HAVERFORDWEST’S Cherry Grove, bought by the county council, has been a £3m white elephant which is likely to be sold off - if anyone will buy it, members of the council heard.

The former tax office building was purchased by the council back in 2011, in a move now described as a 'scandalous waste of taxpayers' money.'

Councillors have previously heard purchase costs amounted to £631,600, empty property business rates cost £25,778, staff relocation cost £11,685, with then-expected refurbishment costs projected at £1,778,315.

At the December 14 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, Hubberston councillor Viv Stoddart asked: “The demolition costs of Cherry Grove have been quoted to be £400,000. This figure comes on top of the £3m costs of acquiring and maintaining the building. Will the council consider producing a detailed report as to how the Authority blundered into this situation?”

Cabinet Member for Finance Cllr Bob Kilmister said it was likely the building would be required surplus and sold off, if a buyer could be found.

“I sincerely hope we’ve learned many lessons from this corporate mistake,” added Cllr Kilmister.

Cllr Stoddart, who described Cherry Grove as “the folly on the hill,” added: “In the six years since we purchased this building, this white elephant; the previous administration have been in denial about it.

“If this happened, this scandalous waste of taxpayers’ money, in the private sector heads would roll.”

Cllr Kilmister, who had said there would be no report expected, replied: “This has been a huge corporate error, it’s still a building that’s 30 per cent empty at the moment, and is extremely unpopular with the people in it.

“The sooner it comes off our books the happier I will be.”

Describing it as “a scandalous waste of money,” he added: “It’s almost certain it will be declared as surplus and sold.”

A decision is expected early in 2018.