THE owners of a “dilapidated” house have been ordered to carry out repairs and major improvements within six months after the home became an eyesore.

Southend Council has written to the owners of 25 Prince Avenue, Westcliff, demanding urgent action is taken and threatening legal action if repairs are not completed.

The owners of the property were initially warned to take action in March after the state of the home deteriorated over the last two years.

The legal notice was issued on November 24 and includes a number of improvements that must be carried out.

Councillor Daniel Cowan, who represents St Laurence ward, said: “It is something we notice everyday when driving to work, it’s just such a shame for a house like this to be wasted during a housing crisis.

“There are loads of families in Southend crying out for good quality homes, which this home could provide if it was maintained.”

Work needed includes replacing the roof, rebuilding several walls, and removing rubble from outside the home.

Councillor Lydia Hyde, who also represents St Laurence ward, added: “We’ve been working on this for quite some time now, and we have tried to engage with the property owner with little to no response. But I’m happy to say that we will finally see some action being done.

“We’ve talked about this to immediate neighbours, and it makes them nervous, they’re proud of their neighbourhood, it is very distressing for them.”

The council requires the following steps to be taken for remedying the condition of the land: - Reinstate and make good the roof of the dwelling

- Restore or replace all missing soffits, fascias, guttering, rainwater downpipes, hoppers and soil and vent pipes to match existing

- Re-build the missing walls to the ground floor south flank elevation

- Re-build the missing rear wall or replace with patio doors

- Repair or replace all damaged or missing windows and doors, including re-glazing where necessary. Replacement windows to match existing both in terms of appearance and materials

- Repaint all rendered elevations in white exterior quality paint

- Reinstate the lawn, borders and driveways

- Remove from site all building materials including bricks, tiles, wood, and building and waste materials existing on site or resulting from the above works.