Council puts historic mansion up for auction

A historic house which has cost a Devon council nearly £500,000 to maintain in recent years has been put up for sale.

Plymouth City Council said the Grade II listed Pounds House in Central Park had been put on the market as it could not identify a use for the mansion, which dates back to 1825 and has sat empty since 2017.

The council said it had spent £490,787 in the past five years on repairs, security and insurance for the house but it needed to "focus its efforts elsewhere".

The authority bought the house in the 1920s and it has had a variety of uses including as a library, wedding venue and cafe.

The council said significant external work was needed at the site and taking it off the books would "remove a substantial liability for maintenance".

Councillor Chris Penberthy, cabinet member for housing, cooperative development and communities, said the council wanted to make sure the building would be "loved for the long term".

"We have not identified a council use for the building that would warrant large scale investment and need to focus our efforts elsewhere," he said.

"It is a shame, but we need to be pragmatic and offer this as an opportunity which we hope others will grasp."

The house is due to go auction in the next few months.

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