Empty homes plan aims to boost housing stock

Plans to bring vacant housing back into use have been outlined by a council.

A report by Huntingdonshire District Council revealed there were 1,292 empty homes in the district in September, 491 unused for more than six months.

The draft policy's aim is to help owners prevent their properties from becoming "problematic empties" and to get them back into use, with the possibility of enforcement action being used to ensure this happens.

Stephen Ferguson, Independent executive councillor for resident services, said each empty home "represented a missed opportunity to address homelessness".

The council, which is run by a coalition of Liberal Democrats, Labour, Independents and the Green Party, hopes to work with homeowners to bring empty properties back into use, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

To do so, it has to maintain accurate information on such properties.

The council would also offer advice and practical support to help people overcome "genuine barriers" to bringing a home back into use, added Ferguson.

Independent Simone Taylor said empty properties left to fall into "wreck and ruin" impacted people who have to live next door or nearby.

The plan proposes the authority should "maximise income opportunities" from empty homes, including through council tax premiums.

Enforcement action could also be carried out to try and bring a vacant home back into use.

Conservative councillor Ian Gardener warned the council not to use a "sledgehammer" when it might not be necessary.

He said it took him more than a year to sell his late father's home, adding the council needed to be "extremely cautious" when dealing with such situations.

Sam Wakeford, Labour executive councillor for economy, regeneration and housing said the authority would only consider enforcement when a home had become a "blight to its communities".

Council officers told the overview and scrutiny panel meeting on Tuesday the plan would need to have a "carrot and stick" approach.

The plan will be presented to the cabinet at a later date.

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