Empty Homes Action Plan For Pendle

There are now more than 2,000 privately owned empty properties in Pendle, some 4.9% of housing stock.

The Council has set a target of reducing that figure to 3.7% by 2011.

If necessary legal action will be taken against owners of empty homes which are not fit to be occupied.

They could be liable for fines of up to £5,000 for failing to repair and maintain properties to an acceptable standard.

The Plan is to be considered by Pendle Council's Executive on February 18th.

The drive to bring homes back into use will be led by a newly appointed Empty Homes Officer.

Councillor Sonia Robinson, Executive Member for Housing Regeneration, said: "Our Empty Homes Officer will play a vital role in bringing vacant properties back into use. There can be numerous reasons why properties are empty and there are lots of methods we're applying to bring them back into use."

A report to the Executive notes that: "Empty homes are a wasted asset, encourage anti-social behaviour and can cause neighbourhoods to decline."

Questionnaires will be sent to all owners of empty property to assess why a property is vacant.

 

Paul Lloyd, the Council's Housing Standards Manager, said: "We'll do everything we can to work with people and help them get their properties in order.

There are empty properties in every ward in the borough. The question is why are there so many empty properties?

 The questionnaire will help establish the reasons -  whether, for example, owners have inherited a house or bought it as an investment or are waiting for their children to be of an age to move in."

Proposals also include:

 Directing action against owners with more than five vacant properties

 Investigating whether properties could be used as accommodation for Nelson and Colne College students.

 Working with Housing Pendle to see if it wishes to buy properties to rent out, so increasing the number of properties available to rent locally.

 Investigate the availability of Temporary Social Housing Grants which could be used to bring empty properties back into use as rented homes for a limited time.

 Investigate the provision of an Empty Properties Loan to enable owners to obtain funds to bring properties up to standard.

 Investigate the use of Empty Dwelling Management Orders - the Council would intervene where an owner is unwilling to maintain or repair a property, bring it up to standard and rent it out.

Paul added: "We would take on the management of the property to stop an area declining. It's a spiral of abandonment - if one property becomes empty more follow and it rapidly reaches a point where everyone moves out."