Agenda item

The Committee requested that a report outlining the powers available to the Council to bring empty homes back into use is prepared, along with background information on the number of long-term empty properties, and this report provides the information requested. 

The Head of Strategic Housing introduced the report advising that the committee had previously requested this information. Members were advised that the Council’s Housing Strategy set out the approach to bring empty homes back into use, and that the Council would continue to work with owners, primarily where properties presented a risk to adjoining properties, and with housing providers and landlords to encourage properties to be brought back into use. Where homes were not brought back into use, the Council had powers to deal with them and these were set out in paragraph 2.5 of the report.

The committee discussed the definition of an ‘empty property’ and whether all empty and derelict properties had been included in the figures shown in the report. Officers advised that the definition of an ‘empty home’ was set out in Council Tax legislation and the number of properties quoted in the report was based on that definition. It did not include derelict properties. Members were also advised that through the Council Tax legislation, if a property was uninhabitable, the owner was exempt from the payment of council tax. Officers inspected those properties on a regular basis, so this exemption was not abused.

Members voiced their concern that empty properties were a serious problem in Medway but the report gave no indication of how Medway’s figures compared to other authorities. Members also wished to know what action other authorities were taking to overcome the problem of many properties being left empty. Other councils might be spending more money but also getting more properties habitable and back into use.

The Head of Strategic Housing responded that the government target for the number of long-term empty properties was 3%. Medway was currently at 1.3%. Officers advised that for the housing market to work efficiently and effectively, it required 1.5% of the total number of properties in the area to be vacant for property turnover purposes. Council tax information indicated that there were currently 75 empty homes in Medway, which had not been occupied for over 5 years. The remaining 1206 empty properties had been occupied at some point since 2007.

Officers also advised that they regularly researched the work of other authorities and this informed the approach carried out in Medway, which gave heavy emphasis on working with Housing Associations for funding. The Audit Commission had commented on the work in Medway stating that ‘the council made the best use of what it had’.

Members requested a Briefing Note on why the 75 long-term empty properties remained empty. Members also asked that a particular property in Clive Road, Rochester was used as an example, with details of all the options that the council could take in order to bring it back into use. Members also requested that the Briefing Note gave details on the remaining 1206 empty properties, specifically with regard to the amount of council tax income lost by any of them deemed uninhabitable, rather than the six month council tax exemption if they remained habitable, as it would appear that owners were better off if they let the property become uninhabitable. The committee also asked to know how long the debt had been on each of these properties.

The committee re-enforced its deep concern on this matter and requested regular reports on the number of long-term and empty properties in Medway together with up-to-date information of what had been achieved to bring them back into use. Officers were also requested to consider refining the role of the council’s Community Officers to include identification of empty dwellings, and report these to the housing and council tax sections so that they could begin action on the property.

The committee also discussed whether the council had the ability to fulfil Members’ wishes as a previous team (which had spent part of its time on bringing empty properties back into use) had been disbanded. A Member advised that another authority had chosen to place immediate Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO) on any new empty property and then put it up for auction and that there was currently a lack of this type of initiative in Medway.

Officers responded that the disbanded team referred to had spent the majority of its time administering the provision of energy efficiency and empty homes grants and loans but this funding had now been withdrawn. The figures stated in the table at paragraph 2.5 of the report had all been achieved by the current housing team. 

The committee also asked for the following information: how many empty properties were there in Medway prior to the current 1206 shown in the report; the number of dilapidated buildings that were not fit for habitation and if these had increased in number; how many Empty Dwelling Management Orders had been issued and how did this compare to other authorities? Officers agreed to supply this information via a Briefing Note.

Decision:

The committee noted the report, with reservations, as set out above and requested the following:

(a)      information via a Briefing Note:

(i)     why did the current 75 long-term empty properties remain empty?

(ii)   that a property in Clive Road, Rochester is used as an example with details of all the options open to the council to bring it back into use

(iii)details of the remaining 1206 empty properties, specifically with regard to the amount of council tax income lost by them being deemed uninhabitable and how long the debt had been in place on each of these properties?

(iv)  how many empty properties were there in Medway prior to the current 1206?

(v)    how many dilapidated buildings that were not fit for habitation were there?

(vi)  how many Empty Dwelling Management Orders had been issued and how did this compare with other authorities?

(b)   regular monitoring reports to overview and scrutiny on the number of long-term and empty properties in Medway together with up-to-date information of what had been achieved to bring them back into use;

(c)   officers extend the remit of Community Officers to include the identification of empty dwellings and report back to the council tax and housing sections in order that they could begin action on the property.