THE derelict site owned by the Co-op in Studley could be facing a Compulsory Purchase Order if progress isn’t made in selling it.
Stratford District Council is poised to start the process should the Co-op fail in its bid to find a buyer for the land.
The authority and the Co-op agreed a timetable for the disposal of the eyesore earlier this year.
The land in question, which is hidden behind hoardings is the site of a needle factory destroyed by fire 40 years ago.
So far the Co-op has stuck to the timetable by erecting a ‘for sale’ sign at the location.
However if the sale stalls the District Council is poised to step in and start the compulsory purchase procedure.
Despite this Councillor Hazel Wright (Lib Dem, Studley South & Sambourne) has warned local residents not to get their hopes up too high.
“I feel we are back in the same situation we were in 14 years ago, with the land up for sale,” she said.
“The question is how long are they going to take to sell it and what are they going to sell it for?
“This is where we were 14 years ago and it’s quite depressing – even if they sold it next week whatever a developer produces may not be want the village wants or needs.
“If the council has to proceed with a Compulsory Purchase Order the Co-op might fight it – it could take years to be resolved.”
However she said that one positive aspect was that Stratford seemed determined to do something about the site.
“We have a new leader in Stratford, (Councillor Tony Jefferson (Con, Welcombe)) and he has always been sympathetic to what we want to see here,” she said.
Stratford District has earmarked £50,000 for exploratory work towards a possible CPO.
