Council action to reduce number of empty homes

NEWPORT council has launched a new strategy aimed at reducing the amount of empty homes in the city, as numbers rise across Gwent.

The number of long-term empty private homes in Newport has risen by 16 per cent since 2010, and across Wales by 24 per cent over the same period.

In 2017-18, just 15 of Newport’s 1,199 empty homes were brought back into use, accounting for 1.25 per cent of the total.

This proportion of homes brought back into use is one of the lowest across Wales, with the average across the country standing at 5.2 per cent.

Renovations or conversions resulting in new homes are not included in the figures though, with Newport said to be one of the best performing in this category.

“There are many reasons to be concerned about the number of long-term empty private homes,” a council report says. “Leaving homes empty reduces the supply of available housing and, given the current housing shortage, increases the pressure for development on green space.

“Properties that look unoccupied and neglected tend to attract anti-social behaviour or even criminal damage and, when clusters of empty homes occur in the same area, they reduce its vibrancy.”

The authority ended a 50 per cent council tax discount on empty homes in April in a bid to prevent homes lying empty.

The new strategy talks of improving a joined up approach to tackling “problem” properties, increasing resources to deal with empty homes and taking enforcement action where needed.

Councillor Jane Mudd, cabinet member for housing and regeneration, said additional resources will be made available to increase the number of interventions the council is able to undertake on empty homes.

Other Gwent authorities have also seen sharp rises in the number of homes lying empty – and reductions in the numbers brought back into use – though this has been attributed to changes in the way information is recorded.

Caerphilly county borough has 1,575 empty homes, with 36 returned to use, while Blaenau Gwent brought back into use 29 of 869 empty homes last year.

A spokesman for Welsh Government said: “We are on track to achieve our target of bringing 5,000 empty homes back into use during this Assembly term.

“We provided councils in Wales with £40m to provide financial assistance to property owners to help bring empty properties back into use.”

The Welsh Government has established a new enforcement team.