An abandoned million-pound mansion in Hale Village that belongs to former LFC winger Jermaine Pennant and was the scene of two recent arson attacks as well as the discovery of a cannabis farm is subject to a property “charge” with Halton Borough Council.
Details of the nature of the obligation remain unknown, with the "beneficiary" Halton Council citing confidentiality for not disclosing the information. The house on Hale Road, between Widnes and Speke, is believed to have been taken over by cannabis farmers since becoming vacant in 2020.
The property has drawn a flurry of interest over the last month after the Lukka Ventures channel on YouTube published a video on October 1 showing an exploration of the vacant mock Tudor mansion and the discovery of the remnants of a cannabis farm including multiple plant pots as well as binbags of the drug in the bath and elsewhere. Since then the house has suffered two fires, first on October 10 and again on November 1.
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Cheshire Police told the ECHO both blazes are believed to have been caused deliberately.
A Land Registry title document obtained by the ECHO shows the property has belonged to Pennant since November 2006 when it was bought for £1.025m, coinciding with the start of the winger’s spell with Liverpool FC.
Pennant’s contract with the club ended in July 2009 and his career then moved around including stints at Real Zaragoza in Spain, Wigan Athletic, Stoke City, and teams in India and Singapore.
Since retiring from football, Pennant, 39, has made several TV appearances and signed up for Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
It’s understood the footballer lived in the mansion for three years from 2006 until 2009 when his career took him elsewhere, and that the house has been vacant since 2020, clearing the way for it to be taken over by cannabis farmers.
Footage from the urban explorers show the house has clearly been uninhabited for some time.
Cheshire Police said officers have carried out two warrants at the property this year.
The first, on January 5, resulted in the discovery of cannabis and the arrest of a 35-year-old man, whose case was passed to West Midlands Police..
A second warrant on September 5 didn’t find any cannabis.
It is unclear what Halton Council’s exact connection to the property is, though there is no suggestion of wrongdoing.
One possibility could be over an increased council tax bill due to being vacant.
Properties that have been vacant for two years or more can be subject to extra council tax, rising to a maximum fourfold increase for a home that remains empty for 10 years or longer, though empty properties can also receive a discount.
The Land Registry title document said a charge agreement was entered into relating to the property with the council as “beneficiary” on October 5, 2021.
A charge agreement is a type of debt or liability.
The ECHO has tried to reach out to Pennant to ask what the property charge relates to.
Asked if the council could clarify the nature of the agreement, a council spokeswoman said: “The council is unable to disclose such information due to its personal and confidential nature”.
Following the fire on November 1, which Cheshire Police said was “being treated as arson”, a force spokesman said: “Anyone with any information in relation to the incident is asked to call Cheshire Police on 101 quoting IML 1403009.
"Information can also be reported online at www.cheshire.police.uk/tell-us , or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Halton Borough Council and Cheshire Police have recently launched a "Cannabis Grow Awareness Scheme”, also known as Operation Instinct, aimed at detecting “drug factories”, with officers estimating the UK’s “underground” cannabis trade to be worth £3bn a year.
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