COUNTY BOROUGH OF BLAENAU GWENT

REPORT TO: /
leader & Members of the executive committee
REPORT SUBJECT: /
UPDATED EMPTY PROPERTY STRATEGY 2014-2020
REPORT AUTHOR: /
OWAIN ROBERTS
TEAM MANAGER HOUSING SOLUTIONS AND COMPLIANCE
LEAD OFFICER/ DEPARTMENT /
corporate director – environment & regeneration

Summary Report

1.0 /

PURPOSE OF REPORT

To adopt an updated Empty Property Strategy (2014-2020) setting the strategic direction for the Authority’s work in dealing with private sector empty properties.
2.0 /

LINK TO CORPORATE STRATEGIES

-
Draft Local Housing Strategy
Private Sector Housing Renewal Policy
Blaenau Gwent Outcome Agreements – Welsh Homes, Increasing the supply and choice
3.0 / SUMMARY
The Council adopted its first Empty Property Strategy in 2009. Significant steps have been made since that time in establishing better working procedures within the Council that has led to significant numbers of empty properties being brought back into use and, as an additional benefit, recovered significant sums of outstanding debt.
The current strategy requires updating and refreshing to take into account Welsh Government priorities and lessons learned in the past 5 years and since the previous Strategy was adopted. The revised strategy for 2014-2020 is attached.
4.0 /

RECOMMENDATIONS

That the updated Empty Property Strategy 2014-2020 is adopted by the Executive Committee.


Detailed Report

1. /

BACKGROUND

1.1 / In 2009, the Council adopted its first Empty Property Strategy. This set a clear strategic direction for the Council to deal with long terms empty properties in the private sector.
1.2 / The Strategy was developed by a cross Council group of officers and was based on best practice from across the United Kingdom.
1.3 / Since the introduction of the 2009 strategy the Council has achieved the following:
·  Through direct actions of the Council we have brought 87 units of accommodation back into use;
·  Developed a risk assessment method to rank all properties in order of priority for intervention;
·  Developed a comprehensive database of all problematic empty properties;
·  Successfully introduced the Welsh Government Houses into Homes Empty Property Loan Scheme;
·  Provided Empty Property Loans to the value of £865 543;
·  Worked in partnership with Housing Associations to bring significant improvements to areas of our community by bringing blocks of empty homes back into use;
·  Produced comprehensive information and guidance documents for empty property owners, including specific web pages;
·  Taken action to secure 55 empty properties that were open to unauthorised access;
·  Introduced a policy specifically to use the powers of Enforced Sale contained in the Law of Property Act 1925;
·  Undertaken 14 enforced sales to start the process of bringing the empty property back into use;
·  Recovered outstanding debts owed to the Council of £130,605 using the Enforced Sale process; and
·  Regenerated Church Street, Ebbw Vale bringing 9 of the worst empty properties back into use to provide much needed rented accommodation. In partnership with the Regeneration Section this area has been transformed and is now almost unrecognisable. Work is continuing to bring the remaining empty properties on this street back into use.
1.4 / Public Protection is the lead service for dealing with empty private properties. However, there has been significant cross Council co-operation and partnership with external partners in delivering the aims and objectives of the Strategy.
2. /

PRESENT POSITION

2.1 / The current 2009 Strategy is in need of updating to ensure that it remains fit for purpose.
2.2 / As can be seen from 1.3 above, much has been achieved since 2009, by utilising existing staff resources that have been dedicated to the empty property work, on a priority basis.
2.3 / The updated Strategy presented for consideration is more appropriately termed an updated and refreshed document rather than a whole scale re-write. This is because the background information and data is now in need of updating to give an accurate indication of where the Council is in terms of delivering work to bring empty properties back into use.
2.4 / The most significant change since the 2009 Strategy was written is a much increased focus by Welsh Government on the work undertaken by Local Authorities to bring long term empty properties back into use. Welsh Government very much considers the dealing of empty properties as a key part in meeting their objectives to provide additional housing and improve the socio-economic prospects of our communities. This has been reinforced by the provision of £20 million for the Houses into Homes Empty Property Loan Scheme and powers in the new Housing Bill to increase Council Tax for Empty Properties.
3. / RISK IMPLICATIONS
3.1 / The risk associated with this area of work is in relation to the performance of the Authority in bringing empty properties back into use. As can be seen from Section 4 below, it is necessary for the Council to perform in terms of bringing empty properties back into use. This is particularly important given the Outcome Agreements and the potential impact on the Council of not meeting the targets set in those agreements, which are linked to monies upon successful implementation.
3.2 / The Council does not fund a dedicated Empty Property Officer and this work is carried out by the Environmental Health Officers in the Housing Solutions and Compliance Team in line with other priorities. Given the pressures on this service to deal with other statutory housing matters, there is the risk that the Council will not meet the targets set in the Outcome Agreements and will show deterioration in the national performance measure, hence it is vital that all functions are prioritised and service standards are agreed as appropriate.
4. /

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

4.1 / The Council has to report on a National Performance Indicator on the empty properties that have been brought back into use through direct action by the Council. This Council’s performance against this indicator is shown below
Year / Number brought back into use / PI figure (as % of total number of empty properties
2013-14 / 19 / 3.5%
2012-13 / 19 / 3.5%
In 2012-13 the Wales average was 5%. This Council’s performance was Lower Middle Quartile.
4.2 / The Council has also entered into an Outcome Agreement with the Welsh Government that commits to returning a specified number of empty properties back into use during the period of the agreements. The Outcome Agreements commits the Council to bringing the following number of properties back into use:
Year / Number to be brought back into use
2013-14 / 20
2014-15 / 21
2015-16 / 22
7. /

STAFFING IMPLICATIONS

7.1 / Public Protection is the lead service in delivering this Strategy. However, experience has shown that partnership working across the Council (and with our partners) is essential.
8. /

PROPOSALS

8.1 / That the Empty Property Strategy 2014 – 2020 is formally adopted by the Council.

Ref: OLR 26.6.14

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