Council property sale outrage
A council which put a £4,000 price tag on a tiny strip of land needed for part of a home extension has been criticised by the local government watchdog, reports the BBC.
The land at the side of a semi-detached former council house in Barnsley covered just 1.7 sq ft (0.16 sq m).
The woman who tried to buy the land from Barnsley Council complained that the price was “extortionate”.
She was backed by the local government ombudsman who said she “justifiably feels a strong sense of outrage”.
In her report on the case, ombudsman Anne Seex recommends the council “should remedy the injustice” by apologising to the woman, transferring the land to her without cost and paying her £1,500 in recognition of the distress caused.
Barnsley borough secretary Andrew Frosdick said: “The council has received the ombudsman’s report and, while accepting… that some compensation should be paid to the complainant, there are other aspects of the report that the council does not necessarily accept.”
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