. The legislative tools exist. Now, political will and administrative action are needed to put them into effect.
We call on the Council to:

Prioritise enforcement against long-term vacant and derelict properties.
Work in collaboration with the local community, the Parish Council, local stakeholders and housing associations.
Make use of its full range of statutory and discretionary powers.
Communicate and report progress transparently to the community.
This is a pivotal opportunity to restore pride, safety, and prosperity to Trimdon Station.

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12. The Role and Responsibilities of Trimdon Foundry Parish Council in Addressing Derelict Properties
Although parish councils such as Trimdon Foundry Parish Council do not hold direct statutory enforcement powers over housing or environmental standards, they play a critical role as the most local tier of government, representing the voice of the community and influencing higher-tier councils like Durham County Council.

Legal Role and Powers
Under the Local Government Act 1972, the parish council is empowered to:

Act as a representative body for local residents by raising community concerns and lobbying Durham County Council to act under its statutory powers.
Hold meetings and pass formal resolutions expressing community dissatisfaction regarding derelict and abandoned properties, and send formal communications demanding action.
Expend limited resources (under Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972) on matters which benefit the community, such as contributing to surveys, reporting issues, or helping fund minor improvements.
Convene public meetings, support community petitions, or coordinate public engagement campaigns to raise the profile of the issue locally and regionally.

Relevant provision:
Local Government Act 1972, Section 137:

“A local authority may incur expenditure… which in their opinion is in the interests of, and will bring direct benefit to, their area or any part of it or all or some of its inhabitants.”
Parish councils are also able to submit formal complaints and representations to Durham County Council’s scrutiny committees or housing enforcement departments. This includes requesting updates, submitting evidence (such as the survey data collected by TSCA), and proposing that specific properties be investigated under relevant housing and environmental legislation.

Expected Action and Opportunities for Influence
Trimdon Foundry Parish Council is well-placed to:

Write formally to Durham County Council’s housing, public health, and environmental enforcement teams to demand that action be taken on specific properties (such as those listed in this report), citing public interest and community detriment.
Request a full inspection of problem properties under the Housing Act 2004, Environmental Protection Act 1990, and Building Act 1984.
Collaborate with Trimdon Station Community Association (TSCA) and elected members (e.g., Cllr Marylynn Franklin) to form a joint pressure group or working party to tackle long-term vacancy.
Submit a community request for a review under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, Section 121, to seek greater local control over housing-related issues or request the County Council review or develop a local empty homes strategy.

The Parish Council could also pass a formal motion at their next council meeting to:
1. Acknowledge the serious blight caused by vacant and derelict properties.
2. Request Durham County Council to take immediate enforcement action.
3. Call for the establishment of a multi-agency task force to address property neglect.
4. Offer to support and monitor regeneration initiatives, potentially involving local volunteers.

Public Interest Justification
By acting decisively, the Parish Council will demonstrate accountability to residents, align with the results of the February and May 2025 community surveys and send a clear message to Durham County Council that this issue is of urgent local concern.
Not only will this help push for enforcement or compulsory purchase of long-derelict buildings, but it will also reinforce the principle of community-led regeneration, which is increasingly supported in national housing and planning policy frameworks.

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13. The Role of Housing Associations in Regenerating Derelict Homes, Strategic Partners in Regeneration
While all the derelict properties identified in this report are currently privately owned, local housing associations such as Believe Housing and Home Group can be key delivery partners in reversing decline and returning these buildings to beneficial community use.
Strategic Role of Housing Associations
Registered Providers (RPs) are not enforcement bodies, but they can work with Durham County Council to:

Acquire long-term empty private properties via negotiated sale, enforced sale, or through Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) made by the council.
Refurbish properties to decent homes standards, making use of internal capital reserves, external regeneration funding (e.g. Homes England), and cross-subsidy from wider stock.
Let the refurbished homes at affordable or social rents, recovering investment over time and maintaining long-term management.
Act as stewards of long-term community regeneration, helping raise housing standards and contributing to the stabilisation of vulnerable neighbourhoods.
This approach aligns with national policy objectives such as those in the Social Housing White Paper 2020 and Levelling Up White Paper 2022, both of which encourage closer collaboration between local authorities and housing providers to tackle dereliction, social exclusion, and housing need.

Legal and Practical Framework for Collaboration
Under Section 17 of the Housing Act 1985, Durham County Council has the power to acquire land or buildings — including through compulsory purchase — for housing purposes. Once acquired, the Council may transfer the property to a housing association for redevelopment and letting. This is a common route in regeneration schemes.
Housing Act 1985, Section 17(1)(b) “A local housing authority may acquire houses or buildings which may be made suitable as houses… for the provision of housing accommodation.”
Section 32 of the Housing Act 1985 also permits the disposal of such properties to housing associations, subject to conditions or consent from the Secretary of State.
Housing associations can also benefit from Empty Homes Grant funding (when available), or partner with Durham County Council in bidding for Homes England support under the Affordable Homes Programme, which includes funding for bringing empty properties back into use.
Working with Local Authorities on Enforcement and CPO
Durham County Council may pursue enforcement under the Housing Act 2004, Building Act 1984, or Town and Country Planning Act 1990, and where private owners fail to comply, can progress to:

Enforced sale under the Law of Property Act 1925, Section 103, recovering unpaid debt (e.g. from works in default).
Compulsory Purchase Orders under the Housing Act 1985, with a housing association lined up as a development partner.
Housing associations provide both the technical delivery capacity (surveys, refurbishments, letting, management) and long-term tenancy support needed to ensure properties do not fall back into disrepair.
This joined-up approach can help ensure cost recovery through rent, alongside wider social value outcomes, including:

Increased affordable housing supply
Improved housing quality and appearance
Stabilisation of failing streets and prevention of further decline
Support for vulnerable tenants and reduction in homelessness
Breaking the cycle of antisocial behaviour and crime around derelict properties

Local Examples and Recommendations
Both Believe Housing and Home Group already operate in County Durham and have experience in community investment and property regeneration. Their involvement could include:

Forming a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Durham County Council and the Parish Council to explore partnership regeneration opportunities.
Participating in a joint task force focused on derelict properties in Trimdon Station, with TSCA, Cllr Marylynn Franklin, and relevant council departments.
Offering feasibility studies and cost assessments for refurbishing specific properties if CPO or enforced sale routes are pursued.
These housing associations could also explore purchase-by-agreement for willing sellers, reducing legal delays and enabling quicker refurbishment and reoccupation of homes.

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14. Photographs of properties in Trimdon Station and highlighted within this report:
(Photos courtesy and copyright of Trimdon Station Community Association & Clir Marylynn Franklin)