Farm cottages to be sold to make around £700,000 for Welsh local authority

Twm Owen, Local democracy reporter

Two council-owned farm cottages are set to be sold off with the expectation they could net a local authority around £700,000.

The buildings are two of six vacant farm cottages that had been held as accommodation for Monmouthshire County Council’s farm tenants whose circumstances change but the authority says there is little such demand.

Its ruling Labour and Green Party cabinet had already agreed, in January 2024, the cottages could be used s as temporary accommodation for homelessness and social services residential or supported housing.

But their general condition, and rural, semi-isolated locations, at Leechpool Holdings, Portskewett meant they were deemed unsuitable by the housing department and adults and children’s services.

The cabinet is now being recommended to agree the cottages are declared surplus to requirements and can be sold on open market and realise a capital receipt for the council.

Selling the cottages will also mean the council will no longer have to pay council tax on them, including the premium it introduced on vacant homes.

The council has held six properties for its farm tenants in cases such as expiry or termination of their tenancy, or retirement, but said other housing is usually preferred and there is no current, or anticipated, demand.

A report for the cabinet, which will meet at County Hall in Usk on Wednesday, January 21, states selling the cottages will have a positive impact “to affect the open market housing supply” locally and “providing an increased opportunity for local people to purchase a home within the community they grew up in.”

It states the likely capital receipt will be around £700,000 while the council intends, following refurbishment, letting two other cottages for small scale “market garden type operations” via farm business tenancy agreements while a formerly vacant cottage has been refurbished and let as temporary accommodation via the council’s housing department while the others will be retained as accommodation options for farm tenants.