Dilapidated home compulsorily purchased by council

The council has had to secure the building "on a number of occasions", the authority previously said

A dilapidated home in Wolverhampton left empty for 17 years is to be compulsorily purchased by the council after ongoing fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour issues.

The city council said earlier this year if the property on Lime Street in Penn Fields continued to deteriorate, it would force the sale of the home unless the owner brought it back into use.

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

Under the order the council can make improvements to then reuse it as council accommodation.

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".

Under council ownership the house must be refurbished and re-occupied within six or 12 months depending on the extent of the work, the report added.