Homeowners with empty properties in Carlisle City Council are being offered support and advice from the city council.
There are currently more than 1,077 empty and or exempt properties within the Carlisle area, 225 of which have been empty for longer than two years.
As well as being a disincentive to anyone staying on or moving to an area, they are also visually unattractive and create an impression of neglect and decline.
Councillor Paul Nedved, portfolio holder for economy, enterprise and housing, said: “High levels of empty properties are recognised as having a serious impact on the viability of communities.
“They are a blight on neighbourhoods and can attract anti-social behaviour.
“Empty homes are also a wasted resource and when brought back into use contribute to an increase in the supply of housing.
“Dealing with empty properties can therefore have social, economic and regenerative benefits.
“We focus on the properties have been empty for the longest time and are causing the most problems to the people who live in the local area.
“Our empty homes officer concentrates on the status of properties that have been empty for two years or more this is in addition to responding to any complaints from the community.
“Our priority is to always to work with owners to help return properties back into occupation and resolve any issues impacting on the community.”
As part of the City Council’s empty homes strategy, the private sector housing team aims to reduce the level of empty properties in Carlisle and help meet local housing need by introducing accommodation back into the market.
The team:
- Responds to enquiries and complaints from local residents about empty properties.
- Proactively identifies empty properties and their owners.
- Provides advice and support to the owners of empty properties with the aim of returning the properties back into use.
Communication with the long-term empty homeowners continues via letters, follow-up letters, questionnaires, telephone calls and visits.
Physical visits are undertaken with, or independent of the owner, to visually assess the state of the property.
Those properties identified as a ‘blight’ to the community are given further attention and action to address the issue.
In November 2019 a letter went to owners who have properties that had been empty for over two years offering potential help in the form of a small grant.
Carlisle City Council agreed to allocate £23,200 to this project.
Eight owners were awarded up to a maximum £3,000 towards making their long-term empty properties habitable during 2020.
These properties were to be made available for occupation at the six-month point from the date of the grant funding being approved.
Originally the projected end date was 30 June 2020.
However, whilst great progress was made, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted on work and there was a delay to the final completion dates.
Councillor Nedved added: “We are delighted that this small injection of grant funding has had a significant impact of bringing seven long-term empty homes back into use – the average empty period was six years and six months empty with the longest empty being since 2005.
“The remaining property is planned to back in use soon too.”
There has also increased enforcement activity supported by joint action from other departments at the council.
The following actions have been taken, or are in the process of being taken, against owners of empty properties causing issues within the community:
- Community Protection Warning letters sent: 12
- Community Protection Notices served: 6
- Abatement notices served: 2
- Prosecution cases in process: 5
- Enforced Sale process: 1
- Action under Section 215 Town and Planning Act: 3
One non-compliant owner was fined £660 plus £66 victim surcharge by the courts.
Carlisle City Council has also recently adjusted the Empty Homes Premium Council Tax rates for properties that have been empty for two years or more (except for some exemptions).
This is policy is government endorsed.
There is now an additional 100 per cent (doubling) of the standard annual council tax rate if a property is empty between two and five years and an additional 200 per cent (treble standard rate) if empty over five years or more.
For further details on empty properties or to report an empty property, telephone 01228 817301 or email [email protected]
