BOLTON Council is taking legal action to force entry to a former Subway outlet at a prime town centre site.

Neighbouring businesses of the property near the corner of Bradshawgate and Deansgate have complained about its dilapidated condition.

The London-based owner and the Altrincham agents have failed to respond to requests to maintain the property.

Keith Davies, Bolton Council’s director of development and regeneration, said: “The building is in a disgraceful condition.

“For all the efforts that we are making to improve parts of the town centre, what you cannot influence is the intransigence of some absentee owners and landlords.

“These are people who are not Bolton based and who have no understanding of what we are trying do.

“They ignore all our efforts to try to improve buildings which are in a very poor condition.”
Subway closed in January 2010 and the Bradshawgate building has now been boarded up for a number of months.

Mr Davies added: “We’ve tried to work with the agents and owner and served notices.

“We now have to follow an expensive legal process which will enable us to enter the premises to do the work and charge the owner.

“We asked for the owner’s co-operation in trying to improve the area, but it has not been forthcoming and we have the legal powers to enter the property. It is likely to happen in January.”

Mr Davies added that the location of the three-storey building — also including a cellar — was a gateway site, opposite Prestons of Bolton.

He said: “It should be a major asset to the crown of the town centre. But the outlook from Prestons is bleak. Windows have been broken and left unrepaired, which is dangerous.”

Owner Eli Pine, a director of Skelhurst Ltd and Charles Hadfield of Regional Property Solutions Ltd, were unavailable for comment.