A bungalow left to decay for 30 years is proving a nightmare for neighbours – as rats invade their gardens.

With sea views and a quiet neighbourhood, homes in West Cliff Gardens in Herne Bay are among the most desirable in the Canterbury district.

But the street’s tranquillity is marred by the derelict property, formerly known as White Wings, which residents and estate agents say is dragging down house prices.

Over the past three decades, weeds have thrived – with a significant proportion of the plot now completely covered by nettles and brambles.

Next-door neighbour and grandmother-of-three Michelle Houghman says the home, on the corner with West Cliff Drive, has been in a “state of decay” ever since she moved there nine years ago.

“We can sit out in the garden and the rats that live in the house come through the fence – so I don’t let the grandchildren play in the garden or the pool anymore,” said Ms Houghman, 57.

“Our cat won’t even go outside anymore because he’s scared of whatever is in the house. It’s in a state of decay and it’s bringing down the value of the properties around here.”

A local estate agent, who asked not to be named, estimates that the presence of the bungalow could take 5% off the sale price of adjacent homes, which could translate to as much as £50,000 in potential losses.

In its current dilapidated state, he believes the property would sell for between £350,000 and £450,000.

“If it were done up right as a bungalow, we’re probably talking up to £750,000 and if someone were to tear it down and build a house it could go for a £1 million, £1.2 million,” he said.

“It’s always a shame when particularly desirable plots are sitting fallow, but I have to say this particular plot is not acceptable.”

Images from Google Maps, below, show the progression of the bunaglow’s decay from 2009 to 2022.

Precisely why it has been allowed to fall into disrepair is the subject of much neighbourhood speculation.

Canterbury City Council says “it would not be appropriate” to reveal why the owner has not looked into options for bringing the property back into use.

Maureen and Arthur Doran have lived down the road from the abandoned bungalow for 23 years and say that not only is it ugly, but it has attracted antisocial behaviour over the years.

“Around 2001 some kids came around and smashed all the windows – it looks rotten,” said Ms Doran, 85.

“The house is just being wasted – there’s got to be some family with kids that would absolutely love that house.

“It’s so sad. I don’t think we’ll ever see it turned nice.”

City councillor Andrew Harvey, who represents the ward, says he has received numerous calls from local residents asking for something to be done about the eyesore.

The Green representative, who campaigned on “sorting out empty properties”, says the neglected property is a disgrace, especially given the relative scarcity of housing in the district.

“There was something on one of my flyers about sorting out empty properties – not that house specifically, but houses generally in the area,” he said.

“The housing crisis in general is something I’m very concerned about about. To have houses empty is awful when there are many people who are eager to get onto the property ladder.

“It’s high time that further action was taken by the council. It’s insulting to anyone who’s trying to find accommodation and it’s not fair to the neighbours.”

One resident, who lives two doors down from the bungalow, says he has written repeatedly to the council urging them to use a “compulsory purchase order” – a legal mechanism by which local authorities can acquire land without the consent of the owner.

“I have never ever seen anything as horrible as that house,” said Bernard Watkins, 80.

“We have got rats in the garden because of it. I wrote to the council and asked if they could do something about it with a compulsory purchase order but they said that would be too slow and time-consuming.”

Canterbury City Council spokesman Rob Davies confirmed the local authority was aware of problems with the property and is in contact with the owner.

"The owner has given us a reason as to why they have not looked into options for bringing the property back into use, but it would not be appropriate for us to reveal this to KentOnline,” he said.

"However, we have taken steps to get the owner to carry out work that minimises the impact of the property on the neighbourhood.

"This includes removing the hazard posed by a dangerous garden wall, renewing the guttering and fascia boards which were in a very poor condition and replacing all of the flat roofs.

"We can confirm the Long Term Empty Premium charge is payable for this property and that we are also working with the Kent County Council empty homes specialist who has been successful in bringing more 'difficult' empty homes back into use.

"We would be very keen to see the property restored and back in use but issues like this are often difficult and time-consuming to resolve."

KentOnline has made various attempts to contact the owner of the property for comment without success.

The Long Term Empty Premium charge is part of the city council’s efforts to tackle empty houses in the district.

An additional amount of council tax is charged when a property has been empty for two years or more.

For homes that have been empty and substantially unfurnished for 10 years or more, the premium is set at 300%.