Call for action over ’empty and unused’ building near town centre

An empty office building in Caerphilly should be taken into public ownership and turned into affordable housing, a councillor has claimed.

Cllr Lindsay Whittle said the “empty and unused” Llys Ifor building, on Crescent Road, is “one of the first things visitors see” if they travel to the town by coach.

Planning permission was granted in 2021 for the building to be knocked down and replaced with 29 apartments for people aged over 55.

A minor amendment to those plans was also approved in September 2023.

Caerphilly County Borough Council also previously indicated it would purchase the site from its private owner after it had been demolished – but that hasn’t materialised.

Cllr Whittle said: “The council is busily buying up loads of properties in the town centre. I want them to compulsory purchase this building and convert it into flats for the many families and individuals desperately needing a home.”

He also said he had seen people “living in tents” at the site.

“There is huge demand from local people for housing, and buying this building would help give some of them a roof over their heads,” he added.

The council did not respond directly to Cllr Whittle’s claims, but a spokesperson for the local authority confirmed the building was currently in “joint private ownership”.

The council had an “intention to acquire the site following demolition”, but “an agreement was not reached by the owner and a third party to demolish the site, and therefore a route to acquisition did not come to fruition”, the spokesperson added.

It is understood the council would still like to see the site redeveloped as part of the regeneration of the town centre.

The spokesperson said the local authority was “still exploring routes to bring the site forward”.

The owner of the building was contacted for comment, via a planning agent.