Plans to demolish three council-owned buildings to make way for potential housing developments have been given the go-ahead by councillors.
Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet – which is the local authority’s executive – has agreed to spend a collective £3.1 million of taxpayers’ money to knockdown the former Oakdale and Pontllanfraith comprehensive schools and the former council offices at Pontllanfraith.
According to a report approved by councillors, the old school buildings are surplus to requirements after being replaced by the new Islwyn High. The demolition and relevant site surveys will cost an estimated £2.38m.
Plans have also been approved to begin proceedings to close Pontllanfraith leisure centre on the same site with a view to demolishing that as well.
The idea is for groups that use the leisure centre’s facilities to use the ones at the new Islwyn High. In addition to this, a new 3G playing pitch is also being mooted for Blackwood Comprehensive School.
Once the school and leisure centre buildings at Pontllanfraith have been demolished, it is likely the council will sell the land for a housing development.
This is also the case for the nearby former council offices at Pontllanfraith, located off Blackwood Road.
The council has been in discussions with a preferred buyer of the site and it was the original intention for the developer to bear the costs of a site survey and demolition.
However, another report approved by councillors earlier this month said: “Whilst the development proposals have been suitably developed the commercial element of the offer continues to be heavily caveated. It is clear that these caveats will not be removed and the associated risk priced until a detailed ground investigation is completed.
It is therefore proposed that the council procures a detailed ground investigation and the preferred purchaser will then provide a firm net offer that reflects the findings. The resulting net offer may or may not then be acceptable.
“It was previously envisaged that the site purchaser would manage the demolition of the buildings but as the completion of the sale is taking longer than envisaged, and the empty buildings continue to incur costs, it is now proposed that the council directly procures the demolition of the buildings.”
The cost of the survey and demolition is estimated at around £630,000.
Council incompetence again- lumbering taxpayers with the cost of demolition – never mind the 5% rise in council tax will help cover it.