Welsh Government still owns relief road land worth millions
LAND bought for more than £13m in preparation for the M4 relief road is still owned by the Welsh Government a year after the project was scrapped.
Figures released by the Welsh Government revealed £15,277,202 was spent on compulsory purchase orders for 29 properties affected by the cancelled scheme since 1995.
Information acquired by the Western Mail via Freedom of Information legislation reveals the location of the houses, which remain Welsh Government property.
The Welsh Government said 22 properties, which were purchased for a total of £13,219,702, are still in public ownership.
Of those, nine are currently tenanted and yield a rental income of £122,104 annually.
Seven of the 29 properties have been sold with a total profit of £83,235.
The Welsh Government said none of the 22 remaining homes has been put on the property market to date as they have not been declared surplus.
Property website Zoopla provides online value estimates for 10 of the properties, which were bought for a total of £3,724,000.
According to the property website’s estimates, those 10 homes are now worth £5,135,000. If the Welsh Government achieved those 10 estimates at resale, they would earn a profit of £1,411,000.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “The South East Wales Transport Commission is looking at ways to improve transport in the region.
“Once this work has been completed, we will review the land and property we own in the area.”
* Properties still owned by the Welsh Government:
■ Longhouse Farm, Coedkernew
Date of purchase: November 2006 Purchase price: £720,000 Current status: Vacant Rental income: N/A Zoopla value estimate: £660,000
■ Undy House, Undy, Magor
Date of purchase: August 2007 Purchase price: £660,000 Current status: Vacant Rental income: N/A Zoopla value estimate: N/A
■ Woodland House, Magor
Date of purchase: August 2007 Purchase price: £1,107,000 Current status: Tenanted Rental income: £22,800 per annum
Zoopla Value estimate: N/A
■ Old Cottage, Knollbury, Magor
Date of purchase: March 1995 Purchase price: £130,000 Current status: Vacant Zoopla value estimate: £513,000
■ Horseshoe Cottage, Knollbury, Magor
Date of purchase: August 1998 Purchase price: £132,500 Current status: Tenanted Rental income: £10,560 per annum
Zoopla value estimate: £491,000
■ Barecroft House, Barecroft Common, Magor
Date of purchase: May 1996 Purchase price: £158,500 Current status: Tenanted Rental income: £8,220 per annum Zoopla value estimate: £397,000
■ Cae-Glas, Nash Road, Newport
Date of purchase: December 2006 Purchase price: £300,000* Current status: Tenanted Rental income: £8,340 per annum Zoopla value estimate: N/A
■ Annex at Cae-Glas, Nash Road, Newport
Date of purchase: December 2006 Purchase price: £300,000* (Purchased alongside property above. Both purchased for a total of £300,000.)
Current status: Tenanted Rental income: £5,940 per annum Zoopla value estimate: N/A
■ Greenfield House, Nash Road, Newport
Date of purchase: March 2007 Purchase price: £300,000
Current status: Vacant Rental income: N/A Zoopla value estimate: £365,000
■ The Conifers, Coedkernew
Date of purchase: April 2015 Purchase price: £725,000 Current status: Vacant Rental income: N/A Zoopla value estimate: £781,000
■ San Remo, Coedkernew
Date of purchase: April 2016 Purchase price: £350,000 Current status: Vacant Rental income: N/A Zoopla value estimate: £474,000
■ Moorland View, Coedkernew
Date of purchase: September 2016 Purchase price: £540,000 Current status: Vacant Rental income: N/A
Zoopla value estimate: N/A
■ Spring Cottage, Coedkernew
Date of purchase: June 2016 Purchase price: £355,000 Current status: Vacant Rental income: N/A Zoopla value estimate: £464,000
■ The Glen, Coedkernew
Date of purchase: October 2015 Purchase price: £430,000 Current status: Tenanted Rental income: £15,600 per annum
Zoopla value estimate: N/A
■ White Cottage, Coedkernew
Date of purchase: December 2015 Purchase price: £555,000 Current status: Vacant Rental income: N/A Zoopla value estimate: N/A
■ Dunline (formerly The Cedars) Knollbury
Date of purchase: March 2017 Purchase price: £365,000 Current status: Vacant Rental income: N/A Zoopla value estimate: N/A
■ Quarry Cottage, Coedkernew
Date of purchase: June 2017 Purchase price: £453,000 Current status: Vacant Rental income: N/A Zoopla value estimate: £559,000
■ Danygraig, Coedkernew
Date of purchase: August 2018 Purchase price: £495,000 Current status: Vacant Rental income: N/A Zoopla value estimate: N/A ■ Coedkernew House, Coedkernew
Date of purchase: April 2019 Purchase price: £575,000 Current status: Vacant Rental income: N/A Zoopla value estimate: N/A
■ The Croft, Coedkernew
Date of purchase: April 2019 Purchase price: £400,000 Current status: Vacant Rental income: N/A Zoopla value estimate: £431,000
■ Little Orchard, Coedkernew
Date of purchase: December 2018 Purchase price: £400,000 Current status: Tenanted Rental income: £10,200 per annum
Zoopla value estimate: N/A
■ Old Court Farm, Rogiet
Date of purchase: March 2018 Purchase price: £2,354,617 Current status: Tenanted Rental income: £21,436 per annum
Zoopla value estimate: N/A
■ Court Farm, Rogiet
Date of purchase: May 2018 Purchase price: £1,714,085 Current status: Tenanted Rental income: £19,008 Zoopla value estimate: N/A * Properties sold on by Welsh Government:
■ The Stud Farm, Coedkernew
Date of purchase: January 2000 Purchase price: £315,000 Current status: Sold
Date of sale: March 2004 Sale price: £450,000
■ Lower Lakes Farm, Newport
Date of purchase: January 1995 Purchase price: £170,000 Current status: Sold
Date of sale: January 1997 Sale price: £135,000
■ Pye Corner House, Nash
Date of purchase: April 1996 Purchase price: £120,000 Current status: Sold Date of sale: January 2002 Sale price: £178,000
■ Ysgubor Newydd, Coedkernew
Date of purchase: September
1996
Purchase price: £220,000 Current status: Sold Date of sale: March 2004 Sale price: £361,000
■ Moorbarn, Nash
Date of purchase: December 1996 Purchase price: £192,500 Current status: Sold
Date of sale: July 1997
Sale price: £167,000
■ The Maerdy, Coedkernew
Date of purchase: April 2003 Purchase price: £680,000 Current status: Sold Date of sale: November 2011 Sale price: £605,000
■ Rose Cottage, Knollbury
Date of purchase: May 10 Purchase price: £360,000 Current status: Sold Date of sale: July 2011 Sale price: £244,735