08.02.10
Bristol City Council acts to bring empty properties back into use
There are over 7,000 empty properties in Bristol at any one time and 1,800 of these are classified as long-term empty (over six months).
With over 12,000 people on the housing waiting list, the city council is currently reviewing its activities in order to increase the number of empty properties brought back into use each year to help us close this gap.
As part of this process an Empty Property Summit was held in Bristol on Friday January 22 with a range of key agencies who have an excellent reputation for bringing empty properties back into use.
These included the Empty Homes Agency; the National Association of Empty Property Practitioners; Cardiff City Council; the National Landlords Association; Homes4Bristol and representatives from the authority’s Council Tax; Housing Solutions services and Private Housing Services as well as Mark Wright, Cabinet Member for Housing and Service Improvement.
The Empty Homes Agency was represented by David Ireland who said: “We very much encourage the efforts Bristol is making to bring empty homes back into use in order to help people in housing need.”
Over the next few months the city council will be re-launching its approach to tackling empty properties. This is likely to include:
• Improving advice and guidance to owners;
• Better marketing and publicity for the assistance that is available;
• Better use of a multi-faceted approach that includes enforcement
Councillor Mark Wright, Cabinet Member for Housing and Service Improvement, said: “It's totally disgraceful that homes lie empty while there are so many families without a proper home. Property owners have a social responsibility to put empty properties to use as quickly as possible.
“I am confident that our combined approach of offering better advice and help to property owners, while also getting tougher with those who are unco-operative, will see a reduction in the number of empty properties over the next year.
"Our investigations have shown a new phenomenon resulting from the recession - this is that some property developers are deliberately leaving significant numbers of properties in a not-quite-finished state so as to avoid them being classed as 'empty homes'.
“By doing this they avoid paying Council Tax after six months and also avoid 'empty homes' legislation. This is very unwelcome behaviour, and the council will be taking action to persuade such developers to finish these homes properly and put them to good use."
Oona Goldworthy, Chair of the recently formed Home4Bristol Partnership,
added: “We will be working with the council and a range of other key players like developers, landlords and lenders to lead this key piece of work.”
Bristol is now actively pursuing the use of Empty Dwelling Management Orders which are used where all other means of bringing a property back into use have failed.
A private agent has now been appointed to manage these properties, when an EDMO is granted, with the costs of management being paid for by the rent.
When EDMO action was threatened in Bristol recently, 70% of landlords written to responded positively and agreed to sell, renovate or occupy these houses.
This mirrors experience in other local authorities where the threat of EDMOs has resulted in the property being brought back into use.
Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]