Building fires prompt city taskforce to be set up
BBCStoke-on-Trent City Council is to set up a taskforce "by the end of the week" to tackle problems with vacant buildings.
The announcement was made in the aftermath of a significant fire which engulfed four buildings on The Strand in Longton late on Tuesday night.
The cause of the fire was not yet known, but at its height more than 20 firefighters were involved in putting it out.
The road could remain closed for a number of days, according to councillor Chris Robinson, due to concerns over the building's structural safety.
He apologised for the disruption caused, but said safety must come first.
On Wednesday morning, pieces of brickwork from the gable end could be seen being removed from the building using a crane.
Tuesday's fire comes days after a blaze at The Crown Hotel which shut off part of King Street.
"We've got them all over the city, these [types of] buildings," Robinson said.
"We need to get them brought back in [order], and the landlords to take some responsibility.
"We are having a taskforce with the local MPs, the fire service, the police, ASB team – to try and get everybody onboard to [decide] how we can move forward and get these buildings secure."
He said while the authority had powers to take over properties and bill landlords for work carried out, it was a lengthy process and it was often difficult to trace the properties' owners.
Nobody appears to have been hurt in the blaze in Longton, and an investigation is underway – including checking CCTV to work out if anyone went in or out of the properties.
Chris Ward, centre manager at the nearby Longton Exchange shopping centre, said it was "such a beautiful building" and that it was sad to see what had happened.
The shopping centre and the rest of the town centre were open as usual, he said, but advised people travelling into the town that they may need to use alternative routes due to the road closure.
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