How Much Longer?

August 31, 2015 by Rob Kahl

How much longer?

As another summer seems to be drawing to a close everything looks rosy in the garden. The housing market in Leigh and the surrounding areas are as buoyant as they have ever been. People want to move to this area from all over the country, prices are secure and probably on the rise, the Broadway in Leigh is booming with new businesses looking to open all the time and new developments of apartments under construction or nearing completion with buyers queuing round the block for them.

Unfortunately there are a couple of exceptions. It feels like I have been commenting on and writing about The Grand and Nirvana for years and still nothing has happened! We seem to get a little bit of movement or news and our hopes are raised but then it all grinds to a halt again and nothing changes.

The Grand has been dormant again for another summer. Another summer of trading with drinks in the gardens or summer events have passed us by with only the sorry sight of the tatty hoarding outside and the crumbling façade to remind us of what could of been. The latest that I heard was that Japanese Knot weed had been discovered at the property and this had to be monitored but that was a long time ago and has surely been resolved by now? Mr Norcross who owns the property must be aware of the hype in Leigh currently and must surely be chomping at the bit to get started? Perhaps it is red tape that is holding him back or finances, but it can’t be any worry about the popularity of a restaurant, bar, hotel or spa would undoubtedly have.

The same could be said for Nirvana. The large block of flats on Westcliff seafront that has been empty and unfinished now for years. Again hopes were raised when the news that David Lloyd was purchasing the property. Rumours of far eastern investors and basement swimming pools soon arose and it seemed that finally this empty carbuncle was going to get the lease of life that it has so deserved.

But once again nothing seems to have changed, no marketing has started and even people that have enquired about buying have struggled to get any information. There are even rumours abound that David Lloyd have now pulled out and are no longer proceeding. The uncertainty again means that it looks like this is going to be empty again for at least another year.

These developments are landmark properties within the area and the longer they stay empty or derelict the more it reflects on the area as a whole. It may be that things are going on behind the scenes that we as the public are not aware of and that they are poised to spring in to action any minute, but from the outside looking in, it just looks like either the area as a whole is not worth investing in for these large companies and wealthy individuals or that they possibly have bitten off a bit more than they can chew.

At the moment any news would be welcomed.