Bleak House previously known as the Peveril Pub/Hotel which had fallen into a state of disrepair awaiting resolution of a long running ownership dispute looks set for a brighter future.
Bleak House previously known as the Peveril Pub/Hotel which had fallen into a state of disrepair awaiting resolution of a long running ownership dispute looks set for a brighter future with new owners reimbursing Ransey Town Commissioners for part of their expense in making the building safe. The end of the saga over the future of Bleak House was reported by Isle of Man Today on 29 August 2022.
The full article is reproduced below:
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Bleak House saga to endBy Adrian Darbyshire
Monday 29th August 2022 12:00 pm
The long-running saga over the island’s most infamous derelict building looks to have ended at last.
Ramsey Commissioners have reached an agreement with the new owners of Peveril Court – better known as Bleak House – that will see the authority recoup £20,000 of the £50,000 it paid out to prevent the property from falling further into dangerous disrepair.
Town hall chiefs say it is disappointing that they haven’t been able to claim back the full amount but are hopeful the eyesore building can now be restored to its former glory by its new owners.
Amid deadlock between freeholder and leaseholders, it was rechristened Bleak House in a nod to the Charles Dickens novel of the same name which similarly involves an irreconcilable dispute between two parties.
With the seafront building having become increasingly derelict, the commissioners were forced to intervene.
The local authority said it was ‘unfortunate’ that it had had to serve an improvement notice on the then owners and ultimately carry out works to replace the roof and stop the building from deteriorating further, preventing the public from being injured.
This work to the roof was completed just over 10 years ago.
The local authority said it was ‘fantastic news’ that the leaseholds for the flats within the building are now owned by one company, unrelated to the previous owners of the building, and with a good track record in developing property to a high standard.
Its aim is to refurbish the building as flats.
The freehold, meanwhile, is currently under Coroner’s arrest, and this relates to the money owed to the commissioners for the work to the roof.
Talks between the company and the local authority resulted in an initial offer being made which was rejected.
But a new offer, double the first, has now been accepted for the freehold of Peveril Court.
The legal process is currently under way for the commissioners to release the hold it has over the freehold.
Ramsey Commissioners spent slightly more than £50,000 in carrying out the works to Peveril Court, and the offer it has accepted is £20,000.
Commissioners’ chairman Ffinlo Williams said: ‘Ramsey is a vibrant town with a fantastic built heritage and Peveril Court has been a problem for well over 15 years.
‘Ramsey Commissioners needed to take action to protect this building.
‘We are delighted that the developer now has control of the building and can start the long hard task of returning it to its former glory.
‘While it’s disappointing that we haven’t been able to claim back the full amount at this stage, it was important to accept what was available in order for all parties to move forward.’
At one point a widow was living alone in Bleak House without mains power or electricity.
Jane Morris was a shareholder with her late husband Michael of the company that then owned the building.
She blamed his death from a heart attack on the stress he was under in his long-running battle to save – as he saw it – the property from demolition."
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