Empty Properties
Introduction
The council's Empty Property Strategy provides a range of initiatives aimed at bringing empty homes back into use. It intends to respond to the issues of empty properties helping to reduce homelessness, improving environmental conditions locally, reducing nuisance to neighbouring properties, increasing the supply of adequate homes in the district and thereby reducing development pressure on greenfield sites.
Who Benefits?
Who benefits from empty property being returned to use? Everyone benefits, but the greatest benefit is to the owner. By improving the condition of your property and bringing it back into use, it stops being a financial burden and source of potential worry, becoming instead a valuable and productive asset. The community also benefits. The area is improved, additional housing is made available to those who need it, and the spending power of these new members of the community is brought in to local shops and services.
Where can I get advice?
Owners of empty properties receive help, advice and in some cases funding. Health and Strategic Housing Services also uses its contacts with Housing Associations on behalf of owners, to help them access a wide range of national financial and management schemes.
Who can get involved?
If you are the owner of an empty property you should contact the Empty Property Officer to find out more. You have nothing to lose! You will be given more information and helped to select whichever scheme can help you best.
If you live next door to an empty property, pass one on your way to work or the shops, or remember driving past an empty property and thinking 'that would make a decent home for someone…', then please let the Empty Property Officer know about it.
If you know someone who has an empty property perhaps any elderly relative or friend, or someone no longer living in the district, please tell them about the scheme.
For more information please contact us.