A judge has granted housing association Curo an outright possession order on a flat at Abbey Green in Bath which has been a den for illegal activities for many years.
The property on Abbey Green in Bath
Businesses in the popular tourist area say their trade has suffered, with repeated complaints, enforcement action, police attendance and court orders failing to deliver a lasting solution.
Three days before the hearing at Bath County Court on Thursday, 2nd April, local traders and residents issued a press release saying anti-social behaviour from the property had been allowed to continue “in the very heart of Bath’s World Heritage Site.”
They added that they had a few months of respite after a closure order before the flat had been reopened to the occupier.
They said the police had been supportive but there was a limit on their arrestable powers. They called on Curo as landlord to “step up and sort this matter once and for all”.
Reported issues before the flat was closed last summer included:
- Multiple public order offences, involving physical altercations inside and outside the flat and frequent shouting and swearing
- Drug-related activities, including substance use and dealing suspected to be taking place within the flat
- A high turnover of visitors, including known drug users
- Wanted people seeking refuge within the premises, requiring police intervention
- Criminal damage, such as people forcefully kicking the entrance door
- Thefts from local shops, with stolen goods being handled from the flat.
Last April police responded to a suspected firearms incident linked to the flat, which caused distress among residents and businesses, as well as financial losses for nearby shops and cafés which were forced to close.
Tenant Sadie Pousson, who has lived in the flat for 10 years, submitted a handwritten letter to Bath County Court the day before last Thursday’s possession hearing, saying she had not had enough time to submit a defence.
She told District Judge Sophie Elboz that she’d been “subjected to the most awful six months of my life” and had to live in a tent “chewed by rats” around the corner from her flat.
She said she had been asking Curo for some time for a front door deadlock and was seeking video footage of behaviour that continued while she was not living in the flat.
Ms Pousson said she is now clean of drugs but has mental health issues and is currently awaiting an assessment.
District Judge Elboz told Ms Pousson that she had been given time to put in a credible defence but had provided no real evidence. The possession order was granted, which means Ms Pousson must leave the flat within 14 days.
The judge ordered her to pay £404 court costs.
She has the right to appeal against the court decision.
After the hearing, a spokesperson for the Abbey Green Quarter said they were very pleased that the tenant had been ordered to leave within two weeks.
“Hopefully this will bring to an end to the anti-social behaviour, violence, drug-dealing and stealing that has been associated with this address.
“Thank you to everyone who give statements and support and now, after almost nine years, we can look forward to a calmer, less uncertain future.”
Before the hearing Andrew Snee, Curo’s director of housing, said: “As a landlord, Curo has taken action through the courts where appropriate. An injunction was obtained to restrict access to the property, and the court has since found that this was breached, with sentencing having taken place.”
After Thursday’s hearing, he said: “The judge has granted a possession order which means that we can now seek a warrant for eviction. We are committed to seeing this process through and taking back the property.
“We would like to thank the local community and businesses for their support and patience during this process.”
