Agenda item

The Business Manager, Environmental Health summarised report number ENV632 on the Empty Homes Review, through which work was undertaken with a view to bringing long-term empty homes back into use. A number of tools had been deployed including: a council tax premium for properties that had been empty for more than two years, use of Capacity Grid to identify empty homes that were now occupied, ensuring up-to-date council tax information, empty homes assistance grants of up to £5,000 per property to bring long-term empty homes back into use, one-to-one advice for owners and general advice through the landlords forum and using enforcement powers where negotiation had failed.

Since 2009, the number of long-term empty homes had reached a plateau at approximately 470 a year. The Council benefit from New Homes Bonus from properties brought back into use.

Members noted that any enforcement action could only be taken when other avenues had been exhausted and the action taken had to be proportionate to the harm caused. Under the most extreme circumstances the Council could seek to compulsorily purchase a property.

The report also gave a breakdown of the percentage of long-term empty properties per Ward. The higher prevalence of long-term empty properties in the town centre wards was attributed to higher churn of property, with many being rental and including accommodation above businesses. It was suggested that some of the long-term empty properties required significant investment to bring them to a liveable standard which landlords might not have, while other properties could be being held as assets. A number of Ward-specific cases were cited.

Discussion ensued on the Council Tax premium, which had proved an effective incentive. If there was discretion to raise the premium above 150%, members indicated that they would support its increase in principle. Members asked whether there was flexibility for owner-occupiers who were actively trying to sell their properties but in which there was no interest; there was not.

Reference was also made to the point at which council tax had to be paid on empty properties (empty, unfurnished properties would be eligible for 100% discount for the first month, 25% discount for the following five months and no discount when the property had been empty for six months). One member expressed concerns that 100% discount was only available for one month, suggesting that the time might not be sufficient to enable the full completion of a sale. This concern could be raised through Resources PDG when it received the update report at its meeting on 26 November 2015.

Members asked about the level of take-up for the £5,000 assistance grants for landlords; an average of 15 grants was made each year. Conditions attached to the grant required that properties were brought up to decent homes standard and rented out at Local Housing Allowance rate for a period of three years. A five-year land charge was also attached to the property requiring full repayment of the grant if the property was sold or transferred within that period.

Members of the PDG agreed with the recommendation to continue with the current measures in place.