Request and Response:
Please find below information as requested regarding details of public health funerals and empty properties within Sandwell.
1.Who deals with all queries related to the Empty Homes?
Empty properties are dealt with by different departments depending on the issue relating to the property. They are generally dealt with by the “Property Intervention Team” which is part of the Housing Quality Team which is currently part of Private Sector Housing Services under the Homes and Communities Directorate. This team tackles long-term empty properties.
Other departments that deal with empty property issues are Planning (visual amenity), Public Protection (fly tipping/rodents), Building Control (dangerous structures) and Adult Services (intestate).
2. For those who work with Empty Homes, what are the names of the staff member(s) and their contact details?
The property Intervention Team consists of Neal Cooper, Richard Hawkins and Leticia Powell. They can be contacted via 0121 569 5232.
The Planning/Building Control Department does not have specific officers who deal with empty cases. The department can be contacted at regarding any specific Building Control/planning related issues relating to an empty property.
Adult Services does not have specific officers who deal with empty cases. The department can be contacted at for any intestate cases.
3.Do the Empty Homes department need to trace the owners and/or next of kin of these properties?
Occasionally some rare cases require the council to trace next of kin.
4.For those staff member(s) who need to locate the owner and/or next of kin of these properties, what are their names and contact details?
There are currently no cases that require this service. Needs would be on a case by case basis and as such it is not possible to provide specific persons or departments who may need to do this in the future.
5.What steps do the council take in order to locate owners and/or next of kin of these empty properties?
Land registry, council tax registry, internet searches, letters, speaking to neighbours, tracing agents who offer free tracing services.
6.How many of these homes are considered "empty homes" due to the fact a public health funeral is taken place?
This financial year there have been nine properties where a person has died leaving their property unoccupied in this manner. All properties are considered empty homes if they are unoccupied. Long-term empty properties are properties that are empty for longer than 6 months.
7.How many public health funerals have taken place within the past year?(From January 2015)
Fourteen
8. Of these public health funerals that have occurred, please provide:
a) Name of deceased
b) Date of birth and date of death
c) Last residential address
d) Have the next of kin/family members been traced?
e) What date have the details been referred to the QLTR, Bona Vacantia,
Treasury Solicitor, Government Legal Department, NUHU, Duchy or Farrer & Co?
(c) With regards to the addresses you requested, Section 31 of the Freedom of Information Act states that information is exempt from disclosure if it would or would be likely to prejudice the prevention or detection of crime and I believe that disclosure of this information could facilitate or encourage criminal activity.
This is because the properties in the list are all empty and disclosure of the information would make those properties vulnerable to break-ins or squatting.
As you are well aware, under the Freedom of Information Act, disclosure is considered to be made "to the world", and not to a single individual. This means that once information is disclosed, access to it cannot be restricted to certain individuals.
Section 31 being a qualified exemption, its application must then be balanced out with the public interest. In this case, the Council is satisfied that the public interest in withholding the information is greater than that in disclosing it. This is because there is a strong public interest protecting society from crime. As a result, the Council believes it is entitled not to disclose the requested information regarding the addresses to you.
(d) With regards to whether people have family or not, we cannot provide this information, as doing so would allow for the identification of living individuals (the relatives) and provide information regarding their ability or willingness to organise and pay for funerals. Under S 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Council is satisfied that disclosure of this information would not be fair and lawful and could cause prejudice to the individuals at stake.
9) Which other organisations have details of the deceased been referred to and why?
None
If you wish to receive further information in regards to this request or wish to submit a Freedom of Information Request please forward your request to or Information Management Unit, Sandwell Council House, Freeth Street, Oldbury, West Midlands, B69 3DE.