Cottage sty
Reporter: BEATRIZ AYALA
Date published: 29 May 2009
Beauty-spot building is going to ruin
A PICTURESQUE cottage in Daisy Nook country park is being allowed to fall into disrepair by Oldham Council.
Paul Tucker (63) said he is heartbroken every time he visits The Hencote cottage, in Crime Lane, which is owned by the National Trust and has been unoccupied for 10 years.
The grandfather, from Ashton, moved to the listed cottage in 1954 aged eight after his family became park wardens and his mother lived there until her death in 1999.
In 2001, Oldham Council accepted a 10-year repair lease from the National Trust to maintain the property and grounds. Mr Tucker claims the cottage, which has been repeatedly vandalised, has only had patch up jobs and the council has not kept its side of the deal.
He said: “Before my mum Elsie died, I put in a new kitchen, bathroom, and floorboards and a damp-proof course.
“But since her death nothing has been done.
“Someone came to paint the interior walls but most of the windows and doors have been boarded up. Windows not boarded have been smashed.”
Mr Tucker said he offered to live in the cottage to prevent further vandalism but was refused.
He said: “Oldham Council say it has got plans for the cottage but won’t say what. It hasn’t the will to spend the money where it is needed.
“The cottage has been totally neglected. One day, all that will be left is a burned-out shell, and that won’t be very long off.”
A spokeswoman for the National Trust said it was “very aware” of the state of disrepair at the cottage which is on a repair lease to the council until 2011.
She said despite several meetings with council representatives over the past 18 months, work specified under the lease had not been done.
She said: “Following a break-in at the cottage earlier this month, the National Trust drew up a revised schedule of works and sent it to Oldham Council’s surveyor.
“A response was received on May 14 advising the Trust that the council was “currently awaiting client approval to refer the schedule to our quantity surveyor — and we will be in touch as soon as possible”.
“To date the Trust has received no further communication and will shortly have no recourse other than to take matters in hand, carry out work to the property amd pass on the costs.”
Councillor Brian Lord, cabinet member for adult services and health, said: “The council has earmarked the cottage as the site of a visitor centre for the use of local people with learning difficulties.
“Work planning the refurbishment is ongoing and the end result will be an excellent facility for the study of nature by local people who would not otherwise have the opportunity.”
