Council may buy back 64 crime-hit flats

DERBY City Council is considering buying a crime-plagued block of flats – 18 years after first selling it off.

From May to August, 128 calls were made to the police about acts of crime, including violence and drug dealing, at Brindley Court in Allenton. The homes have been dubbed the "crack flats''.

Now the owners of the Wilkins Drive block are planning to auction it and the city council, which sold the building into private hands in 1991 for £313,000, has confirmed it is considering buying it back.

Councillor Bob Troup, cabinet member for housing and the environment, said: "We are keen to look at the options of buying it because with the anti-social behaviour being a problem, we want to see whether we can make a difference."

Wilkins Drive resident Jackie Blaney, who has campaigned for action to stop anti-social behaviour and crime in the area, said: "I think the best thing would be for the council to take it on.

"It wouldn't have the control over the individual flats with private leaseholders but at least there would be someone there we could go to about issues if there was something wrong, which we've not been able to do before."

Auctioneers Allsop, of Knightsbridge, said they could not offer a guide price on the building until nearer the date of the auction.

The block was originally built as 32 maisonettes but it was later converted into 64 flats. Two weeks ago, a fire which started in a stairwell ripped through a corridor in one section of the building.

Residents were evacuated and Wilkins Drive was cordoned off, raising concerns about safety.

Derby City Council has issued legal notices on the freehold owners, Waterglen, telling them to make extensive fire safety improvements and carry out general repairs.

In 2003, the block was the scene of a murder when 24-year-old Samantha Dickens was stabbed to death in boyfriend Shamraz Iqbal's flat. The 35-year-old later hanged himself in prison after being charged with her murder.

In August, the Telegraph revealed how police had been called out to incidents at Brindley Court, dubbed the "crack flats" by some locals, nearly 130 times in the previous three months.

Now management agency HLM has sent letters to tenants and private landlords informing them it plans to sell the building at auction in March.

No one from HLM was available for comment.

Andrew Humberstone, private sector housing manager at the city council, said buying the building was an option.

But he added: "This is quite a complex matter and we will have to look at it very closely as there are a great many legal and financial issues."

The council said it was not unknown for authorities to buy private buildings or to work with housing associations which could buy the property.

Ward councillors said they would be putting pressure on the authority to buy the block because they thought it could resolve issues surrounding anti-social behaviour and safety in the area.

Independent Alvaston councillor Alan Graves said it made sense for the council to buy back the building.

"Derby City Council should consider purchasing Brindley Court. It would solve a lot of problems we are having there.

"I understand it could be quite complex due to its current state and the fact it has a lot of leaseholders and the majority are landlords.

"But in its current state the value should be very low which means, for a very small cost, Derby City Council could solve a lot of anti-social behaviour problems in Brindley Court and reintroduce housing into its stock which has got to be the right thing. It should never have sold it off."

Nobody from Waterglen and its parent company Regis was available to comment.