Council highlights work to bring properties back to life during Empty Homes Week

Empty Homes Week, which runs from February 27 – March 6, is a campaign organised by Action on Empty Homes which focuses on addressing the problem of long-term empty properties across the UK.

Over the last 12 months empty homes and housing issues have been higher up the news agenda than ever as empty homes negatively impact communities and neighbourhoods

Telford & Wrekin Council adopted a strategy to tackle long term empties in October 2021 and has brought 117 properties back into use so far.

It is currently addressing a further 128 empty properties which have been reported and is committed to bringing a minimum of 375 properties back into use by 2026.

The council says it recognises that empty properties are a waste of a home and can negatively impact local communities.

Through the strategy, the council plans to make the best use of existing housing, support communities affected by empty homes nearby and provide homes for those in housing need, particularly the most vulnerable.

The approach is to work with homeowners wherever possible to support them in finding the right solution but is also prepared to use enforcement powers where they are required.

A dedicated council Empty Property Officer and an Assistant Empty Property Officer work across the borough to investigate long term empty properties.

Councillor Richard Overton (Lab), Telford& Wrekin Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, Enforcement and Transport said:

“We’re pleased to be showing our support for National Empty Homes Week and highlighting the work we are doing to bring empty homes back into use across Telford and Wrekin.

“Empty homes can become a real blight on our communities causing distress to neighbourhoods throughout the borough.

“Our starting point is always to work with property owners to support and enable them to bring properties back into use themselves or via a sale.”

In the latest November 2022 data, numbers of long-term empty homes in Telford and Wrekin rose very slightly by 1% year on year to 431.

However, at 0.53% local levels are significantly below those across the wider West Midlands region (which stand at 1.11%) and also below the national average of 1%.

Across the West Midlands region long-term empty homes numbers rose significantly in 2022 by 11% to 28,642 long-term empty homes, while a further 12,888 were classed as vacant and furnished ‘second homes’.

At national level, long-term empty homes numbers rose by 5% to 248,633, meaning they are now 11% above pre-pandemic (2019) levels and have risen by 24% since the end of the last National Empty Homes Programme in 2015.

There are many reasons why properties remain empty which can include a dispute regarding the inheritance, lack of finance to carry out essential repairs or problems achieving a sale or let due to negative equity.

Also, the owner may be in residential care or not live local to the property and in some cases owners are simply unwilling to work with the council to bring the property back into use.

Richard added: “We have brought 117 empty properties back into use since we launched the strategy and, of those, 33 were empty for over 2 years.

“There are many more properties across Telford and Wrekin which we’re currently addressing to bring them back into use and to make our neighbourhoods better and more attractive places to live.”

If there’s an empty property in your neighbourhood that’s causing you concern which you’d like to report, you can email empty.homes@telford.gov.uk