WORK has begun on Normandy house in Penarth after years of it being derelict and boarded up as it is structurally unsafe.

Normandy is a beautifully proportioned Victorian villa, solidly constructed in local stone, which has stood in its prominent position near Penarth Esplanade for well over 120 years.

Over the last couple of years Normandy appears to have been mysteriously dismantling itself - without, so it seems, any sort of intervention.

The building has deteriorated rapidly over the last few years and is now boarded up in a derelict condition without a roof and with vegetation growing out of the chimneys.

Contractors are currently on the site at Bridgeman Road, and have been for over a month now.

More News

How to get on the Covid-19 vaccine reserve list in the Vale

Free public Wifi speed upgraded across the Vale

ITV weather presenter Ruth Dodsworth in inspiring message

However, the Vale of Glamorgan Council have confirmed that the building is not being torn down.

A spokesperson for the council said that they had been “consulted on work to remove part of the building that was considered structurally unsafe.”

They also confirmed that a planning application has not been submitted for the renovation of Normandy Manor, as the works are “restricted to the alteration of the building, rather than its full demolition so it is not required, neither is conservation area consent.

The manor lies inside the Penarth Conservation Area.

The previous owner of the iconic house that fell into disrepair was fined more than £3,000 for failing to comply with an enforcement notice to carry out necessary building work.

Michael Boland, 78, changed his plea to guilty on the day that he appeared at Cardiff and Vale Magistrates Court.

He had been accused of failing to comply with a Vale of Glamorgan Council enforcement notice for the once-grande Normandy house on Bridgeman Road.

Renovation work is also happening at the neighbouring Ashdene Manor, which is being converted into three apartments, with an extension on either side for a further six apartments, making a total of nine new homes.

A previous application for a total of seven apartments including an extension on the site was withdrawn in February 2015.