Compulsory purchase plan for rundown house in Wolverhampton, to prevent 'drain on public resources'

A rundown semi-detached house could be made the subject of a compulsory purchase order under council proposals to improve the neighbourhood.

Councillor Steve Evans, Wolverhampton Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for housing, has asked the cabinet to approve plans to open negotiations to buy the empty property in Coronation Road, Heath Town.

Councillor Evans said the house had been empty since January, 2023, with the owner named on the land registry having died.

He said there did not appear to have been an application for probate, and the property had been falling into a state of disrepair.

“The property continues to deteriorate and there are ongoing concerns regarding security and dilapidation,” Councillor Evans said in a report to the cabinet.

Councillor Evans asked for council officers to initially enter voluntary negotiations with the beneficiaries of the property, but if this proved unsuccessful then a compulsory purchase order would be needed to ‘ensure the property does not continue to be a drain on public resources’.

Councillor Evans said the house was in poor condition and was having a detrimental effect on the area.

He said the council should be prepared to drop any action if the owner agreed to voluntarily bring it back into use.

Should the council buy the house, it would then be restored and offered for sale with a proviso that it would be occupied within six months.

He said there was a shortage of housing in Wolverhampton, and such action would bring the property back into use either by prompting the beneficiaries to act voluntarily, or through enforcement.