'What annoys me is this was probably a council house' - Wolverhampton Council leaders frustration as the authority buys two rundown houses to prevent neighbourhood blight
The leader of Wolverhampton Council spoke of his frustration at the prospect of the council having to buy back an ex-council house in the city which had been sold under the right to buy, and fallen into a state of disrepair.
The council's cabinet agreed to buy two empty houses which had fallen into a state of disrepair, sparking fears about security and blight to their neighbourhoods.
A meeting of the cabinet heard that the council had been required to secure a rundown property in Warstones Drive in Penn on a number of occasions, while another house in Hadley Road, Bilston had also sparked concerns about its condition.
Officers were authorised to negotiate with the owners of the properties and, if necessary, use compulsory purchase powers should this prove unsuccessful.
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The properties will be renovated and then sold on the open market, but Councillor Stephen Simkins said he hoped that in future it might be allowed to retain the properties and rent them out to people on the housing waiting list.
Referring to the house in Warstones Drive, which was now over-run by vegetation, Councillor Simkins said: "What annoys me the most is that this was probably a former Wolverhampton council house, it's gone to the private market, it will go back to the private market, but hopefully its something we can negotiate in devolved powers through the combined authority, that we can retain it back into our stock, and might be something we can work on in the future."
A report said the property in Hadley Road had been empty for almost seven years, and the one in Warstones Drive for four-and-a-half years.
Deputy council leader Councillor Steve Evans said the council had been required to secure the property in Warstones Drive on numerous occasions. The outside of the property was also becoming over-run with vegetation.
The council had served notices on the owners of both properties last year to bring them up to a satisfactory standard, and received no response.
Councillor Evans said that in both cases concerns had been raised about the security and dilapidation of the properties, which had continued to deteriorate.
He said the council had set aside a budget of £415,000 a year for such purchases.
"We would use that to purchase the property, within six to 12 months we would bring it up to standard, it's in our ownership, and we would then dispose of the property, bringing in a capital receipt, to put back into that capital programme."
This would bring them back into use for the benefit of residents within the city, he added.
Councillor Evans said by failing to respond to the council, the property owners had forfeit their right to compensation.
Councillor Chris Burden said while the council placed great emphasis on building new homes, it was also important to bring disused houses back into use.
