Agenda item

In January 2013 the Council formally adopted an updated Empty Property Policy.  This policy articulates the Council’s twin track approach of providing encouragement and assistance to all owners of empty properties to help bring their properties back into use whilst at the same time seeking to select high priority empty properties for bespoke assistance and potentially enforcement action.  The purpose of this report is to update the Panel on the progress made with implementing this policy.

The Senior Environmental Health Officer introduced this item to the Panel. She explained that the recovery of empty homes is eligible for the New Homes Bonus funding (NHB) and that this work stream had already generated cumulative NHB funding of £635,289 over the period 2011/12 to 2014/15 based on the 105 net empty homes brought back into use since the start of the NHB scheme. Future NHB funding will depend on any changes in numbers of empty homes and any changes to the NHB scheme.

She stated that in September 2013, the Council adopted a revised Empty Property Policy. The policy focuses Housing Services resources on those homes which are likely to require intervention to bring them back into use. The policy defines an empty home as one which has been empty for over 6 months and an actionable empty home as one that has been empty over two years. Homes empty less than two years are likely to come back into use without Council intervention. Homes empty over 2 years are subject to a Council Tax charge of 150%. This charge is to encourage owners to bring their empty home back into use and therefore, our resources are aligned to those homes receiving a premium charge. The Policy uses the following twin track approach to bring empty homes back into use:

• Provide advice, assistance and incentives to all empty home owners; and

• Prioritise homes which have been empty for over 2 years (these are known as actionable empty homes).

The Policy further provides that Housing Services will respond to complaints from the public about empty homes.

She informed the Panel that on 11 September 2013, Cabinet authorised the Council’s use of a Compulsory Purchase powers for these two properties. Following a significant amount of ground work and preparation the Order was served and advertised on 31 July 2014. The objection period has now concluded and to date the Secretary of State has confirmed that no objections have been received. The Secretary of State will therefore be invited to confirm the Order. Since serving the Order, one owner has contacted the Council with regard to an agreed sale and negotiations are underway.

Councillor Steve Hedges commented that he hoped that the Council would be able to recover any legal fees associated with Compulsory Purchase Orders.

The Senior Environmental Health Officer replied that the Council were liable to all legal fees under the rules of Compulsory Purchase.

The Head of Housing replied that although in isolation the Compulsory Purchase Order process may appear expensive it was important to see it in the wider context. He added that the process is intended to encourage others to bring their properties back into use before action has to be taken.

The Chair commented that she wished the process would cover flats above shops.

The Senior Environmental Health Officer replied that if the flat is a flat in its own right then the department can check if they are residential dwellings and pursue.

The Panel RESOLVED to note the report.