Last stand: Homeowner won’t budge for council
Compulsory purchase order for house in deserted street
THE last resident on a stretch of a deserted Birmingham road has vowed to fight the council after being told the authority now wants his land.
Carl Harris has been issued with a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for his four-bedroom house in Gildas Avenue, Kings Norton and offered £155,000.
But he says it is not nearly enough for a similar property in the city.
He was originally offered just £95,000 but the council upped the offer after he refused to move.
Mr Harris, 65, owns the semidetached house and garden in the abandoned street once dubbed a “no-go zone” – in an area planned to accommodate 117 new social houses.
After years of debate over the property, Mr Harris has now been served with the CPO – a power under law which public bodies have in order to acquire land from a third party.
He has since objected on the grounds that he can not find another similar property – including with offroad parking and potential to extend – in the city for the price being offered.
He says he would need to go to Wolverhampton, Telford or Derby to find a suitable house for £155,000 – and would then need to factor in travel costs for work and to see his family.
He also says the council has “changed its mind” after proposing not to touch his property in initial plans for the estate and added owners of a smaller property on the road sold their flat for more than is being offered to him.
Options proposed by the council are for him to become a council tenant – in which case he would have to pay rent – or a shared ownership of another property which would effectively put him in debt, he said.
He has suggested the council could provide him with a councilowned house but the authority has said this is not possible, he said.
He also suggested buying a house via auction and the council declined, he said.
The situation I am in is not of my making. I have put quite a few options to them - they want me to bend to suit them.
Carl Harris, above
The dispute is now likely to go to either a public enquiry or written representations procedure and could then go to the High Court if the inspector’s decision is not accepted.
Mr Harris said: “They have been very inflexible. The council won’t pay removal costs out of Birmingham. Considering that they want me to move, I think they should be a bit more flexible.
“If the house is not mine outright, I am restricted in what I can do. With all the homelessness, I did consider renting out a room to somebody. I possibly wouldn’t be able to do that under their proposal.
“The situation I am in is not of my making. I have put quite a few options to them - they want me to bend to suit them.”
Giving an update on what it is like to live on the deserted road, he said: “There has been no start to the building work.
“Antisocial behaviour and crime problems have gone quiet at the moment but that is because of the cold weather and dark nights. Come spring, it will possibly start again.
“I am isolated and there is the potential for burglaries and antisocial behaviour which have happened in the past.”
A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: “The price offered by Birmingham City Council for the property reflects the current market value.
“Letters were first sent to all the affected property owners back in March 2021. This included a notice stating it was the council’s intention to secure acquisition of this property.
“Birmingham Property Services officers have continued to negotiate with the tenant since then on a voluntary basis.
“It had been hoped agreement could be reached through this negotiation but unfortunately that has not been the case so a compulsory purchase order has been made on this property.
“The council will continue to engage with and explore the rehousing options available to Mr Harris until the order is confirmed.”