New bid to end pothole row at Norwich shopping centre

DAN GRIMMER

16 November 2009

The stakes in a long-running battle to fix potholes in the car park of a Norwich shopping centre have been ramped up a notch - after the owners were ordered to make the repairs or face a hefty bill.

Shoppers at Earlham House, in Earlham Road, have been complaining for more than two years about the cracks and potholes in the car park and promises by the management company, which looks after the site on behalf of landlord Relay Arch, to fix them have not been kept.

As a "last resort" frustrated Norwich City Council bosses on Friday issued a formal section 215 notice on the Wolverhampton-based management company 4D Properties which will mean they have to carry out the work within eight weeks of December 14 or the council will do the work and then charge the bill to the company.

Norwich South MP Charles Clarke, who has campaigned since 2007 for improvements to the car park, said: "My campaign, which hundreds have supported, has finally forced the council to use the powers it has to take statutory action against the absentee landlord owner.

"Due to budget restraints, the council has chosen to make prioritising improving the car park first, but this is a measure of progress. I will keep pushing hard for action to be taken on the canopies and general ground maintenance which is needed to smarten up the site still further."

Last November the city council confirmed it was taking the unprecedented step of inspecting all 84 of the flats above the shops at Earlham House after tests on a batch of them revealed they were excessively cold, and last month new storage heaters were fitted to tenants' flats over the shops.

Nobody from 4D Properties was available to comment.

Ü Are you battling to make improvements to the area where you live? Call Evening News reporter Dan Grimmer on 01603 772375 or email dan.grimmer@archant.co.uk