A former Cornwall pub, bought by the council for £1million, is set to go under the hammer with a guide price of just £150,000-plus, representing a potential loss of more than £800,000 for the local authority.
The General Wolfe building on Bodmin Road in St Austell is set to be sold by Clive Emson auctioneers on Thursday, May 7, at a mere fraction of its original purchase price.
The Grade II listed property, which received its protected status in 1999, contains 13 one and two-bedroom flats that currently sit vacant.
Corserv, the council’s public services arm, purchased the property in 2020 with plans to convert it into emergency accommodation.
However, the building has remained unoccupied ever since, falling into disrepair whilst becoming a magnet for antisocial behaviour in the area.
Cornwall Council assumed direct control of the site from Corserv in 2022, but subsequently determined that restoring the historic structure to use was not financially feasible.
Last summer, the authority revealed that projected renovation costs had risen substantially, with estimates now exceeding £2.5 million to complete the necessary conversion work.
Reform UK councillor Jack Yelland, who represents St Austell Central, brought the issue before a Cornwall Council meeting in January.
A former Cornwall pub, bought by the council for £1million, is set to go under the hammer
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Clive Emson Auctioneers
He said: “The position we are now in is the result of decisions made by Cornwall Council through Corserv when it purchased the building.”
“Since then it has continued to deteriorate, it has attracted antisocial behaviour, it’s generated ongoing holding and security costs not to mention an estimated reduction in value of around three-quarters of a million pounds.
“So unless something changes, the building will continue to decline, continue to cost the taxpayers money and continue to stand as a reminder of the council’s failure to protect a historically significant asset of St Austell.”
Responding to the matter, Cllr Tim Dwelly, the Independent cabinet member for economic regeneration and investment, offered a blunt assessment of the acquisition. He described the council’s decision to spend £1 million on the property as “a stupid thing to do”.
The General Wolfe building on Bodmin Road in St Austell is set to be sold by Clive Emson auctioneers
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The criticism highlights the scale of the financial misjudgement, with the building now set to sell for a fraction of its purchase price whilst requiring millions more in renovation work that the council has deemed unviable.
Noah Law, the Labour MP for St Austell, who has campaigned for years to bring the building back into productive use, welcomed the decision to auction it.
However, he expressed reservations about an ongoing review of the property’s listed status.
He told CornwallLive: “We are not out of the woods yet and it will be difficult to make progress until the spanner in the works that is the listing review – started around six months ago – is completed.”
Cornwall Council assumed direct control of the site from Corserv in 2022
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The MP indicated he expects the Department of Culture, Media & Sport to conclude its review shortly.
Due to safety concerns and the building’s poor condition, prospective buyers will not be permitted to view the interior before the auction commences at 11am on 7 May.
A spokesman for Corserv said: “The General Wolfe property is being offered for sale while a listing assessment by Historic England is ongoing, as there is no requirement to delay a sale during this process.
“Historic England was contacted prior to marketing and confirmed that the property can be sold while the review is under consideration. They also advised that it is unable to confirm a timescale for a decision, as the matter rests with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
“In light of that uncertainty, the decision was taken to proceed with marketing the property. The auctioneer has been made fully aware that a listing assessment is ongoing.”