A PUBLICLY-OWNED former respite home is being auctioned off despite an offer which could have helped reduce the city’s large housing list.

Worcestershire County Council is selling numbers 6 to 8 Howard Road in Dines Green at public auction today with a guide price of £200,000 through agents Andrew Grant.

The listing is advertising “an opportunity to create two residential properties”.

But the sale means the publicly-owned property will almost certainly go into private sector, despite an offer by a housing association which could have seen the homes go to help tackle the city’s housing list, currently standing at more than 4,000.

The property was once two semi-detached homes which were knocked into a single dwelling and used for respite care by Mencap, according to the county council.

Mencap – which supports people with learning disabilities and their families – had leased the property but ended its agreement last year.

Housing association Wor-cester Community Housing (WCH) contacted the county council with an offer of £75,000 in December.

Another £75,000 would then have been spent recreating the original individual semi-detached homes and replacing the bathrooms, kitchens, fixtures and fittings, heating and insulation.

Andy Howarth, WCH finance director, said: “The county council would have made a financial return but not as good as they are expecting at public auction.

“They have to take a view on raising money for the taxpayer, but there is an expectation land in public ownership should be first looked at for social housing use.”

Mike Williams, county council estates service group leader, said: “The tenants did not wish to renew their lease and on the rehousing of the residents, the property became surplus to the county council’s requirements. The property was therefore offered to other public sector bodies including Worcester City Council, however there was no interest and so the decision was taken to sell it on the open market.”

The property now looks set to go into private hands, with the new owner needing to invest in “complete refurbishment”, according to Jonathan Mountford, Andrew Grant’s commercial department manager.

“You would need to apply for change of use back to a residential property and convert it back into one or two homes,” he said.

The auction is at the Crown and Sandys pub at 6pm today.