Torfaen council leader: 'We don't own Pontypool town centre'
But its leader Anthony Hunt said people often think the local authority owns more buildings in Pontypool than it does.
The grade-II listed Pearl House building in the centre of Pontypool has been refurbished as temporary homeless accommodation and is owned by Torfaen council.
He was speaking as the council's Labour cabinet approved an asset management strategy for buildings, both in and out of use, it does own and which has identified a maintenance backlog or around £19 million.
'Most capital money has gone to schools in the past 20 years and that has left a backlog there and how do we start to address that and change perceptions?' said Cllr Hunt.
'Sometimes there is a perception that we own far more than we do such as Pontypool town centre, we don't own 95 per cent of Pontypool town centre. It's about not setting unrealistic expectations on buildings owned by other people.'
Gareth Beer, the council's head of economy and place, said: 'There is a perception the council owns pretty much everything within any town centre, we don't. Cwmbran being a good example.
A disused shop in the centre of Pontypool.
'In Pontypool we're working very closely with the task group that's been established. I think it's really about managing the messaging. The council owns key assets within Pontypool town centre so our investment in those assets is really important in terms of changing hearts and minds. Those are regeneration elements that sit alongside but are beyond the pure asset management approach.'
Mr Beer said local communities and businesses need to understand plans for town centres and 'who owns what' and said the council will work with property owners and developers to bring forward regeneration plans.
The officer also said the council has now identified around £4m in its budget, including Welsh Government funding for schools, to address maintenance issues.
Torfaen council is currently leading an £11m investment in Pontypool, supported by £7m from the UK Government and private finance, to redevelop the public toilets in Hanbury Road into a cafe and revamp the Glantorvaen car park, both of which are council owned buildings. The scheme will also bring the derelict and privately owned St James Church back into use as an events venue.
The regeneration project is intended to attract footfall from Pontypool Park into the town centre, much of which is a conservation area, and support a night time economy.
The vacant George pub in Pontypool where police raided a cannabis factory on Valentine's Day 2024.
The council's agreed assets management strategy will establish a 'corporate landlord' model for the council which will have ownership of all its assets, other than schools, rather than individual service areas.
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The council owns and manages more than 1,000 assets valued at around £332m and they will now be divided into seven classes.
One of those is development and regeneration which are buildings that support economic growth and include Pontypool Indoor Market and Cwmbran's Springboard Innovation Centre.
The other categories are operational from which the council and its partners deliver services, education for schools, green spaces including local nature reserves and Cwmbran Boating Lake, community and heritage including libraries, leisure centres and cemeteries and investment which generate income for the council such as industrial units, shops and commercial offices it lets.
There will also be a disposal class of buildings that could be sold and data such as around their use and condition will help determine if properties should be considered for disposal.
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