IT is ‘highly likely’ that Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cherry Grove building, which was bought for over £2,000,000 in 2011, will be declared surplus to requirements.

Questions have long been raised about the council’s purchase of the building and previous leaders defended their actions saying it would be beneficial and good value for money.

However, at a meeting of the Council on Thursday, December 14, it was revealed that the building is likely to be deemed surplus to requirements.

Cllr Viv Stoddart described Cherry Grove as a ‘white elephant’ and said that the council had been in denial about the building ever since they brought it in 2011.

Cllr Stoddart asked: “The demolition costs of Haverfordwest’s Cherry Grove have been quoted to be £400,000. This figure comes on top of the £3 million costs of acquiring and maintaining the building. Will the Council consider producing a detailed report as to how the Authority blundered into this situation?”

Cllr Kilmister replied: “The purchase of Cherry Grove took place in 2011, it was led by the former head of property acting on the instructions of the former chief executive.

“It is very likely that this building will be declared surplus to requirements and disposed of.

“I share Cllr Stoddart’s concern that a detailed report will not provide us with any benefit. I sincerely hope that we have already learned lessons from this corporate mistake.”

Cllr Stoddart added: “In 2011, when I challenged this purchase, the then leader John Davies said it would improve the authority’s efficiency and it had been brought at a very favourable price.

“The former leader, again when I challenged this purchase, Jamie Adams said ‘Cherry Grove represents good value for money and would be put to good use’.

“At a similar meeting I was chastised by Cllr Adams for quizzing whether this represented value for money and he chastised me saying perhaps I wanted to see the building fall into disrepair and it was important that it should not fall into disrepair.

“I call Cherry Grove the folly on the hill, I hear what you say, we are where we are. In the six years since this white elephant was brought, the previous administration had been in denial about it so would you agree with me that this scandalous waste of taxpayers’ money, if this had happened in the private sector, heads would roll?”

Cllr Kilmister said: “I agree with every word you have said in terms of that. This has been, in my view, a huge corporate error by this authority to purchase the building which is 30% empty at the present moment despite the amount that has been spent on it, it’s extremely unpopular with the people that work in it and it has high running costs. The sooner it comes off our books, the better it will be.

“I’m sure the people did it with good intention, but it is a complete and utter corporate folly, there is no need for that building which is why I have said it is almost certain it will be declared surplus.”

Cllr Jacob Williams also asked about the cost of the building and what its future would be.

Cllr Kilmister said: “The cost of purchasing and refurbishing Cherry Grove was £2,209,000. There are other costs in terms of running it since 2011.

“At a seminar there was significant support for releasing and disposing of Cherry Grove. It is highly likely that the building will be declared as surplus to requirements and disposed of. A Cabinet report to consider this option in the New Year.”

Cllr Jacob Williams said he was supportive of the demolition of the site and added that he felt that the County Hall wasn’t being used to its full capacity.

Cllr Kilmister finished by saying they have certainly never had ‘value for money’ out of Cherry Grove.