Agenda item

The report before the Committee, presented by the Cabinet Member for Housing gave an overview of empty homes within the district and the work undertaken in the past year in relation to the four priorities listed within the Empty Homes Strategy 2024.  An Empty Homes Officer was employed on a part-time basis.  The number of empty homes fluctuated monthly and were primarily identified via complaints directly from members of the public, or via Council Tax records with a list of empty homes being provided to the Empty Homes Officer every month.  Once an empty home has been selected a staged approach was taken: 

·       Identify the owner.

·       Visit the site to establish the condition and the impact the property had  on the area.

·       A letter was then sent to the owner together with an Empty Homes questionnaire and assistance that available to bring the property back into use.

·       A second and third letter is sent following the first if not response is received.

·       If there is no response and no identifiable action, future visits were scheduled to review the condition and if action could be taken in the future.

·       If a response is received a dialogue is opened to try and work with owners to either get the property back in to use or to understand way the property is empty.

·       The approach is altered depending upon the action required, such as if the property was insecure or in disrepair and was impacting neighbouring properties.  Enforcement processes would be followed if necessary, under the relevant legislations available to the Council such as the service of boarding up notices to properties open to access or the serving of notices requiring the clearing up of land and treatment for vermin.

·       If owners do not comply works in default could be undertaken and costs recovered.

Due to resources and costs prioritising which empty homes to target was essential as it was not feasible to contact every empty homeowner on a changing list.  Empty Homes that were empty for a period of ten years or more were targeted first.  The process was followed and resulted in four responses to 22 properties targeted.  Reasons for the properties being empty were due to refurbishment, demolition and renovation.  Little or no response was received from the remaining 18.  Empty Homes prioritisation was on going and case progression was often due to the impact they were having on residents, the number of complaints received and Council Tax dept.

The Cabinet Member indicated that since the post holder had been in place 92 visits had been undertaken, 88 letters and contact questionnaires completed.  Since the priority had been in place and the KPI of bring 5 properties back into use made, it had been exceedingly hard to quantify and there were limitations that the Council faced when dealing with empty homes.

A discussion on empty homes followed and the Empty Homes Officer referred to the issues faced by the Council.  An Empty Homes Open Day was proposed August 2026 where homeowners would be invited to attend to speak with a range of stakeholders, including industry leaders in selling homes.  The aim was to break down the barriers between empty homeowners and homes being brought back into use.   Reference was made to peoples perception with regard to empty homes, often they are used as Airbnb’s or were second homes.

The Committee noted the report.