MEMBERS of the public are wrong to think their local council owns most of a town centre, its leader has said.

A high proportion of vacant buildings has been considered as a blight on Pontypool town centre and Torfaen Borough Council does offer grant support to bring them into use.

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........

© South Wales Argus