http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/4368979.stm
No doubt the local authority had a nice government grant again!
Lack of information was used by my local authority about a similar issue, including sending out letters to invite people to complain. They sent the letters out to very few residents, and some of the houses they sent letters to had been demolished over 20 years ago.
Local councils do not care over these issues, as long as its not in a councillors back yard they just rub their hands at the government hand outs for such schemes. They are really in luck if they already have a building or land that they cannot get rid of, as they are able to claim full inflated market value from the grant and pour the money into prop up the councils overspending.