D.I.Y-sore: The Botched Renovation Which Has Taken Four Years And Wiped £20 000 Off The Value Of Neighbouring Homes

D.I.Y-sore: The botched renovation which has taken four years and wiped £20,000 off the value of neighbouring homesGerald Watkins taken to court after complaints from locals in South Wales
Neighbour: 'This is a nice street but his house looks like a complete dump'
Council orders parts be made good or pulled down as property is unsafe By
Published: 05:53 EST, 7 May 2013 | Updated: 06:51 EST, 7 May 2013






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A civil servant has been fined almost £1,000 after years of botched DIY left his house in such a decrepit state it slashed the value of homes in the same street by £20,000.

Gerald Watkins, 66, was hauled to court after neighbours complained his tumbledown property in South Wales was 'lowering the tone' of their area and planners called it dangerous.

The once grand house in Newport is covered in scaffolding and several parts appear to be rotten and falling down, despite four years of work being done.
Run down: Gerald Watkins, 66, has been fined almost £1,000 because of the poor state of his home in Newport, South Wales

A court heard Mr Watkin's messy makeover of his three-bedroomed semi was so 'unpleasant and unsightly' that it was spoiling the neighbourhood.

The derelict-looking house stands out like a sore thumb in a street of smart houses valued at up to £250,000 - and neighbours claim it is devaluing their homes by £20,000.


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'This is a nice street but his house looks like a complete dump. He started doing it up years ago - but is still miles away from finishing it,' one neighbour said.


Mr Watkins was fined £400 with more than £500 costs after being taken to court by his local council for ignoring an enforcement notice to carry out repair work.


He had been ordered to repair or demolish a garage, repaint window frames, clear vegetation in his garden and improve front door and roof slates.
Repairs: The council has ordered works to be carried out across the house as it is a safety risk and an eye-sore


Problems: Neighbours claim the house has brought down the area and reduced the value of their properties by up to £20,000

The order to maintain his property was made in September 2011.


But when he did nothing about his house in the suburb of Allt-yr-yn, Newport, South Wales, council bosses lost patience with him and prosecuted him.


Council solicitor Ian Cadenhead said: 'The property has not been maintained in the manner it should have been and has had a detrimental effect on the amenity of the area.


'It has a prominent location on the street and has impacted on its appearance.


'It is unpleasant and unmaintained and could pose a danger to the street if a fire breaks out there. If you adored this article and also you would like to get more info regarding garage door repair henderson nv - Www.Citysearch.com said - kindly visit our own site. '


The court at Abergavenny was told that the council were not certain if Mr Watkins even lived at the property.


Mr Cadenhead said: 'It's a shame it couldn't have been dealt with by paint being bought and a bit more work.'
Down hill: The three-bedroom-semi has been worked on for four years but still looks like this, a court was told


Criticisms: The people living in this pretty Welsh street, with views of surrounding hills, claim the property is 'lowering the tone'
Action: The council got involved in the case after neighbours in the South Wales street said they had enough


Mr Watkins did not appear in court and the case was found proved in his absence. He was fined £400 and ordered to pay £527 costs.


The house was yesterday covered in scaffolding, the front door of the lean-top porch is flapping open, guttering is hanging loose and a downstairs windows is smashed.


One neighbour said: 'We've been on at the council for years to do something about it.


'At times the gardens have looked like a jungle or a forest out of Lord of the Rings.


'There's been a fire inside the house and it has been broken into a couple of times.


'This is a lovely street spoiled by one house and it's probably lowered the values by at least £20,000.


'No-one knows much about Mr Watkins - he doesn't seem to live here but he visits occasionally.


'We only hope now he will pull his finger out and bring the house up to scratch.'
 




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