The homes are earmarked for demolition under the council's controversial Going for Growth regeneration strategy, which pre-dates the pathfinder.
In total, Mann owns 80 properties in the West End.
Mann said: "The council has compulsorily purchased hundreds of properties from wretched owners who don't know their rights, but I'm not going to sell out. We'll demand a public inquiry on this."
A public inquiry could cost the council thousands in legal fees as well as delaying the regeneration by between 18 months and two years.
Mann claims to have spent more than £300,000 buying and renovating the 16 properties.
He also claims two areas of the West End, Benwell and Scotswood, only experienced housing market failure once the council identified them as clearance areas four years ago. "They've created no-go areas; their actions have put a blight on communities," he said.
A Newcastle council official was not available to comment because of the "purdah period" in advance of the local election. However Sir Jeremy Beecham, a councillor for Benwell and chair of the Local Government Association, denied the council's strategy had caused "blight". "It's simply not true. Scotswood and Benwell suffered a large number of voids and significant negative equity well before Going for Growth. That was in response to this.
"It is in no one's interest for this significant investment to be delayed. People living there want assurance this investment is going to happen."
Mann, who runs the 16 homes via a company called Westnew Management, said his houses were still 95% occupied even though the surrounding area is 60-70% vacant, ahead of the planned clearance.
The Newcastle Gateshead pathfinder was given £69m by the ODPM in January to start a 15-year regeneration programme.
Source
Housing Today
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