Latest news with #emptyhomes
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Number of empty homes on the rise across England
Across England, the number of empty homes has been steadily rising, with councils "increasingly concerned" about both the impact they have on local communities and the lost resource. "It makes you feel afraid because you don't know what's going to happen next."Ann Devereaux has cherished her home in a peaceful corner of Bristol for more than 25 years. But the property next door - empty, collapsing and overrun with pests - has become a constant source of was once just an eyesore is now a "magnet" for crime, she said."It's a place just available and open for misuse," she added."Whether it's men coming out and urinating against the wall, drug-dealing or fly-tipping."It makes me feel scared when I leave my house or come in at night. It's wearing me down emotionally."She has witnessed violence outside her front door, and the rotting smell of rubbish dumped inside the building sometimes drifts into her living room. Bristol City Council said it has ordered the owner of the building to make it Ms Devereaux and others in the tight-knit community of St Werburgh's say the situation is "only getting worse".Just months ago, the roof of the derelict property collapsed, unleashing dozens of rats into nearby gardens."It's a wasted resource, and I know there are a lot of places like this which are empty and rotting and creating real problems," said Ms city council said it is "continuing to monitor the building" and will consider further action, including stepping in to carry out safety works, if the owner does not meet their obligations. The BBC contacted the owner of the building, but had no of St Werburgh's say they want the property brought back into use urgently - and their story is not number of empty homes in England has risen over the last decade, even as the country grapples with a housing are now more than 700,000 empty homes, according to the most recent government figures. Of those, 264,884 are classed as "long-term empty", meaning no one has lived there for six months or Wales, the figure stood at 120,000 empty properties the last time the data was collated. In 2023 the Welsh Government launched a £50m National Empty Homes scheme, which offered up to £25,000 for improvements to be made to properties to make them available again. Empty homes are also viewed as a missed opportunity by housing one single night last autumn there were 4,667 people sleeping on the streets in England, according to official statistics - a near-record high and the third annual rise in a row. Bristol charity, 1625 Independent People, is trying to change Future Builders programme is transforming vacant properties into homes for young people facing homelessness to rent at a reduced cost. Becky Hopkins became homeless in the city at just 18 years old."I was completely lost, lonely, and isolated. I had feelings of self-hatred. I was worried all the time," she the programme gave Ms Hopkins a more affordable place to rent while she worked towards a more stable future. "After having a stable place, I really could focus on working on my mental health and building better habits."Now 21, she is training to become a Royal Navy engineer."It's a transformation I didn't think was possible," she said. Local councils are on the frontline of the empty homes issue, and leaders are now calling for stronger powers and resources to bring more back into officers are tasked with tracing the owners of empty properties so they can be held Fudge leads the team at South Gloucestershire Council, which has brought 47 properties back into use so far this year."If left empty, they can lead to a spiral of decline, neglect and decay in a community," he said."We initially try to engage with the owner, but when it becomes a detrimental impact to the wider neighbourhood, then we have to take enforcement action to stop that decline." Law change call If the property has been empty for more than two years, and the owner is not cooperating, councils can apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO).If granted, the council does not gain ownership of the property, but gets the right to manage and potentially improve it, recouping costs through this power is rarely utilised because of the long and complex process England, between 2017 and 2020, only 20 decisions were made on EDMO applications, according to government Local Government Association is calling for changes in the law to make it easier for councils to take over the management of vacant homes. The group Action on Empty Homes is also campaigning to bring empty properties back into manager Chris Bailey said: "Every empty home is a lost opportunity to improve the life of a family that's currently homeless."These are homes which are relevant, in the right places - in the middle of towns and cities where people want to live - where services exist already."It's not a case of building a whole new town and waiting for 10 years for it to happen, these are homes that are available now, they could be brought back into use within a year."But it is not always straightforward. When homeowners die, their property often remains empty during the probate process, during which their assets are legally assessed and Sadler inherited her mother's house in 2011."It's a huge privilege to inherit a home," she said. "But it's bittersweet when it's such a close family member, because the home is them and they are the home."The property had fallen into disrepair, and Ms Sadler struggled to afford the mounting costs of essential renovations. As a result, the house has been empty while work is ongoing."We found more and more things that needed work," she said."You find yourself thinking - how am I going to do this?"Ms Sadler has secured a loan from Lendology which works with councils to offer low-interest loans to bring empty homes back into now hopes to complete the renovations and rent out the property through the Homes for Ukraine scheme. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "We are determined to fix the housing crisis we have inherited, and we know that having too many empty homes in an area can have a significant impact on local communities."That's why we are giving councils stronger powers to increase council tax on long-term empty homes alongside removing tax incentives for short-term lets, and we continue to consider further action." If you want to contact us regarding this story, email westinvestigations@ BBC West on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.
Telegraph
04-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Council faces £100k tax bill after ban on second home owners backfires
A council has been forced to reverse its ban on second home owners after failing to find a single buyer for a multi-million seafront development. Red-faced bosses at West Norfolk Council have lifted the restriction on a £7m block of flats in a desperate bid to prevent the council becoming liable for its own empty homes premium. The flats in Hunstanton – built by the council in a project part-funded by Homes England – were intended to only be sold to locals after being put on the market in December 2023. But the coalition-led authority has failed to secure a single buyer for the 32 homes in an 'embarrassing' failure, which risks blowing a further hole in its finances. The block of flats – called Styleman Court – is in danger of triggering the council's own empty homes premium. It is thought the double tax bill the council will have to pay itself for the empty properties would be close to £100k. Fearful of becoming a victim of its own penalty, councillors agreed to lift the ban on selling the flats to people whose principal homes are elsewhere in a behind-closed-doors meeting last month. If buyers are not found, the empty homes premium will kick in from February 2026. The Local Democracy Service reported that Simon Ring, deputy leader of the council, said: 'If the properties are still empty in a year's time, we will suffer the empty homes tax, which will be like being hoisted by our own petard.' Lenders have reportedly been reluctant to offer mortgages on the seaside flats amid fears they would be unsellable in the future as a result of the buying restrictions. Confidential papers seen by the Local Democracy Service state that removing the conditions will boost the value of each flat by an average of £39,500. A spokesman for the council said: 'The restriction was introduced to ensure that people who bought the homes lived in them. However, this had the unintended consequence of making it harder for local people to buy the flats because it affected mortgage availability. 'While accepting that it also means people can buy the flats as holiday homes, the removal of the restriction is primarily intended to make it easier for local people to purchase them.' 'No one wants to permanently live there' Independent councillor, Paul Beal, told The Telegraph: 'It's a lesson that's been learnt and a mistake can't happen again. The flats are built on a car park ... No one wants to live there full time. 'But as a holiday home destination, I think it would be fantastic. It's half a minute from the beach and you're two minutes from the town. 'Hunstanton was built for tourism, it is purely a tourist town and that's the way it has to be. It's our biggest industry so we should embrace it.' Another councillor said the failure to secure a single buyer after 19 months was 'embarrassing'. It is thought that construction costs for the project have gone almost £2m over budget due to delays and rising prices of materials. The council refused to comment further on this figure due to it being published in a private report. The flats are due to go back on the market without the ban on second home ownership. Six of the apartments are due to be kept by the council to be used as social housing.
The Independent
20-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
‘I sold my beautiful £4m home for HS2 eight years ago - and it's sat empty ever since'
A woman who sold her £4m home to the government eight years ago because of HS2 says the 10-bedroom property lies empty, despite a national housing crisis. Rachel Halvorsen cut the multi-million pound deal with the Department for Transport to sell the home, in Brackley in Northamptonshire, that her family converted from a barn in 1915. The agreement was struck for the farmhouse, along with a bungalow and cottage, because the HS2 line from London to Birmingham will cut through 25 per cent of the estate's 40 acres. Yet despite the residential properties located 300 metres from the line, and the sale completed eight years ago, only the cottage has been rented back out by HS2. The farmhouse and cottage lie empty, said Mrs Halvorsen, the swimming pool has been filled in, and a ceiling in the main house is believed to have fallen through. The empty house and bungalow, which Ms Halvorsen used to rent out for £1,000 a month, are among 402 homes which sit unoccupied along the HS2 routes, including the northern axed phase 2a and 2b lines to Manchester and Leeds. The DfT bought 1,475 homes, then passed them on to HS2 which aimed to rent them out to deliver value for money, and avoid empty properties in communities - but 27 per cent lie empty, The Independent can reveal. It comes as Labour desperately attempts to tackle a housing crisis, with deputy prime minister Angela Rayner doubling down on a pledge to build 1.5m new homes this week. HS2 has told The Independent some properties were not rented due to the cost of bringing them up to a 'lettable standard', while some may need to be demolished in the near future. But Mrs Halvorsen said she couldn't understand why her home, which fitted with a new fireplace when she left, could not have been put up for lease, along with the bungalow she had rented out. She said: 'It's such a waste of money - the house is so nice, the gardens are beautiful, but after being bought eight years ago, I can't believe the place has just sat there doing nothing while falling into disrepair. 'It's money that could have been going to the taxpayer. The house is now doomed for the 20 years or so it'll take to build the railway.' Mrs Halvorson's mother converted the barn into the family home, which she later inherited. Once a year, the gardens would be opened to the public. But now she can't stand going back to the property, after moving a half-hour's drive away. The cost of looking after the empty property will also have been expensive, she said, with 24/7 security required at one stage after travellers attempted to access the land. She said: 'Now it's all closed up, I don't like going back there, especially with all the construction work nearby. It's all rather sad, especially when people need homes.' It's a similar picture for other large properties bought by DfT. In Camden, which sits near London Euston, where a tunnel 4.5 miles long is planned to take HS2 passengers to Old Oak Common station, homes were purchased, including a mansion house for £7.4m five years ago, which the Camden New Journal reported last year still lay empty. On the northern legs of the HS2 project, despite the announcement to cancel the routes two years ago, HS2-owned properties not only sit empty, but there is no immediate sign when they could be sold back into communities. Last year, a transport minister said the government had to first rule out an alternative rail plan for the northern legs before the disposal of land and properties begins. The Independent understands an announcement will be made by the DfT in the summer. In the villages of Whitmore, Whitmore Heath and Madeley, about 50 houses were sold to HS2 to make way for he axed northern leg. But at least 20 are empty, claims Deborah Mallender, who lives in Madeley. The resident blamed HS2 for renting out only on short-term contracts, and the 'over-the-top' standards for properties put on the market. 'You walk around the village and you see the empty homes with ridge tiles that are coming off,' she said. 'They are being left to fall into rack and ruin, and one day HS2 will say they'll need to be pulled down and replaced. 'It's devastating for the community. Why aren't these properties being sold?' Whitmore parish councillor Ian Webb said security had to be stepped up in villages after one house was turned into a cannabis factory. He said: 'When the houses were sold they all appeared well-equipped for new people to come in, but instead many have been left empty. The whole situation is not popular with people in the village, it's taken away part of the community.' Carter Jonas was appointed to manage the homes on behalf of HS2. In Whitmore Heath, it is currently marketing huge detached homes for up to £3,000 a month on six and 12-month contracts. HS2 said it would sell surplus properties in line with government policy. A spokesperson said: 'Properties will only be sold once confirmed as surplus, and sales will follow a structured process, including compliance with the Crichel Down Rules [allowing previous owners to buy back the homes] and market valuation requirements.' A DfT spokesperson said: 'We will set out detailed plans for the land and property no longer required for the project later this summer – ensuring any sales deliver value for money and do not disrupt local property markets.'
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
More houses may be compulsorily purchased in city
Two more empty houses could be compulsorily purchased by City of Wolverhampton Council, as part of its scheme to turn long-term unoccupied properties into family homes. The homes on Warstones Drive and Hadley Road have been vacant for a number of years, and the authority's cabinet is being asked to approve the potential purchases at a meeting on Wednesday. In March, the authority said it had taken over more than 300 homes over five years to be sold or rented, many of which had been empty for many years. The council buys the properties and refurbishes them, before selling them on and putting the money back into the scheme. Both of the latest properties are semi-detached, with the one on Hadley Road being empty since August 2018 and the house on Warstones Drive vacant since January 2021. Before considering compulsory purchase, housing improvement officers work with owners to encourage them to carry out any required work and get them occupied again, the council said. Through the strategy, the authority stated it wanted to prevent properties becoming "a blight on their neighbourhood" and make them available to be sold or rented. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Hundreds of empty homes put back in use Taskforce launched to regenerate vacant properties Fly-tipping may force sale of empty home Council could force purchase of empty home City of Wolverhampton Council
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
How that empty house next door could knock £50,000 off the value of YOUR home
Living next door to a run-down, empty house could knock more than £50,000 off the value of the average home – but there are steps you can take to protect your property's price tag. Almost one million homes are standing empty across the UK, the majority of which have been vacant for more than six months, according to council tax data analysed by the charity Action on Empty Homes. Of these, 133,000 belonged to someone who has died.
