Empty homes and the homeless
What can be done about the 4,000 empty homes in Cornwall? Good luck to those Cornwall councillors on the communities scrutiny committee who will tomorrow try to answer this question.
The figures are truly shocking: 277 properties empty for up to six months, 311 "category A" (ie purpose-built and subject to restricted occupancy) second homes, 13,398 "category B" (no restrictions) second homes, 4,121 long-term empty.
A Cornwall Council survey has found that one in ten of all homes in Cornwall is a second home. When officials contacted the owners, 45% claimed the properties were occupied, 51% said they were for sale. Of those property that remain empty, more than 70% of owners said they planned to bring the property into use - but 16% said they had no such intention.
At the same time, Cornwall has between 10,000 and 18,000 (depending on whether you look at the new council register or the old district councils' registers) waiting for a home.
The powers available to the council, potentially, extend as far as compulsory purchase although this would require the sort of money and political will which might be in short supply.
I'm BBC Radio Devon’s Graham Smith, blogging on news, views and some fresh insights into West Country life, particularly the way government works locally and nationally. 
Comment number 1.
At 15:15 24th May 2010, BluesBerry wrote:Firstly, I admire the Council for its recognition of the problem of empty houses as a wasted resource; empty homes generally become a nuisance to the surrounding properties through a variety of anti-social activity and/or neglect.
Empty properties can be reported to the Empty Homes Agency on https://www.reportemptyhomes.com/ website. The Agency collates the information provided by the public & refers the empty property address to the proper Authority.
This site below contains information & advice; therefore, I think the general public (at least the 18,000 that you refer to) should be referred here to access current situation + future plans, and what they may be able to do right now:
https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=2830
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Comment number 2.
At 16:41 24th May 2010, Graham Smith wrote:Many thanks, this is useful.
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Comment number 3.
At 20:39 24th May 2010, AccurateChronometer wrote:Cornwall Council should stop being timid on this subject. Their first obligation is to the full time residents of Cornwall - not to tourists.
A more sturdy approach to freeing up the existing residential houses of Cornwall for full time residential use and making them available once more to Cornwall's full time residents is long overdue.
Here's an interesting piece from some time ago which sums it up pretty well:
https://www.cornwall24.co.uk/forum/cornwall24-discussion-board/north-cornwall-district-council---second-homers-handmaiden./?value=standing%20empty&type=2&include=2&search=2
It's good to see some serious down to earth progress may now be about to be made.
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