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Estates Management

The Estates Team deal with a wide range of estate management matters including:

Asset Management planning
Acquisition and Disposal of Land and Buildings
St Tydfils Shopping Centre
Community Asset Transfers
Management of records of Council Land and property ownership
Grazing Licences
Garage & Garden Agreements
Compensation and Compulsory Purchase
Land Charges searches
Commons Registration
Land and property Reviews
Office Accommodation

Asset Management Planning

The public sector continues to face stringent challenges over the coming years, with constrained budgets demanding radical re-thinking about how and where services should be delivered in the future. Effective Asset Management within the public sector will be essential in responding to these challenges, specifically in the areas of delivering financial efficiencies through reducing the size of property portfolios, re-shaping property portfolios to align to more efficient service delivery models, and developing strategies that set a robust path for the property portfolio. The Audit Commission state that “Managing public assets effectively provides value for money, enhances public services and delivers wider economic, environmental and social outcomes for local communities.”

The Council’s Asset Management Plan will give a flavour of how we will be managing our portfolio over the coming years.

Acquisition and Disposal of Land and Buildings

The Local Authority in certain circumstances needs to acquire land or buildings within the County Borough for development and improvement. Whilst this is normally by agreement, we also have compulsory purchase powers that we can call on where terms can’t be agreed or if there are unknown owners.

The Council also disposes of land and buildings to property developers, housing associations and individuals.

How do I purchase, lease or rent a property or piece of land that I am interested in?

Write or email Corporate Property at the address below giving a brief reason as to why you are interested in purchasing the property or piece of land and enclose a sketch identifying the property or land.

We will firstly confirm whether the property is in Council ownership and advise you of this. If the property is Council owned, enquiries will be made with other Council Departments to establish whether the property or land is still needed by the Council, or whether it is surplus to requirements and can be disposed of, leased or rented.

This can be a lengthy process but we will endeavour to get back to you as soon as we can. You are also welcome to contact us at any time during the process for an update on your application.

Please note that if a property or piece of land is to be disposed of, be it by way of lease or freehold sale, our normal practice is to advertise on the open market or put to auction. The exceptions to this would be if there is only one realistic purchaser or a direct sale would give a direct social, economic or environmental benefit or satisfy one of the Council’s corporate priorities. You will be informed of our intentions if the property is available for sale.

If you wish to be included on our mailing list to be advised of available property, please complete and return the form below to:-

E-mail: estates.department@merthyr.gov.uk

In writing to Corporate Property, Unit 5 Triangle Business Park, Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 4TQ.

mailing list

St Tydfils Shopping Centre

Merthyr Tydfil’s shopping centre is now owned by the County Borough Council with the intention of it playing a major role in the authority’s town centre ‘Masterplan’. It is located in the heart of the town centre, sandwiched between the new and old bus station sites, both of which are also owned by the Council. There are currently 48 units including numerous well-known shops. There is also an Indoor Market on the first floor and 24 Maisonette Flats also form part of the Shopping Centre.

If you require further information on available units, please call 01685 384468 or see our website at

https://sttydfilshoppingcentre.co.uk/

Community Asset Transfers

In certain circumstances, assets will become surplus to the authorities needs or they may be mothballed or disposed of if the Authority no longer has a budget to manage them.

These may be of interest to community groups to ensure continuity of a particular service and mean that the community can own and/or manage facilities that may otherwise be lost, closed down or disposed of.

Community Asset Transfers involve the transfer of the management of Council buildings and/or land to a not for personal profit community organisation, social enterprise or Community Council. Whilst our preferred type of agreement would be of a long lease, we are flexible as to the length of agreement and will also consider shorter term agreements. The structure of the agreement will be determined on a case by case basis depending on the property, funding etc.

Types of property have, to date, included community centres, bowling pavilions, former library, former chapel, sports grounds and changing rooms although the type of property is not restricted.

All leases will be at full market rent although, in certain circumstances, community groups are able to apply for rental grants, applicable on a three year basis. Sustainability is key in achieving long term success of such facilities.

Details of the Councils policy and procedure can be provided upon request.

Land & Property Ownership Enquiries

The Estates Department keep and update a record of all Council owned land with the County Borough of Merthyr Tydfil.

Whilst enquiries are preferred by e-mail due to agile working, you can also enquire in writing.

E-mail: estates.department@merthyr.gov.uk

In writing to Corporate Property, Unit 5 Triangle Business Park, Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 4TQ.

Tel: 01687 726235

Please include details of the location of the land or property and enclose a sketch if this will assist the search.

If the Council owns the property or land we will confirm this to you. If the property or land is not in Council Ownership and we do not know the identity of the owner, we will confirm this and you can contact The Land Registry for Wales. The current website address is https://www.gov.uk/get-information-about-property-and-land

If you believe an area of land that is confirmed as being in Council ownership is being unlawfully occupied with a belief that the occupant intends making a claim to own the land, please advise us and we will investigate any unauthorised occupation. Any reports of this will be treated in confidence.

Ownership of private property?

Please contact The Land Registry for Wales. The current website address is https://www.gov.uk/search-property-information-land-registry

The Land Registry will be unable to assist you if it turns out that the land concerned is unregistered. In which case there are various other routes of enquiry you may wish to take. These could include, but are not limited to;

enquiries locally with neighbours;
enquiries of local councillors for the area;
erecting site notices;
checking for any planning applications that affect the land/property;
press notices;
social media notices;
enquire of adjoining owners.

Who owns a boundary fence or wall?

Whilst enquiries are preferred by e-mail due to agile working, you can also enquire in writing. Boundary enquiries that we can help with are limited to areas of land/property currently in Council ownership or those that have been Council owned in the past although records are often ambiguous.

E-mail: estates.department@merthyr.gov.uk

In writing to Corporate Property, Unit 5 Triangle Business Park, Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 4TQ.

Tel: 01687 726235

Please include details of the location of the land or property and enclose a sketch if this will aid the search.

Unfortunately, boundary information is often not available although we will do our best to assist if we can. If we are unable to help, we would suggest contacting the Land Registry for Wales at https://www.gov.uk/search-property-information-land-registry

When was a Property Built?

Corporate Property often get asked when a property was built for the purpose of household insurance renewals.

We do not hold records of when a property was constructed. Whilst we have access to historic Ordnance Survey maps and can sometimes give a range of years by comparing different editions, we cannot provide precise information.

Grazing Licences

The Council own land within the County Borough that, whilst may not be suitable for development, can be used for grazing of horses and sometimes (but rarely) cattle. The majority of sites are tendered on a 3 years basis and the grazing season runs from 1^st April to 31^st December of each year. Some sites will occasionally be vacated within the three year period but all will be advertised in the Merthyr Express and social media.

If you wish to be included on our mailing list to be advised of availability of grazing sites, please complete and return the form below

mailing list

Garage and Garden Agreements

The Estates Department manage any Council owed garages, which are not on former Council residential estates. These are limited in number and we operate a waiting list for these.

We also rent out plots of land where applicants are able to construct their own garage subject to planning consent being obtained.

For further information on availability and current charges please e-mail

estates.department@merthyr.gov.uk

We also prepare and manage garden agreements. These can exist where an applicant is interested in purchasing land immediately adjoining their property that is not available for sale or where a land purchase is not affordable to them. They are also used where a property owner has crept onto land outside of their legal boundary and can regularise a potential claim of adverse possession.

Land Charges Searches

From 19 July 2022 we no longer provide a local land charges search service.

Our Local Land Charges Register has now migrated to HM Land Registry’s national register. You will be able to access a new digital service through Portal, Business Gateway and on HM Land Registry’s GOV.UK pages.

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council will continue to provide replies to Con29 enquiries. Up to date information on our fees for this can be located at https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/business/land-property-and-facilities/local-land-charges-searches/

Commons Registration

We keep records of Common Land within the County Borough and enquiries relating to this still form part of the CON29 Optional Enquiry form, and you should tick Enquiry No 22. Up to date information on fees can be found at https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/business/land-property-and-facilities/local-land-charges-searches/

Land and Property Reviews

All assets held are owned Corporately and appropriated to holding departments (Service Areas) depending on their operational requirements.

Reviews are regularly undertaken and as a result of this continued exercise some assets are released for disposal and others appropriated to the most appropriate service areas. Various categories of assets are reviewed and can include tenanted garage plots, sub station leases, low value leases, garden tenancies, grazing tenancies. This can result in sales receipts being generated and the remaining portfolio being better managed in accordance with the Corporate Asset Management Plan.

Office Accommodation

Measurement of the performance of the office accommodation portfolio is necessary to improve efficiencies, reduce costs and provide effective service delivery. Specific performance indicators and year on year targets have been established within the Asset Management Plan and are being monitored regularly. The measures relate to the Councils total office accommodation costs and to the average space occupied per person.

The condition of the office accommodation properties have improved significantly over recent years following the release of many poor condition properties and investment in the Civic Centre and Unit 5. Major works to replace the roof and windows at the Civic Centre have recently taken place.

The Covid 19 pandemic has forced the implementation of agile working due to the Government advice to work from home wherever possible. This has brought forward the Council plans for Agile Working. Since January 2021, agile working has been adopted as the Councils preferred working method with attendance at offices only on the basis of an identified business need. Continued mentoring, the unavailability of safe home working spaces or mental health needs of individuals are acceptable reasons for office working, providing this is managed effectively.

It is necessary to continually carry out suitability and sufficiency surveys with all stakeholders, including Senior Managers, staff and service users/members of the public, in terms of the office accommodation provision. In doing this, the Council must ensure that the portfolio complies with all relevant statutory and health and safety legislation as far as is practically possible.