Fly-tipping may force sale of empty home

A council says it is to force the sale of a dilapidated home left empty for 17 years unless the owner brings it back into use.

City of Wolverhampton Council has said it will use compulsory purchasing powers to acquire the property on Lime Street in Penn Fields after its deterioration attracted ongoing fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour.

The house, according to the authority, is also liable for four times the standard rate of council tax – nearly £6,500 based on this year's increase – because it has been empty for more than a decade.

The compulsory powers will only be halted if the home is "improved and re-occupied", the council states.

A report for the council's cabinet meeting on 9 April said previous attempts to enforce the sale of the property for outstanding debts had been unsuccessful, and action by the council had been necessary to secure the building "on a number of occasions".

"The property continues to deteriorate and there are ongoing concerns regarding security and dilapidation," the report said.

"The property is in poor condition and is attracting ongoing fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour."

Councillor Steve Evans, cabinet member for city housing, said a compulsory purchase order (CPO) was the "most effective" method to ensure the building did not remain empty and an eyesore.

If the council bought the property it must be refurbished and re-occupied within six or 12 months depending on the extent of the work, the report said.

Last month, the council said more than 300 private, long-term unoccupied properties in the city had been turned into family homes to be sold or rented.

Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.