Cornwall Council land plots were offered for £1

This verge in St Austell was one of the lots in the auction available for £1, selling for more than £6,500

A handful of very small pockets of Cornwall Council-owned land have gone under the auctioneer's hammer.

Some of the plots had no reserve price, so bidding was able to start from £1.

They included a 0.01 acre (0.004 hectares) verge in St Austell, which was sold for £6,510; and a 0.007 acre (0.003 hectares) slope behind a bus stop in St Blazey that sold for £111.

The most expensive plot was a 0.12-acre (0.05 hectare) site on the outskirts of Mabe village that went for £13,011.

The green area between the path and the drive way was sold for £111

They were among more than 300 lots from across England to be auctioned.

Four of the eight lots on sale in Cornwall had no guide price or reserve.

Clive Emson Auctioneers' regional director, David Henwood, explained the lots in Cornwall were "surplus to requirements" for the local authority.

"They have had them for varying lengths of time and for different reasons, but have no use for them any longer," he said.

"The majority have been advertised with no reserve which has piqued interest as you could, in theory, get them for as little as £1.

"We have had interest from a range of people, some very local to the land and others from further afield."

'Better utilisation'

Some of the plots could be considered suitable for alternative use, subject to necessary planning consents being obtained, estate agents said.

Mr Henwood said: "The natural purchasers for some of the plots are people who have land immediately next door, but some of the plots do have some potential if the correct planning requirements are met."

Cornwall Council said areas purchased by local authorities often had small parcels of land left behind after projects such as road schemes, new housing or economic development initiatives.

It added: "It is... recognised that others could better utilise and enjoy these spaces, so people are able to recognise the value to them and bid accordingly."

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