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Leigh On Sea News. Councillor Demands Action – A LEIGH councillor is calling for an “eyesore” restaurant in Leigh to be demolished.
Councillor Demands Action - A LEIGH councillor is calling for an “eyesore” restaurant in Leigh to be demolished.
A LEIGH councillor is calling for an “eyesore” restaurant in Leigh to be demolished.
Coun Stephen Aylen, representing the Belfairs ward, expressed his concerns over the dilapidated Old Vienna Restaurant, which has stood empty since its closure in 2016.
The partially demolished restaurant in Leigh has earned the unenviable reputation of being a “pigeon-infested eyesore” due to the lack of progress in its conversion into flats.
The once-popular Viennese-themed restaurant, on Eastwood Road, ceased operations in 2016 amidst allegations of hygiene violations that resulted in a dismal zero-food safety rating.
In 2021, plans for a three-story block comprising 13 flats were initially approved, contingent on developers contributing £224,000 toward affordable housing.
However, the developer later informed the council that it could no longer afford to provide these funds, leaving the project’s status uncertain.
A year later, London-based construction firm Forma London secured planning permission on appeal in February 2022.
Subsequently, an additional planning application related to tree preservation orders, submitted by the same company this year, received approval in August.
Nevertheless, the actual work to convert the site into a three-story block with 13 flats has yet to commence.
Coun Aylen, who has received numerous complaints from his constituents about the eyesore, said: “This situation leaves a negative impression on my ward. Hundreds of pigeons have taken up residence in the building, roosting there at night.
“There were once tattered advertising posters covering the hoardings, which have since been tidied up to some extent.
“While I appreciate the efforts made by the developers to improve the appearance of this pigeon-infested eyesore, urgent action is needed to rectify the situation.”
Picture: Coun Stephen Aylen
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