Update 25/8/2017

Following investigations undertaken within the Pantteg area, officers have become aware of a number of empty and dilapidated buildings which have since been served with demolition notices; however this is not directly due to landslip risk.

Council Leader Cllr Rob Jones said: “The Council routinely addresses the issue of empty and dilapidated properties across the county borough but the landslip monitoring activity we are undertaking locally has lead us to target our current work on this issue within the wider Pantteg area because of the imminent danger to life.

“Whilst it is understandable that residents may link the demolition of these properties to any future action the council may take as a consequence of the landslide risks, no such link exists. It is purely action related to the councils increased focus on health and safety in this general area.”

As a result of this work demolition orders have been served, or are about to be served, on eleven local properties. These orders take 28 days to come into effect after they have been served.

Whilst the council is satisfied that the properties are currently un-occupied, the law requires owners to be given a further 28 days to vacate any occupiers from the building (8 weeks from serving the notice). The owners then have a further 42 days to demolish the property (14 weeks from serving the notice).

If the owners have not demolished the properties during that time, the council has the ability to step in and take direct action if necessary.

Eight of the eleven properties are detached and the council will require the owner(s) of the other two properties to make good any party walls following demolition. The owners of the adjoining properties are aware of these notices.

There are no intentions at the present time to require the demolition of nine of the ten houses on Cyfyng Road upon which prohibition notices have been served. The tenth house within the terrace is one of those identified as being in a dilapidated state.

Reference has been made in the press to the potential demolition of around 150 houses within the hazard risk zone. The council has no current intentions to extend such demolition notices to properties which are not categorised as ruinous. The council is awaiting advice from our consultant and any future action will be as a consequence of that advice.