Issue - meetings

To receive and consider report 223/05 of the Strategic Director. 

Introduction and Report Summary

The Executive will be aware that the approved Housing Strategy for 2004/5 - 2007/8 contains an action to develop a specific strategy to address the issue of empty homes in the private sector across the District.

This report introduces this strategy to the Executive and considers the implications of its implementation.

The Contact Officer for this report is Paul Staines (Assistant Director Housing and Community Safety) (01235 547621)

Recommendation

That the Executive approve the Empty Homes Strategy attached as appendix 1 to this report.

(Time: 3.45pm to 3.48pm)

The Executive received and considered report 223/05 of the Strategic Directorsetting out a draft empty homes strategy.  The approved Housing Strategy for 2004/05 - 2007/08 contained an action to develop a specific strategy to reduce the number of empty homes in the private sector across the District.  The report introduced this strategy and considered the implications of its implementation. 

The draft strategy was based upon working with owners of empty homes in the District to enable these homes to be brought back into use.  The reduction in the number of empty homes was a specific Best Value Performance Indicator (no 64); the Council had set a target of 4 for 2005/06.  Over 440 visits had been made, details and photographs recorded, and over 85 letters sent to owners.  This had resulted in 14 properties coming back into occupation over the past three years. 

The Housing Act 2004 was to introduce an additional power in 2006, namely an Empty Dwelling Management Order, to bridge the gap between voluntary measures and existing enforcement procedures, such as compulsory purchase.  This discretionary legislation would operate alongside measures such as voluntary leasing schemes run by local authorities and Registered Social Landlords.  It could provide an effective back up where owners turned down offers of assistance and did not have plans of their own to bring the property back into use.  A further report would be made to the Executive when more detail on their operation was available from Central Government. 

The Executive noted that there was not a serious problem concerning empty properties in the District when compared to many other Districts; a view endorsed by the 2005 House Condition Survey.  However, the low base line would make it difficult to improve on the Performance Indicator.  A number of properties had been identified that were empty long term and an options appraisal of the merits of securing their return to use was needed.  The work associated with reducing Empty Homes was also labour intensive with numerous, continual checks at each stage in the procedure to avoid abortive visits being made.  As empty property numbers reduced, this would yield less results and the relative priority of the work would need to be considered. 

The Executive welcomed the strategy but considered that it should be reviewed following the implementation of the relevant parts of the Housing Act 2004.  Members asked that the table showing housing need by parish was amended to clearly show each parish name. 

R E C O M M E N D E D 

that the Empty Homes Strategy, as attached as appendix 1 to report 223/05, be approved, subject to the table showing housing need by parish being enlarged and/or amended to clearly show each parish name.