ACCORDING to the adage, you are never more than six feet away from a rat.
Thanks to its proximity to water and a creaking Victorian drainage system, that yardstick figure for Hull's Old Town is probably even lower.
However, the saying might also apply to another city centre scourge – derelict buildings.
True, every town and city up and down the UK probably has its own fair share of shabby empty properties or apparently neglected strips of undeveloped land.
But now, Hull City Council is trying to tackle the problem by launching a co-ordinated push to clear up these eyesores once and for all.
Until recently, sites in the city centre have tended to be dealt with individually when specific issues arise connected with them.
Examples range from the former Lexington Avenue nightclub in Ferensway to a number of sites next to Hull Marina that were once occupied by bars and clubs.
More recently, the council has demolished a row of crumbling shop units it owned in Ferensway and is in the process of completing the clearance of an old complex of buildings in Trippett Street, which includes the former register office.
However, the fresh approach is aimed at taking a more joined-up approach to the problem.
A specific three-year council budget of £1.2m has already been allocated with a view to clearing sites and, in some cases, finding completely new uses for them.
Although still in its early stages, the initiative has already been given an official title – Greening The City – suggesting that a new network of open green spaces could soon be popping up across the city centre.
As yet, no individual sites have officially been identified, but there are certainly plenty to go at.
What is clear, however, is that the budget is intended to cover both council and privately owned buildings and sites.
Graham Varley, city council planning enforcement manager, said: "There are different options for dealing with derelict buildings and eyesore sites, including enhancement schemes, acquisition and enforcement routes.
"Relatively small-scale enhancement schemes could have a significant impact in improving the quality and appearance of the city centre through public realm improvements such as better landscaping, lighting and signage."
The commitment to tackling eyesore sites has coincided with Hull's bid to become the UK City of Culture in 2017 and the recent launch of the ten-year City Plan.
Mr Varley says that is no accident.
He said: "The City of Culture bid and the City Plan both aim to make Hull a world-class visitor destination by capitalising on its rich culture and heritage as a focus for city centre regeneration, with the Old Town identified as a priority for regeneration."
The options for dealing with eyesores being put forward to councillors for consideration are many and varied.
Derelict buildings in private ownership could be dealt with through negotiation with their owners to carry out the necessary works, acquisition through compulsory purchase orders or enforcement action under planning laws.
Mr Varley said: "The use of planning enforcement powers to undertake works to buildings or land provides an opportunity for the council to reclaim the expense associated with the works.
"As a result, the use of some of the Greening The City budget to carry out works in default could lead to some money being reclaimed directly for the landowner in the future.
"This will enable some of the money in this budget to operate on a revolving fund basis."
If the council decides to demolish derelict properties and then carry out temporary improvement work on the cleared site, the option of buying up the land in question comes into play."
Planning powers allow the council to go down that route but the authority has to demonstrate the move can establish it is necessary to promote or improvement the economic wellbeing of an area.
A final decision on granting a compulsory purchase order would rest with the Government.
It is understood that most of the sites being considered in the city centre currently have no existing planning permission for redevelopment.
In these cases, it will also be up to the council to justify compulsory purchase by showing it has a co-ordinated plan for dealing with similar derelict sites in the area.
"Identification of key sites and alignment with other enhancement schemes and plans will improve the prospects for success and will ensure a co-ordinated approach to regeneration initiatives in the city centre," said Mr Varley.
"Where acquisition is not feasible, there are a number of enforcement options available to tackle derelict buildings, although these would not give the council power to enter the land and carry out subsequent restoration or improvement works to the cleared sites."
With a hefty budget allocation in place, the hope is that larger-scale improvement schemes can be now secured through enforcement compared with the previous piecemeal approach at smaller sites.
Councillor Steve Bayes is the cabinet portfolio holder overseeing the Greening The City project.
He said: "This council considers the city centre crucial to the city as it provides a strong employment, cultural, retail, heritage and tourism offer.
"As a result, it is sensible that it uses its enforcement and acquisition powers in a co-ordinated manner to improve the quality of the city centre environment.
"I support the need for a strategy to identify key sites in order to co-ordinate both enforcement and enhancement in the city centre and to decide the most appropriate actions to tackle those eyesore sites."
The new policy is due to go before the council's cabinet on Monday, June 24.
