COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT News Release (047) issued by COI News Distribution
Service. 10 March 2009
Councils are being
given more support to help them bring empty homes back in to use
in the current economic climate, announced Housing Minister
Margaret Beckett today.
New guidance is being published with the Empty Homes Agency,
setting out the range of strengthened powers local authorities
have to deal with the problem of empty homes, including the use of
Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs).
While the number of long term empty homes has fallen by nine per
cent over the last decade, Mrs Beckett is calling on councils to
take firmer action to tackle the blight of empty homes and re-use
properties. This could provide a significant contribution to
housing supply with new house building falling right now.
The guidance sets out how local authorities can use the tools at
their disposal for dealing with empty homes, including:
* Increasing pressure on owners to bring their empty properties
back into use. The guidance makes clear councils should try to
track down owners of empty properties, for example by placing
adverts in newspapers, visiting their home address, or using
professional search agencies if appropriate.
* Encouraging local authorities to issue an EDMO as a last resort
where other measures have failed, by explaining clearly how they
can be used. EDMOs allow local authorities to take over the
management, not the ownership, of a property. The guidance shows
that even the threat of an EDMO can have a significant impact on
encouraging owners to work with councils to bring homes back into use.
* Acting on local residents' concerns and petitions to bring
empty homes back into use through a range of powers, including
EDMOs. Under the Local Democracy, Economic Development and
Construction Bill going through Parliament at the moment, local
people will be able to petition councils to bring empty homes back
into use.
Margaret Beckett said:
"Empty homes blight local neighbourhoods and can potentially
attract anti-social behaviour. That is why councils must do all
they can to bring empty homes in their area back into use.
"I believe that with an increased focus and more consistent
approach we can bring more homes back into use. With house
building slowing in the current economic climate, that is more
important than ever.
"The new guidance helps strengthen the role of councils by
setting out the broad powers they have to deal with empty homes,
and is part of the range of actions we are taking to support the
regeneration of our towns and cities."
Empty homes not only restrict housing supply, poorly maintained
empty properties attract vermin, cause damp and other problems for
neighbouring properties. The Royal Institution of Chartered
Surveyors also estimates that properties adjoining poorly
maintained empty properties can be devalued by as much as 18 per cent.
Over the past decade, the number of empty homes in England has
declined by nine per cent, thanks to the efforts of Local
Authorities such as Birmingham, South Oxfordshire, Manchester and
Sheffield. Manchester Council in particular has warned 44 empty
homeowners it will issue an EDMO unless they take steps to re-use
the property, a proactive action Mrs Beckett wants to see more
councils taking, and will be writing to local authorities to make
this clear.
Chief Executive of the Empty Homes Agency David Ireland said:
"Local authorities have the power to be great at helping
return empty homes to use. Some already are, but with the
recession causing more homes to fall empty it has never been more
important for all councils to do more. New homes from empty
properties can help meet some of the need left by falling house
building rates. I'm delighted that the Minister is supporting
this guidance and urge local authorities to take her challenge to
take more proactive action."
The current Local Democracy, Economic Development and
Construction Bill going through Parliament at the moment gives
local people the power to petition councils to bring empty homes
back into use and the Government is also due to bring together
local authorities next month to encourage them to take action on
empty homes.
Notes to editors
1. The guidance can be found at:
http://www.emptyhomes.com/usefulinformation/papers_publications/edmo_guide/edmo_foreword.html.
2. Empty Dwelling Management Orders, introduced by the Housing
Act 2004, are powers of last resort where owners have no long-term
plans for their homes and where voluntary negotiations with owners
have failed. Among the protections for owners is the fact the
tribunal must be satisfied the dwelling has been unoccupied for at
least six months, that there is no reasonable prospect of it
becoming occupied in the near future, that, if an interim EDMO is
made, there is a reasonable prospect it will become occupied, that
the council has complied with their duties.
3. Empty homes account for 3 per cent of the current housing
stock. The overall vacancy rate has reduced by 9 per cent since
1997 from 763,234 to 697,055, and reached a peak in 1993 with
764,000 homes lying empty.
4. Regional breakdown of empty homes:
Region Total vacant Total dwellings vacant
dwellings for more than six
months
North East 43,963 17,595
North West 129,073 61,973
Yorkshire and Humber 92,409 40,996
East Midlands 62,584 28,485
West Midlands 72,329 32,534
East of England 64,054 27,858
London 82,327 28,344
South East 91,074 33,844
South West 59,237 22,099
England 697,055 293,728
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