The problem of a rundown former hotel in Great Yarmouth has been tackled by a compulsory purchase order.Nelson Road South has been blighted by the fire-hit building that went from being a large hotel to cheap bedsits and has been empty for two years.

The problem of a rundown former hotel in Great Yarmouth has been tackled by a compulsory purchase order.

Nelson Road South has been blighted by the fire-hit building that went from being a large hotel to cheap bedsits and has been empty for two years.

Borough solicitor Chris Skinner said efforts by officials to encourage improvement with grand funding under the Sharp Project that aimed to revitalise the secondary holiday area had reached a stalemate.

Seeking the CPO had been enough to overcome the deadlock and agree a timetable of works with the owner of numbers 21 to 24 which are being turned into 16 apartments, he added.

“The building had a very shabby appearance and is in a conservation area. Bringing the property in to residential use will bring environmental and social benefits and it is one of the key buildings in the Sharp area. If it was not improved it would prejudice the success of the project.

“It is a real success story. By our actions we are getting this property back in to use. If the council had not intervened it might have been empty for years.

“The CPO was a guarantee that if the owner did not play ball something would be done. We have now reached agreement with the owner so provided he keeps his side of the bargain we will not have to use it. It is a prominent property that would stick out like a sore thumb if it wasn't improved. The CPO remains there as a warning. We want to make sure this building gets regenerated.”

The aim of the Sharp project is to improve the roads just back from the seafront and make them nicer places to live and visit while avoiding the proliferation of houses in multiple occupation.