The asking price on a tumbledown ‘monstrosity’ will be slashed when it goes to auction following a legal battle.
Toll House Cottage on Bourne Road near Folkingham is being held up with scaffolding and encased in plastic wrapping, and has been derelict for at least 15 years.
South Kesteven District Council will be asking just for £10,000 for it, down from £78,000 when it last went up for auction unsuccessfully.
Thousands of pounds in public money have been spent over the last few years as the council was forced to stop the Grade II listed property from falling down.
A local councillor who has called for something to be done for years hopes to see a new project “rise from the ashes like a phoenix.”
The council secured an order to sell the Folkingham property last year due to the owner’s outstanding debt.
However, he protested that the reserve price of £10,000 recommended by a chartered surveyor would be “basically giving the property away”.
Toll House Cottage pictured in 2009 before scaffolding was erected | Photo: Google
The case went to Lincolnshire County Court on Friday, where the judge agreed with the lower price tag.
Ward Councillor Jan Hansen said: “I have been asking what is happening with the building for seven or eight years, long before I became a councillor. People constantly say ‘What’s that mess on the hill?’ It is effectively a bombsite now.
“Hopefully it is marketed well and can get a good price at auction.
“Local people would be happy if it was demolished and replaced with a traditional old fashioned-looking cottage. I would like to see it rise from the ashes like a phoenix – better than the monstrosity that’s there now.”
Martha Wise, representing South Kesteven District Council, told the court: “It is costing the council £1,400 a month in scaffolding costs, so is an ongoing financial burden. There are more pressing issues on which to spend public money.
“It will have to be demolished, which will require de-listing and planning applications. It is an unattractive proposition.”
David Rogerson, the solicitor for the property owner, said his client felt that “£10,000 would be basically given the property away.”
“It’s a not insignificant plot. £10,000 is such a low figure. There should be an opportunity for a minimum sale value in between [the two values],” he said.
The debate over how much to put the property up for auction for was heard at Lincoln County Court | Photo: File/The Lincolnite
Extracts read out from a report by Pygott & Crone said the building’s condition was “poor and derelict”, “stabilised with scaffolding”, and had “urgent structural defects.”
Deputy District Judge Morris sided with the council, saying he had to accept the value from the estate agent.
“There’s no evidence it would attract a greater value. There are financial hurdles for any developer before it becomes a building plot,” he said.
“The property market isn’t booming as it was post-Covid. It’s flattening and may be in decline.”
A charging order, in which debt is secured against a property, was made in March 2021. This was followed by an order to sell in November when the debts weren’t cleared.
The council says it hopes to recover the costs of the scaffolding when the property is sold.
Councillor Robert Reid, Cabinet Member for Housing and Property: “A notice was served to the owner of Toll House Cottage, Folkingham, several years ago to protect this listed building.
“Regrettably, the necessary repair work was not undertaken so SKDC arranged installation of scaffolding, originally paid for by the owner, to prevent further deterioration.
“Although the owner is no longer covering the cost of the scaffolding, an Order for Sale has been granted to encourage a new purchaser to take on and improve the site, and through this SKDC would expect to recover its costs.”
The house was built in the late 1800s, and was listed in 1987.
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Cllr Bob Bushell, Portfolio Holder for Remarkable Place at City of Lincoln Council said: “In Lincoln, we are very fortunate to have some incredible parks and green spaces, with Hartsholme Country Park being a much-loved spot for families and visitors.
“The park has been especially popular over the last two years during the Covid-19 pandemic, being a haven for residents to enjoy outdoor spaces close to their homes.
“I would urge anyone to help us crown this fabulous park as one of the UK’s favourites.”
Once voting has closed on 18 August, the one park with the highest number of votes in each of England, Scotland, Wales and Nothern Ireland will be shortlisted.
The overall winner of UK’s Favourite Parks 2022 will be revealed in late-August.
Works to make the A52 Somerby Hill roundabout larger, as part of the Grantham Southern Relief Road project, are now finished.
Cllr Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: “People in and around Grantham will be very happy to know that the A52 Somerby Hill roundabout is now fully back open without any traffic management.
“Over the past eleven months, the team has worked tirelessly to make the roundabout larger as part of the relief road project. Not only did this include fully rebuilding sections of the roundabout, but the team also installed new drainage, street lighting and kerbs here.
“Moving forward, the team will be installing four sets of bridge piers and preparing a planning amendment for the new River Witham/East Coast Main Line bridge. We’ll also be focusing on completing the section of new road to the east, between the new mid-route development and Somerby Hill roundabouts.
“I want to thank everyone for bearing with us while we upgraded the roundabout and for your patience moving forward as continue building your new Grantham Southern Relief Road.”
The Grantham Southern Relief Road project is being led by Lincolnshire County Council and supported by South Kesteven District Council, Greater Lincolnshire LEP, Highways England, Department for Transport, Network Rail, Homes England and local businesses.
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