Sad to see The Wantage neglected

I write in support of Barry Elkington’s letter expressing concern about the actions of the developer who owns the Grade II listed building Wantage on Castle Hill.

This is one of the few houses of architectural interest in Kenilworth and it is sad to see it being neglected and run down in the name of property profiteering. I hope the council will continue to fulfil its duty and uphold the law by making the owner undertake the necessary repairs to keep the building safe. Buying a listed building means taking on the legal duty and responsibility for preserving it. Damage is visible from the street. It seems that the owners may be following the time-honoured tradition of unscrupulous property developers across the country in allowing their listed property to fall into disrepair in order to justify its partial destruction.

I also support Mr Elkington’s comments about the price at which that the property is being offered. As the property sold in 2010 for £1.05 million it seems clear that the current asking price of £1.75 million is grossly inflated. It is tempting to assume that this has been done to support the developers’ argument that the property is not saleable as it stands. Nothing is saleable if you offer it for nearly twice what it’s worth.- Kathleen Peabody via email.

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