Inside derelict and burnt out Dudley factory that's only used by cats and rats
It's a former rope factory which stands in the shadow of Dudley Castle and dates back to the mid 19th century, with part of the site traced back to the civil war. Some of the original factory machinery is still in the building.
But the building in Kates Hill is in serious decline and has lain empty and derelict for over four years.
Now neighbours are asking for someone to 'take control' of the privately owned three storey building which was listed for sale in 2020 but still hasn't sold.
As these exclusive pictures of the inside show, the house is in a poor state of repair and is attracting cats running around and breeding inside and outside of the property.
In October last year is was the subject of a fire which was treated at the time as arson.
Resident Jean Martin says people living close to the site are at a loss where to turn to help get the problem sorted and have labelled he site an 'eyesore.'
She has now enlisted the help of Dudley North MP Marco Longhi who says it needs to be made a priority by ward councillors and residents to deal with the site.
Mrs Martin said: "The site has remained unused for quite a few years – it was for sale but didn't sell and since then it seems to have been left to rot.
"There are cats using it as a playground and rats running around the place, as you can see by my grandson's pictures there is a lot of work going to be needed to refurbish it and nobody seems to take responsibility or actually know who owns it.
"Apart from the state inside and the grounds visually, the site is not safe and has become an eyesore in what is an otherwise nice street and the residents who live here are rightfully concerned about it."
Mr Longhi called on all parties including ward councillors to make the future of the building a priority or it could become another historic site which is lost,
He said: "It is clear the building didn't sell when it was put on the open market and since then there has been very little activity around it to either renovate it, clean it up, or make the building and site safe.
"It is a sad situation and the longer it goes on it becomes more of a possibility of it being lost to the area or ending up as a development which wouldn't be in keeping with it.
"I would urge all parties to scour the land registry and find out who owns it and make them aware of the situation then at least that would be a positive first step."
A Dudley Council spokesperson said: "In 2020 the council identified around 20 sites that had been derelict and out of use for an extended period, and set an objective to buy the land and bring the sites back into use.
"This is a process that is ongoing, and probably the most high profile site on the list is the row of shops in Colley Gate where work is currently ongoing.
"Unfortunately, having checked with officers, this site in Kates Hill is not on that list and we therefore have had no involvement with it."
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