Help!

Just thinking out loud here...one of the officers responsible for empty homes here in Wales has an issue with accommodation above some retail premises (others will now be shouting "so have we"), the authority can provide some money towards renovation costs but the retailer can or will not , they are providing the space!  OK, I understand that, but I wonder if any one has had experience of similar and also would the Chamber of Commerce or Retailers Association or similar be somewhere we could approach?  Still thinking....

Many Thanks

Fiona

Just wondering if people had had a chance to look at this on the Homes and Communities website?

Basically the more people that visit the site and comment, the more seriously the Government takes the issue.

Its a real chance to get empty property put on the political map.
 
http://showcase.homesandcommunities.co.uk/debate/how-do-we-maximise-the-use-of-empty-homes-.html#films
 

Hi all

We have identified a few empty properties throughout our sub regional project that are becoming problematic but their owners are either in prison or away receiving care.  Although we can’t go down the route of the "normal" tools such as EDMOs, enforced sale, cpo etc.....we feel a duty of care to the neighbours who are suffering through these empty properties.

There are 3 properties in my borough, owned by one man, but land registry has them in his parents maiden names, (who I believe to have passed away several years ago) and either registered at the address of the empty property or an address that does not exist.

I have no address for the owner, and have used a tracing agents who have not been able to uncover anything.

There are no charges on the property nor are they casuing a nuisance to anyone, they have just been empty for roughly 8-15 years.

I wondered if others could suggest any ideas on where to go next?

Thanks

s215 is usually delegated to Planners. Has your Council delegated the power to non-Planners? If so...

• Who else has the delegation?
• Do these staff simply investigate cases under s215 or they also authorised to serve s215?
• Do you have to seek a Seniour Planners approval to take a case forward?
• Does s215 prove more useful in an empty homes context when the power is delgated to 'non-Planners'?

Please share your experience.

Cheers

Nick P-G

Reading BC

01189373091

We have a situation where we have a property on one of our housing schemes which has come up for a Sole Agency Agreement renewal and on inspecting the property to ensure Decent Homes Standard the Grants Officer (Environmental Health Private Housing)

Can anyone shed some light please on the funding RSLs receive apart from TSHG to help bring empty properties back into use?  In areas where the local authority is "land locked" and opportunities to build new social housing on green field sites is becoming limited, can RSLs use brown field sites and the development / refurbishment of empty properties to provide more social housing??  What sort of funding is available for RSLs to achieve this and what are the pros and cons to the RSL to go down this route?

We are considering rewording our initial letter to owners of empty properties to include information on the financial impact to them of leaving their property empty.

I was wondering if anyone had already done any work in this area.  I have emailed the EHA to ask them and they have said no, but given me areas that can be quantified eg loss of rent, council tax etc.

We feel that talking money to people, especially at this time of economic hardship might reap better results.

Any help, advice or suggestions are warmly welcomed.

When my first potential speaker turned down the invitation to speak to the ‘Herts, Beds and Bucks Empty Homes Forum’ about the practicalities of carrying out an Enforced Sale, I was not that worried.  Four potential speakers further on, I am now “concerned”.