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WOLVERHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL

Empty Property Strategy

2010 – 2015

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Why do properties remain empty? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Why work to bring empty properties back in use? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Wolverhampton Profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Empty Properties in Wolverhampton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Housing Need in Wolverhampton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Achievements since 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Empty Property Commitment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Wolverhampton’s Key Aims and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Assistance to find Voluntary Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Delivering our Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

The Way Forward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Wolverhampton’s Empty Property Action Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

1

Introduction

Like most parts of England, Wolverhampton has a shortage of affordable homes. We have an identified unmet shortage of 702 affordablehomes each year (for the period 2007-2012)according to our Housing Needs Survey 2007.We have a Housing Register exceeding 10,000applicants for Council rented housing and wehave also in the region of 2650 long-term emptyproperties (taken from the Council Tax data).These are empty privately owned domesticdwellings that have stood empty for in excess of6 months, however many have stood empty for a number of years. The Council believes at atime of such housing need that this is a wastedresource and as such it must be a priority for theCouncil and its partners, to work together tobring as many empty homes back into use aspossible. The strategy will both to help meetneed and to offer choice, and to reduce theblight that can result where properties are emptyand neglected.

In 2004, Wolverhampton produced andpublished its first dedicated Empty PropertyStrategy. Since then, we have brought 817 long-term empty properties back into use, whilst afurther 27 have been demolished to be replacedby new, better housing. We have also, withcolleagues in Homeless Services, developed aRent Deposit scheme and the City Council isworking proactively with a range of partners andagencies to prevent homelessness. We are alsolooking closely at our neighbourhoods with aview to sustainment, both environmentally andcohesively, and work carried out to reduce thenumber of empty properties and street sceneenforcement enhances that work.

We need to move forwards, build on oursuccess, and develop new policies and initiativesfollowing legislation within the Housing Act2004 and subsequent government guidance.This is a key issue for Wolverhampton, and wewill aim to bring even more empty homes backinto use over the next five years for the life ofthis strategy. We believe that the majority ofempty homes can be dealt with by working withthe owner, but where this is not possible we willlook to use the full range of enforcement powersavailable to the Council in order to resolveproblems. A credible threat of action, coupledwith good local publicity on successfulenforcement cases will encourage most ownersto work with the Council.

EMPTY PROPERTY STRATEGY 2010-2015

There are many reasons why domestic propertyremains empty in Wolverhampton. Property willusually be empty during a change of ownership;there is nothing wrong in this and it is usually anindicator of a healthy housing market. Howeverit may be an indicator of underlying problemswhen property is not occupied within areasonable timescale after a change ofownership; the formal measure is a property that has remained unoccupied for longer than 6 months. We have carried out researchamongst owners of such long-term emptyproperties and the main reasons stated forleaving a property empty are:

• Owners lacking information about the options available to them

• Owners moving into residential care

• Delays in the administration of the estatewhere the owner has died

• Perceived problems with renting the property out

• Owners waiting for further increases in the market before selling

• The costs associated with renovation of older & long-term empty properties

• Properties that are awaiting demolition and/or redevelopment

Above right and right:The same empty property before and after council intervention.

Why do properties remain empty?

2 EMPTY PROPERTY STRATEGY 2010 – 2015

3

Why work to bring empty properties back in use?

From a housing policy perspective, theoverriding reasons in bringing long-term emptyproperty back into use is to increase thenumbers of homes available for those in needand minimise the under use of existinghousing. At a time of growing housing need thiscan assist in widening the choice of housingavailable and may lessen the risk of homelessness.

There are sustainable neighbourhood reasons as well, and these include:

1. To discourage crime and vandalism – empty properties are known to attract anti-social behaviour and are a magnet forvandalism and arson

2. To discourage fly tipping and otherenvironmental crime on the land of anempty property – empty properties are oftensurrounded by rubbish and can pose a risk to public health

3. To discourage price devaluation ofneighbouring properties – neighbouringproperty prices can be affected by as much as 30% (Empty Homes Agency)

4. Expense to the owner – it’s less expensive tohave a property in use than to leave it empty.It is estimated that the average annual costsof keeping a three-bedroom house inWolverhampton empty can be around£10,000 per year (latest figures suggested by the Empty Homes Agency).

Nationally it is estimated that there are 613,270empty private properties in England (at April2008; latest figures available), 303,285 of thosebeing empty longer than 6 months; 34,511long-term empty properties in the WestMidlands Region (information taken from

Communities and Local Government HSSAreturns for 2007/08). Whilst the figure for long-term empty private property nationally hasfallen, it is rising in the West Midlands andWolverhampton. A reason for this is the impactof the “credit crunch;” however a fallinghousing market brings both threats andopportunities for tackling empty homes.Wolverhampton is positioning itself to respondto the threats and make the most of theopportunities presented as set out within thisdocument’s Action Plan.

There have been a number of governmentinitiatives to tackle empty properties in recentyears, as the pressures faced by Local HousingAuthorities in terms of meeting increasingdemand for affordable housing is recognised as a national issue. These include:

• Use of Council Tax Data to identify empty propertySection 85 of the Local Government Act2003 added Paragraph 18A to Schedule 2 tothe Local Government Finance Act 1992 toallow the use of Council Tax data by theCouncil for the purposes of identifyingvacant dwellings or taking steps to bringvacant dwellings back into use. This data isused by the Council’s Empty Property Teamto identify empty dwellings and the nameand address of the current owner

• Council Tax Discounts for empty domestic dwellingsSection 75 of the Local Government Act2003 inserted Section 11A into the LocalGovernment Finance Act 1992 and givesbilling authorities a discretionary power toreduce the Council Tax discount on long-term empty dwellings. From 1st April 2008


Wolverhampton City Council removed thisdiscretionary discount, on dwellings whichhave been unoccupied and unfurnished forlonger than six months, to ensure there is nofiscal incentive to keeping a property empty.

• Empty Dwelling ManagementOrders (EDMO)Empty Dwelling Management Orders wereintroduced in July 2006 under the provisionsof the Housing Act 2004. The intention of anEDMO is to bridge the gap betweenvoluntary measures and existing enforcementprocedures. It will provide an effective backup to such arrangements where owners turndown offers of assistance and do not haveplans of their own to bring the property back into use. The threat of an EDMO isintended to put pressure on the owner toenter into constructive dialogue with the Local Authority with the object of agreeing the best course of action to secureoccupation, thereby avoiding the need for an order to be made. Cabinet approval wasobtained for the use of EDMOs as a means to bring long-term empty property back intouse in October 2009.

• Enforced Sale Procedure (ESP)The Enforced Sale Procedure uses powersunder Section 103 of the Law and PropertiesAct 1925, and offers an option to recoupdebts and bring empty properties back intouse through forcing a change in ownership.This is less complicated than CompulsoryPurchase and can be used in conjunction withcarrying out Works in Default where noticeshave been served on owners requiring worksto be done to resolve any visual detrimentbeing caused by the empty property. If thesenotices are not complied with, the Council

has the right to carry out the works and seekto recover the debt. A charge is placedagainst the property and the Council thenforces the sale of the property to recover the outstanding debt for the works.

• Compulsory Purchase Orders(CPO)The Housing Act 1985, section 17 allows the Local Authority to acquire underused orineffectively used property for residentialpurposes if there is a general housing need in the area. In addition section 226 of theTown and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended by section 99 of the Planningand Compulsory Purchase Act 2004) allowsLocal Authorities to acquire land or buildingsif acquisition will allow improvements orredevelopment to take place. CPO can be a lengthy process and the possibility of aCPO is intended to prompt the owner toenter into constructive dialogue with the Local Authority and to avoid the need toresort to such measures.

Use of other enforcement powers: - The use of other powers will be consideredwhere appropriate, and best course of actiontaken to resolve empty property issues; theaim being the achievement of the Councilswider strategic objectives around sustainablecommunities’ local environmentalimprovements and the regeneration ofWolverhampton. Examples include the use of Section 215 of the Town and CountryPlanning Act 1990 which will be consideredwhere the condition of an empty property is considered to be adversely affecting theamenity of an area, or the use of Section 79of the Building Act 1984 which addressesdefective premises and ruinous anddilapidated buildings.

Wolverhampton Profile

Wolverhampton is a Millennium City situatedwithin the West Midlands conurbation, and isbordered by Sandwell, Walsall and Dudley, whotogether are collectively known as the BlackCountry Boroughs. The resident population forthe City of Wolverhampton was estimated to be in the region of 239,300 people (HousingNeeds Study 2007), and this is expected togrow by a further 2,600 by the year 2026.

There are around 104,000 domestic dwellings in Wolverhampton, with approximately 75,900 in the private sector (owner occupied andprivately rented), with the remaining being inthe social rented sector (including Councilowned stock managed by WolverhamptonHomes and property owned and managed by Housing Associations).

5


Empty Properties in Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton currently has around 2,650 long-term empty properties on the Council Taxdatabase and the numbers have risen steadily over the past few years but starting to show a slight downward trend for 2009.

2800

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20062005 2007 2008 2009

Housing Need in Wolverhampton

As demand for affordable housing is increasing,so do associated problems such as increasedhomelessness. As at April 2010 there werenearly 10,006 applicants on the Council’sHousing Register (including those seekingtransfers). The average number of bids receivedfor each property available to let in the last 6 months is 60. The HNS 2007 also establishedthat Wolverhampton faces an annual unmetneed for new affordable housing of 702 units

each year up to 2012; this is at a time when theaverage house price in the City is £137,234(September 2007) which is approximately6.24% times the average annual householdincome of residents living in Wolverhampton.

Yet this unmet need, for affordable housing, isset against a backdrop of 2650 long-term emptydomestic properties, and this figure has been inexcess of 2600 for the last 3 years.

Fig 1: Empty Properties in Wolverhampton as at November 2009

Source: Council Tax Data

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Fig 2: Number of Empty Properties in Wolverhampton at November 2009

Source: Wolverhampton City Council Empty Property Team

The number of empty properties and progress in bringing empty property back into use inWolverhampton is usually measured regionally, and this is how we compare with the neighbouringauthorities of Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley and Birmingham:

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Fig 3: Private Sector Empty Property Information 2008

Source: HSSA data 2008, CLG


Raising AwarenessA key element of our work involves raisingawareness and we have received some highprofile press releases in the local news since the publication of our previous strategy. We recognise the need to build on this successand we propose to develop our communicationsstrategy further to ensure maximum publicity. As well as promoting the success of action taken(for example the use of Compulsory PurchaseOrders), there is also a need to promote the links to the rest of our Housing Futures Plan and our Private Sector and Housing Assistancepolicies, for example, encouraging owners ofempty property(s) to consider becomingaccredited landlords or making use of the Rent Deposit Scheme..The Councils first Empty Properties Strategy(2004-2007) has been focused on problematicempty properties and has achieved a reductionin the number of long-term empty properties.For example the number of properties emptyover 5 years has reduced by 75 over the last 2years. There has also been a reduction in thenumber of properties that could be considereddetrimental to neighbourhoods. All owners ofproperties that have been empty between 1993and 2004 have been written to, and there is acurrent case load of approximately 190 reportedempty properties of which around 70 [shown inlight blue] could be considered problematic anddetrimental to the immediate neighbourhood.

The 2004-2007 strategy has been successful interms of dealing with problematic emptyproperties, but does not have a positive effect onnewly arising empty properties that is exceedingthe number being brought back into use.However, we are proactively targeting owners ofrecent empty properties with mail outs andquestionnaires; seeking reasons for the propertybeing empty, asking for contact details for futureuse, and offering advice and assistance at anearly stage in order to prevent propertiesbecoming very long-term empty.

Achievements since 2004

Properties known to be detrimental

Well maintained empty properties

70

2580

Fig 4: Percentage of private residentialproperties split by detrimental toneighbourhoods and well maintained in Wolverhampton in 2009

Source: Wolverhampton Empty Property Team

9

Empty Property Commitment

This strategy has been developed to reflect bestpractice, and aims to raise the profile of emptyhomes and the work of the Council at acorporate level and across all partnerships.

1. Wolverhampton will promote its corporatecommitment to tackling empty homes atevery opportunity.

2. Wolverhampton will maintain a dedicatedteam with direct responsibility for emptyresidential properties in the private sector.

3. Wolverhampton will work at a sub-regionaland regional level with other local authoritieswherever possible and work in a multi-partner approach to tackle empty residentialdwellings.

4. Wolverhampton will use all the legislativeand enforcement options available whilst atthe same time looking to work in conjunctionwith owners to bring empty residentialproperties back into use.

5. Wolverhampton will ensure that accuraterecords are kept and will adopt best practicewhen identifying, recording and monitoringall empty residential properties.

6. Wolverhampton will regularly review andrefresh its Empty Property Strategy andaccompanying Action Plan to take account of new issues and to respond to best practiceand guidance.

7. Wolverhampton will develop clearframeworks and processes forcommunicating its work around emptyproperties with the public, partners andstakeholders.

8. Wolverhampton will set annual targets forbringing long-term empty properties backinto use which will compliment otherperformance targets such as H18 and H23

9. Wolverhampton will ensure that its EmptyProperty Strategy links to the Council’scorporate objectives and strategies at a sub regional level.

Wolverhampton Council and its partners recognise the detrimental impact empty properties can have on communities, both in terms of blight and the wasted housing resource at a time of growing housing need.

Above right and right:The same empty property before and after council intervention.


Wolverhampton’s aim is to bring its emptyresidential properties back into use. This mayhelp to alleviate growing housing need and offermore choice in the market, and it will also helpus to maintain our neighbourhoods and preventthe blight that is a factor of empty homes.

To achieve this aim, it is important to set someclear objectives. These objectives are:

1. To raise awareness of private sector emptyproperties across the City and gain co-operation and commitment necessary totackle the issues from both within the Counciland externally from all involved partners

2. To bring empty properties back into use andto increase housing supply

3. To promote the range of advice andassistance available to owners of emptyprivate sector properties

4. To minimise the number of empty propertiesbecoming empty long-term through the useof early intervention initiatives

5. To obtain clear and accurate informationrelating to empty private sector homes andmonitor trends in order to establish prioritiesfor interventions

6. To enhance the process for managing theidentification, assessment and prioritisation ofcases to enable to most appropriate course ofaction to be taken by the Council.

To reduce the number of empty residentialdwellings across the City we will:

1. Monitor the number of empty propertiesmonthly, paying particular attention to newadditions so that we can target our resourcesaccordingly

2. Ensure that we contact all owners of emptyproperty to advise them of options andinitiatives aimed at bringing the propertiesback into use

3. Pro-actively use the full range of toolsavailable to the Council which are aimed atbringing long-term empty properties backinto use, including Compulsory PurchaseOrders, Enforced Sale Procedures and EmptyDwelling Management Orders

4. Target all properties which are having anadverse effect on the sustainability ofneighbourhoods

5. Further develop existing initiatives andoptions available to owners of emptyproperties to make it easier for them to bringtheir properties back into use, such as thePrivate Sector Leasing and Rent DepositSchemes.

The majority of properties that become emptywill usually be brought back into use throughnormal market forces (sale and re-lets forexample), but the Council needs to have anumber of responses to deal with thoseproperties that fall outside of the normal market forces.

Wolverhampton’s Key Aims and Objectives

11

Assistance to find Voluntary Solutions

There are a wide range of reasons for properties being empty and the Council always prefers to work with owners to find a voluntary solution where possible. Based on working with ownersover the last 4 years, the following initiatives have been developed and will be offered (whereappropriate) in advance of any enforced solution.

1. Responsible owners will have the opportunityto become accredited landlords which willattract a number of benefits, including accessto potential tenants on the Council HousingRegister and advertising thorough ChoiceBased Lettings

2. If owners wish to let to someone who ishomeless, the Council can help find tenantsand provide a bond instead of a cash deposit

3. The Council, whilst it does not provide anyfinancial incentives with regards to emptyproperties at present, is currently exploringoptions around financial assistance in certaincircumstances. For example, the Council isexploring the feasibility around providingbridging finance to prepare properties foroccupation. If an owner can proveconventional finance sources have beenexhausted, the Council may considerfinancing the refurbishment and recoveringthe costs through rent and/or placing acharge on the property.

4. If owners can not afford legal and marketingcosts to sell a property, the Council may, incertain circumstances, consider providingfinancial assistance to assist with the sale,and the costs will then be recovered from theproceeds of the sale

5. The Council has recently appointed twoManaging Agents (Wolverhampton Homesand bchs) to operate a Private Sector LeasingScheme. In partnership with the Council, theAgents are leasing properties for periods ofup to five years to provide wider housingchoice and much needed accommodationacross the City. Owners will be able to useCouncil accredited agents on a voluntarybasis. However, if owners are not willing tovoluntarily bring properties back into use, the Council can consider using its statutorypowers such as making an Empty DwellingManagement O rder.

Above and above right:The same empty property before and after council intervention.


Fig 5: Procedure for Problematic Properties

Initial letter to obtain circumstances, reasons and proposals (Advice/ Information pack included)

Satisfactory response – ie plan in place to return to use within 6 months or work

with owner to find solution

Monitor Progress

Unsatisfactory response/no reply ie ownernot prepared to deal with external condition

or bring back into use within 6 months

Section 215 Notice to tidy the building and/or site

Owner carries out required work (move to non-problematic procedure)

Works in default carried out by Counciland/or prosecution of owner –

Charge placed on property

Consider Enforced Sale/Compulsory Purchase Order/

Empty Dwelling Management order

13

Section 215 of the Town and Country PlanningAct 1990 is a power Council’s can use whereproperties and/or land is considered visuallydetrimental to the amenity of an area. Whendealing with empty residential property, theCouncil intends to increase the use of this powerin both individual cases and in targeted areas.

Previously the Council has concentrated itsresources towards dealing with those propertiesthat have a detrimental impact onneighbourhoods by tackling properties that havefallen into disrepair, however housing marketintelligence shows increasing numbers of emptynewbuild flats and apartments and thatinitiatives need to be explored to address theseproperties too, with the aim of widening thehousing market choice for local residents ofWolverhampton and to start to address thegrowing need for affordable housing. We aim to expand our Rent Deposit Scheme to ensurethat we increase the choice of housing availablefor vulnerable families and we will look toengage with and support private landlordsthrough a number of initiatives such asaccreditation schemes, landlord training,information and advocacy services and thePrivate Sector Leasing Scheme.

We will also use the full range of powersavailable to the Council to tackle emptyresidential dwellings including enforcementmeasures where advocacy fails, including the useof Empty Dwelling Management Orders,Compulsory Purchase Orders and Enforced SaleProcedures where these are considerednecessary as a last resort response. Each emptyproperty will be considered on its own merits,and the Council will take what it considers to bebest course of action to achieve the mostpositive outcome for the neighbourhood. Otherrelated powers will also be used imaginatively toreduce the adverse impact of long-term empty

properties where issues such as anti-socialbehaviour and environmental crime are keyissues. As well as addressing the immediateneighbourhood problems this will also give theCouncil additional leverage in using otherpowers to bring the properties back into use.

In order to raise public awareness we willdevelop a high profile publicity campaign. We already send out information leaflets toevery property on the Council Tax data baseannually, with Council Tax bills, giving freeadvice and information on dealing with andreporting empty properties. We will develop this further by regularly contacting all owners of certain categories of empty property advising on options available to them. We will alsopublicise our success and make best use of the local media.

In order to improve the supply of decent andaffordable housing in the City to meet ourgrowing housing need we need to improve thesupply of decent affordable private rented stock.In order to achieve this we will need to raise theprofile of the sector and advertise the benefits toboth potential owners and landlords and topotential residents. We will also need to ensurethat appropriate tenancy support services areavailable to residents who may be vulnerable tohelp them sustain tenancies in the private rentedsector. This will mean working in partnershipwith support services and supported housingorganisations to both raise awareness of thebenefits and to ensure that property standardsare maintained and meet requirements ofresidents. We will also need to further promotethe Rent Deposit and Private Sector LeasingSchemes and other similar initiatives to showwhere assistance is available to help residentsand their support services access the privaterented sector.


By providing the correct information aboutletting property to vulnerable households andthe support networks available we aim toincrease the choice available to residents ofsupported accommodation who need to accesssuitable move-on properties. If these services arein place and well publicised we will also increasethe numbers of private sector landlords who willbe prepared to let to low income, vulnerablehouseholds.

The majority of empty properties are notproblematic and remain empty without being acause of major concern to the general public.However, in terms of the need for housing inWolverhampton, it is also unacceptable for bothnew build and existing properties to remainempty over an extended period. It is theCouncils view that valuable housing resourcesshould be used for housing wherever practicaland the Council is prepared to take action tobring these properties back into use whenowners are unwilling to achieve a voluntarysolution. The Housing Act 2004 gave Councilspowers to pursue Empty Dwelling ManagementOrders on properties empty over 6 months.

A Residential Property Tribunal has to besatisfied that;

1. The property has been empty 6 months

2. There is no reasonable prospect of theproperty becoming occupied without an order

3. If the order is made, there is a reasonableprospect of the property becoming occupied

4. The property does not fall under a number of prescribed exemptions

5. The Council has considered the rights of the proprietor against the interests of thewider community

The Council considers that in the majority ofcases, bringing empty properties back into usewill provide much needed specific types ofproperty and bridge a gap between supply anddemand generally thereby enabling others theright to a home.

The proposed procedure for dealing with non-problematic properties is set out as follows:

15

Fig 6: Procedure for Non Problematic Properties

Initial letter to obtain circumstances, reasons and proposalsAdvice / information pack included

Satisfactory response – ie plan in place toreturn to use within 6 months/ on market to

sell or rent (Some exemptions apply)

Monitor Progress

No reply or unsatisfactory response. Owner not prepared to bring property

back into use

Warning of Empty Dwelling ManagementOrder – Explain voluntary options

Voluntary Solution agreed Interim Empty Dwelling ManagementOrder

Final Empty Dwelling Management Order

Property managed by Council or Agent – All costs recovered

Monitor Progress

To ensure objectives are beingmet we have developed arobust action plan andmonitoring system which is setat the end of this document.These targets will be reviewedannually and reported toWolverhampton StrategicHousing Partnership whooversees the delivery of allhousing related strategies and plans.

Since 2004 the Council has resourced a serviceaimed at bringing empty residential properties back into use, including the provision ofdedicated officers who have achievedsignificant results to date.

These dedicated resources allow a targetedapproach in areas where empty properties andsustainability are an issue. In conjunction withofficers working with landlords and otherpartners, a proactive targeted approach will beused in certain areas of the City that are showingsigns of housing market weakness and an oversupply of private rented properties. An exampleof this is where we are looking to implement aSelective Licensing Scheme in the City.

The principle of establishing a revolving fund todrive forward the Private Sector Empty PropertyStrategy was originally approved by Cabinet in2006. The revolving fund provides forproperties that are consistent with the strategyto be acquired under enforcement powers to beremarketed and sold. Enforcement action (suchas works in default under Section 215 orrefurbishment of properties managed underEDMO) will become an integral part of therevolving fund to ensure the majority of the costof empty properties work is recycled.


Delivering our Objectives

Resources

17

Tackling empty homes contributes to thesustainability of neighbourhoods and wholecommunities through:

1. Increasing the stock of good quality housingwith better energy efficiency standards

2. Cutting carbon emissions by renovatingrather than building new homes

3. Reducing the potential for crime, fly tippingand vandalism (and arson in extreme cases)

4. Promoting regeneration and re-investment incommunities suffering from housing marketweakness and blighted by empty homes

To ensure that the Council is effective inachieving its strategic objectives and reducingthe numbers of long-term empty properties it will:

1. Continue to pursue existing and newly arisingCompulsory Purchase Orders on selectedproperties where a voluntary solution can notbe reached. We estimate we will be dealingwith 5 CPOs per annum.

2. The Council will monitor the effects ofremoving the Council Tax discount on emptyproperties.

3. The Council has contacted and offered adviceto all owners who have had properties emptysince between 1993 and 2006. The Councilwill review and follow up all owners ofproperties that have been empty from 1993-2006 and consider action on the cases thatremain empty during 2010/11.

4. The Council will contact and offer advice tothe owners of properties that have beenempty since 2007 to date during 2010/11.

5. The Council will contact the owners of allnewly arising empty properties during the lifeof the strategy (currently between 100 and300 per month).

6. The Council will consider the use of Section215 notices on problematic empty propertieswhere a voluntary solution can not be found (66 current cases and any newlyarising cases).

7. The Council will consider Enforced Sale,Empty Dwelling Management Orders andCompulsory Purchase Orders on propertiesthat remain empty following Section 215action.

8. The Council will consider applying for EmptyDwelling Management Orders on nonproblematic properties where a voluntarysolution can not be found.

The Strategy Action Plan will be monitoredquarterly through the Empty Property WorkingGroup and progress reported annually toWolverhampton Strategic Housing Partnershipunless otherwise requested.

The Way Forward

18EM

PTY PR

OPERTY

STRATEG

Y 2010 –

2015

REF ACTION OUTCOME TIMESCALESSTART FINISH

PERFORMANCEMEASURES

RESOURCE(INCLUDE PARTNERS)

BUSINESS RISK

Objective 1: To raise awareness of private sector empty properties across the city and gain the co-operation and commitment necessary to tackle the issue from both within the Council and externally from all involved partners

Wolverhampton’s Empty Property Action Plan

ACCOUNTABLEOFFICER

Continue to raiseawareness amongst otherdirectorates of emptyhomes through theempty property workinggroup.

To continue thepromotion of emptyproperties work throughour housing intranet siteand Council website.

To achieve 3 reports onthe delivery of thestrategy in local press.

Investigate private sectorfunding options.

Groups set up withagreed terms ofreference.

Information on adviceand assistance availableto respond to emptyprivate sector properties.

Continued awareness ofthe ongoing work totackle empties in theprivate sector.

Feasibility of using privatefunds for empty progress.

1

2

3

4

Ongoing

Ongoing

OngoingApril 2010/12

Annually

04/10 09/10

Attendance at meetings.Delivery of identifiedaction plan resources.

Effective feedbackrequested and monitored.Number of hits to sitepages. Number of emailsreceived from site.

Complete Feasibility

Relevant Councildepartments.

Within existing resources.

Marketing, private sectorteam existing resources.

Within existing reserves.

Failure to developconsistentapproach acrossthe Council andwider partnershipsrisks wasted effortand duplication.

Service must bepromoted to assistofficers andcitizens.

Service must bepromoted to assistowners andcitizens.

Assistance routenot explored couldbe missedopportunity.

PrincipalHousingAssistanceOfficer (PHAO)

NeighbourhoodSustainmentOfficer (NSO)

PHAO

NSO

PHAO

NSO

NSO

19


PERFORMANCEMEASURES


BUSINESS RISK

Objective 2: To bring empty properties back into use and to increase housing supply

ACCOUNTABLEOFFICER

Further develop specificenforcement measuresfor bringing emptyproperties back into usewhere owners areunwilling to do so.

Further develop counciltax data identifyingnumbers of emptyproperties, length ofvacancy, type of owner,exemption categories,and location.

To identify all long term,RSL and publicly ownedempty dwellings withinthe city to work withpartners to bring into use.

Enforcement procedureoperational/monitoringsystem in place to trackcases.

Develop a clearer pictureof empty properties in the city.

Utilising existing availableaccommodation torespond to housingdemand.

5

6

7

04/10 04/11

04/10 Ongoing

Ongoing

CPO, EDMO, EnforcedSale, Building Act 1984,s.29 LG & Mis ProvisionAct 1983, EPA 1990,s.215

Effective targeting ofresources and informingpolicy development.

Analysis of council taxdata.




Inadequateprocedures canimpact thedelivery of theempty propertystrategy.

Failure to maintainaccurate emptyproperty recordscould lead toinappropriatelytargeted actions.

PHAO

NSO

NSO

Council Tax

PHAO

Head ofDevelopment

20EM

PTY PR

OPERTY

STRATEG

Y 2010 –

2015


PERFORMANCEMEASURES


BUSINESS RISK

Objective 3: To promote the availability of advice and assistance available to owners of empty private sector properties

ACCOUNTABLEOFFICER

To develop an emptyproperty informationpack to promote theavailability ofhelp/assistance.

Produce information and literature on theavailability of assistanceand ensure it isdistributed widely ie. inannual Council Tax issues.

Promote Private SectorLeasing (PSL).

Raised awarenessamongst owners andother partners of how theCouncil can assist them inbringing empty propertiesback into use.

Improved number ofproperties in PSL.

8

9

04/10 09/10

04/10 Ongoing

Ongoing


Marketing/ withinexisting.

BCHS andWolverhampton Homesto promote jointly.

Lack of awarenessof advice andassistance availablewill prevent thedelivery of strategyobjectives.

As above.

Failure to provideleads to ineffectivescheme.

NSO

NSO

NSO

Pack produced and in use.

Increased number ofenquiries received forInformation packs.

Number signed up to PSL.

21


PERFORMANCEMEASURES


BUSINESS RISK

Objective 4: To minimise the number of empty properties becoming long-term through early interventions

ACCOUNTABLEOFFICER

Mail outs to all emptyproperty owners (over 6 months).

Follow up mail outs toowners of all emptyproperties over 6 months.

Mail outs to newly arisingempty properties over 6months.

Bring properties back intouse via interventions.

Monitor overall numberof empties over 6months.

Advice and assistanceoffered to all owners.



200 Properties per annumback in use.

Reduction in overallfigure.

10

11

12

13

14

In 04/11progress

In Ongoingprogress

09/10 Ongoing

Annual

Annual

Weekly mail outs.

Weekly mail outs.

Weekly mail outs.

Number of propertiesback in use.

Reducing emptyproperties number.





Within existing resourcesand monitor.

Failure toproactivelyapproach ownerscould lead to a risein emptyproperties.

Failure to followup action withowners could leadto a rise in emptyproperties.

Failure toproactivelyapproach ownerscould lead to a risein emptyproperties.

May not beachieved if currentestablishment ofteam is reduced

Other marketfactors can affectoutcome.

NSO

NSO

NSO

NSO

NSO

22EM

PTY PR

OPERTY

STRATEG

Y 2010 –

2015


PERFORMANCEMEASURES


BUSINESS RISK

Objective 5: To obtain clear and accurate information on empty private sector homes and monitor to establish priorities

ACCOUNTABLEOFFICER

To exploit the use of mapping emptyproperties onto the GIS system.

The ability to mappotential hot spots andtrends and directresources effectively totarget these areas

15 Ongoing GIS able to performmapping function.

Within existing resources. Failure to identifyhot spots may leadto resources beingused ineffectively

PHAO

NSO

23


PERFORMANCEMEASURES


BUSINESS RISK

Objective 6: To enhance the process for managing the identification, assessment and prioritisation for the use of the most appropriate tools and action for Wolverhampton City Council

ACCOUNTABLEOFFICER

To develop processes andservice standards tomanage theidentification, assessmentand prioritisation ofempty properties forenforcement action.

To develop robustmonitoring processes toenable our performanceto be accuratelymonitored across.

Develop customersatisfaction surveys forneighbours and owners.

To have clear transparentprocesses to enableempty properties to beeffectively managed.

Robust monitoringprocesses operational.

Information gathered forservice improvement.

161718

04/10 Ongoing

Ongoing

04/10 Ongoing

Process operational.

Process operational.

Number of surveys sentand returned.




Lack of formalprocesses mayresult in poorperformance andthe issue of longterm empties notbeing addressed.

Failure to haverobust monitoringprocesses couldlead to poorprojectmanagement.

Without feedbackimprovements tocustomer servicewill be difficult.

PHAO

NSO

PHAO

NSO

NSO

RT

643

09/

10

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