Empty properties brought back into use as homes

More than 180 empty properties have been turned into homes in Denbighshire in the past 12 months.

As part of the county council’s work on empty homes, 181 properties classed as long term empty were brought back into use for families and residents in the county in 2018/19.

The council has launched a plan to bring 500 empty homes back into use through raising awareness, taking a pro-active approach to target problematic sites and working closely with landlords.

Cllr Tony Thomas, lead member for Housing and Communities, said: “Bringing these private properties back into use helps provide homes for residents in the county, which is a priority for the Council under its corporate plan.

“Homes may lie empty for a variety of reasons including difficulty in tracing or establishing ownership, an inability to sell, family disputes and in other cases the property may need significant work or the owner has an unrealistic value.

“This is a positive move but we still have more work to do, the aim of this plan is to unlock the housing potential of long-term empty homes.

“We have a package of financial assistance which provides grants and loans and we also provide advice and support. However, there will be times when it is necessary to use enforcement measures, particularly in cases where owners are unwilling to engage with us.”

There are currently 636 empty properties in the county.

The council says it will raise awareness of the empty homes in the county and the role it can play in assisting to bring them forward for beneficial re-use and a range of enforcement powers could be used including compulsory purchasing properties which are causing the most harm to the area in which they sit.

The council has also issued information packs to more than 600 properties classed as long term empty.