THE HEAD of Vale of Evesham Civic Society has welcomed the news that the town council has taken legal action against the owner of the town hall, which requires urgent repairs.
The Observer reported on April 18 that despite repeated appeals and direct engagement by the council, leaseholders PJK Investments had failed to carry out essential maintenance on the exterior of the building and issued with a Section 146 Notice for breach of lease conditions.
Gill Pawson said that the society was ‘very pleased’ to learn that Evesham Town Council had instigated legal proceedings to require Patrick Kelly, its director, to undertake essential remedial work to the Grade II-listed building on Market Square.
“This historic building has been suffering from a lack of maintenance since this company took over the ownership of the building.
“Unless external repairs are carried out, the town council is prevented from undertaking improvements to the interior, as any such improvements would be at serious risk of damage due to water ingress when it rains.
“If this action is successful, we hope similar action will be taken to require owners of other listed buildings in the town to repair their buildings.”
The notice was issued by solicitors acting for the town council on April 11, which gives Henley-in-Arden-based PJK Investments three months to commence the repairs before further action is taken.
Speaking at the time, the mayor of Evesham, Councillor Robert Raphael, said: “It is both deeply frustrating and entirely unacceptable that the town council has been forced into this position.
“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.”
Gill spoke of her frustration about the current state of the building when we first reported the issue in April 2024 and said ‘the town deserves better’.
PJK Investments is also responsible for the Riverside Shopping Centre, which is at the centre of controversy due to its dilapidated state, drawing multiple complaints from residents and businesses alike.
The company was granted a full repairing long lease of the town hall in 2017, an arrangement which Wychavon District Council originally set up in 1989 and is thus responsible for the external repairs.
