EVESHAM Town Council has announced it has taken legal action against the owner of the town hall following the continued neglect of the historic building’s structure and fabric.
Issues surrounding the Grade II-listed building situated in the heart of Market Square have reached crisis point, with rotting timbers resulting in water seepage into internal rooms and damage to the clock tower.
Despite repeated appeals and direct engagement by the council, PJK Investments has failed to carry out essential maintenance to the exterior of the building and has been issued with a Section 146 Notice for breach of its lease conditions.
“It is both deeply frustrating and entirely unacceptable that the town council has been forced into this position,” councillor Robert Raphael, the mayor of Evesham, said.
“The town hall is not just bricks and mortar – it is a symbol of Evesham’s heritage, civic pride, and community life. That its condition has been allowed to slide in this way is an affront not only to the council but to the residents of this town.”
As reported by the Observer last July, PJK Investments, which is based in Henley-in-Arden, holds leaseholder responsibility for maintaining the building’s structure and is aware of the ongoing issues but has failed to take remedial action.
This dereliction of duty mirrors their handling of the controversial Riverside Shopping Centre, another prominent property in its portfolio, which sits directly across the Market Square from the town hall and has been left in a dilapidated state, drawing multiple complaints from residents and businesses.
“The neglect shown by PJK Investments toward both of these central, highly visible buildings speaks volumes. It shows a disturbing disregard for the town’s architectural heritage and local community.
“These are not anonymous warehouses on the outskirts of town – these are buildings at the heart of Evesham,” Coun Raphael added.
The Section 146 notice now places PJK Investments under a legal obligation to remedy the defects to the town hall without further delay. If the company – registered to businessman Patrick James Kelly – fails to act, the council has said it will consider all legal options available.
“This is not an action we take lightly, but after exhausting all other avenues, we are left with no choice. We cannot and will not stand by while the condition of our town hall – a historic and much-loved building – is allowed to deteriorate further,” said the mayor.
PJK Investments has been responsible for the upkeep of the town hall since 2017 when it acquired a full repairing long lease.
