Over 1400 Empty Homes in Congleton Borough

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 18th Sep 2006

The letter below, by Peter Hirst, was published by the Middlewich Chronicle on the 13th September 2006.

Dear Sir,

Further to your interesting article ( Landlords could assist homeless P25 August 30th ) on Congleton Borough's appointment of an officer to facilitate the private rented sector it might interest your readers to learn that there were estimated to be just over 1,400 empty homes in Congleton Borough last year, an increase of 200 from 1997. This adds up to 700,000 nationally that could go some way to meeting the need for new housing, often on Greenfield land, that is required over the next decade. Of course these unused dwellings are not necessarily where people want to live but even so they are an unused resource.

There are various reasons why something should be done about these vacant properties apart from the housing need that they could help to meet. They often become derelict and thus the focus for tipping, vandalism and antisocial behaviour. They also devalue neighbouring properties, bringing the whole neighbourhood into disrepute.

Congleton Borough Council have increased powers under the 2004 Housing Act to bring empty homes into use through Empty Dwellings Management Orders. They can only act however if they are aware of these nuisance properties. An independent charity exists for those who would like to know more on this issue or wish to report such a property and can be contacted at www.emptyhomes.com.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Hirst

Rushton Drive

Middlewich

Note: The figures are based on a combination of the Department for Communities and Local Government's Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) return, the Housing Corporation's Regulatory Statistical Return (RSR), and the Department for Communities and Local Government's Council Tax Base1 (CTB1)return.