Gwynedd Council is using its powers to sell a residential property in the county which had been causing concerns to local residents due to its poor condition.
Residents in Station Road in Talysarn had become increasingly concerned about the state of one privately-owned mid terraced property which had been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair. To protect affected neighbouring properties from further damage, Gwynedd Council paid for a new roof at 35 Station Road, Talysarn and is now using the enforced sale procedure to recover the cost of the improvement work undertaken.
Councillor Trefor Edwards, Housing Portfolio Leader for Gwynedd Council said: “With more than, 3,000 people in Gwynedd on housing waiting lists, it is essential that we make the best use of the buildings located within the county. Building new homes isn’t the always the best solution, and often it is possible to make better use of the empty buildings located within our towns and villages.
“Gwynedd Council’s Empty Homes team work hard to offer help and advice for people to bring empty buildings back into use. I hope that it will now be possible that this property in Talysarn can now be used to provide a home for local people.
“I welcome the steps being taken to ensure that this property no longer causes annoyance to local residents. Previous work to keep the site safe and clean has been costly and it is vital that the Council does what it can to reimburse those costs, as well as bringing the house back into use.”
This is the first time that Gwynedd has made use of the enforced sale procedure. An enforced sale can only be carried out where the Council has placed a local land charge on the property. This is only carried out if the Council has undertaken works in default action, where the Council has paid for works to be done in lieu of the owner who was unwilling to act or could not be traced. Enforced sales are only used by the Council as a last resort, where all other avenues of investigation and negotiation have been exhausted.
This was the case in Talysarn, the property concerned was, and had been for many years causing considerable problems to neighbouring properties – the owner could not be traced. The property will now be auctioned on Thursday, 10 March 2011 at the Carreg Môn Hotel, Llanfairpwll and has been valued at £17,500 – £20,000.
Should you require further information regarding this property please call the Property People on 01248 355333, or for more information on Gwynedd Council’s Empty Homes Initiative, contact the Council’s Housing Department on 01758 704127 or email: [email protected]
