Owners of a former care home which has fallen into disrepair been ordered to pay over £7,300 for failing to comply with a Community Protection Notice.

Belgarth Care Homes Limited and Sage Care Homes Limited pleaded guilty to all the charges at Burnley Magistrates Court.

Pendle Council had taken the owners to court over the dilapidated condition and security of the former Belgarth Nursing Home, on the corner of Wheatley Lane Road Barrowford.

Pendle Borough Council’s Planning, Economic Development and Regulatory Services Manager Neil Watson, said: "We needed to take enforcement action which included a long list of repairs required on the building which was both dangerous and an eyesore - or the option to demolish the building.

“By the summer of 2020 it became apparent that whatever action was taken to secure the building was rapidly being undone by a lack of security for the whole of site.”

Tim Horsley, the Council’s Community Protection Coordinator issued a Community Protection Warning to the company in 2020, but problems continued.

Tim said: “We offered to work with the company to improve site security but unfortunately there was a significant lack of action.

“Young people continued to be able to get into the site, breaking windows, climbing onto a roof and other anti-social behaviour.

"Residents have been very worried about these ongoing problems, including the safety of young people accessing the site and causing further damage.

"Because of the lack of action we were forced to prosecute the owners."

On Thursday, July 7, the court sentenced the companies involved with the former care home.

In sentencing, the Magistrates said the company had done the bare minimum to comply with the Community Protection Notice and had not taken responsibility to improve matters.

Council Leader, Councillor Nadeem Ahmed, said: “I would like to thank local residents, Council staff and the Police for their tenacity in seeing this difficult case through the court after a long battle.

“The state of the former Belgarth Nursing home has been a big concern for local residents and for us for several years, including worrying safety issues and the impact this large prominent building has had on the neighbouring area.”

Belgarth Care Homes Limited has now submitted a planning application for the site.