Issue - meetings

This report seeks a decision from Cabinet on initiating formal enforcement action to recover one or more high priority empty properties.  The Cabinet will first be asked to agree that appendices 1 and 2 are exempt from publication.

Councillor Dave Laming in an ad hoc statement welcomed the report.  He asked for priority to be given to two specific but unnamed properties which he had made Cabinet members aware of privately.  He asked whether enforcement action might also be taken for some properties along the waterfront.

The Chair asked all Cabinet members to confirm that they had read and considered the public interest test.  All agreed.

On a motion from Councillor Paul Crossley, seconded by Councillor Tim Ball, it was

RESOLVED (unanimously)

(1) To AGREE that Appendices 1 and 2 constitute exempt information according to the categories set out in the Local government Act 1972 (amended Schedule 12A) because it contains information which relates to an individual or which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual, and therefore that the public interest is best served by exemption of the information;

Councillor Tim Ball introduced the item.  He explained that it was necessary to update the Empty Property Policy which was attached to the report as appendix 3.  The opportunity was also being taken to ask Cabinet to agree to take enforcement action over the properties named in the exempt appendices.  He was delighted that the list would have contained an additional property but the threat of enforcement had been sufficient to persuade the owner to comply.  The cost of enforcing against the 2 properties would be £240K.

He moved the proposals.

Councillor Caroline Roberts seconded the proposal.  She referred to paragraph 8.1 of the report which showed that one of the results of bringing empty properties back into use would be a reduction in crime and vandalism.

Councillor David Dixon said the report would be a start in improving the property stock in the area.  He reminded Cabinet that a home was not a home until someone was living in it.

Councillor Katie Hall was delighted to see the report.  She observed that enforcement action would send a very clear message to other property owners which would lead to more homes being made available without the need for action by the Council.

Councillor Paul Crossley was pleased that the Council had moved towards charging the maximum allowed Council Tax charges on empty properties.  In other cities this had galvanised owners to get properties into use earlier.

On a motion from Councillor Tim Ball, seconded by Councillor Caroline Roberts, it was

RESOLVED (unanimously)

(2) To INSTRUCT the Head of Housing to undertake the appropriate and statutory steps to obtain Compulsory Purchase Orders on the two properties detailed in Appendix 1 and then to dispose of the properties on the open market with a contractual requirement that they shall be brought back into residential use within 18 months; and

(3) To ADOPT the updated Empty Property Policy.