Hundreds of empty dwellings brought back into use

SWANSEA Council helped bring 456 empty private dwellings back into use last year

The success, which covers the period from April 2014 to March 2015, came about thanks to a combination of reactive and pro-active work.

Statutory notices were issued and enforced sales were carried out in the most extreme of cases where money was owed to the council. Detailed advice was also sent out to all empty property owners to make them aware of available help and highlight the potential for lost income by keeping a property empty.

Some of the help at hand includes advice on interest free loans and VAT discounts. General guidance on lettings has also been made available.

Some of the buildings returned to use have been rented out, converted to flats or let to holidaymakers.

Cllr David Hopkins, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, said: “These figures show we’re doing all we can to bring empty, privately-owned dwellings back into use. This is important because they can become dilapidated eyesores that are easy to break into and often attract anti-social behaviour. Empty dwellings are also a lost housing resource that can cause problems with damp to adjoining properties.

“These types of properties often have an impact on the look of communities where they’re located too, so our staff should be commended for all they’ve done over the last year or so to bring the number down. This has been achieved by pro-active measures and working in close partnership with auctioneers, estate agents, landlords and the arson reduction team made up of representatives from South Wales Police and the Mid and West Wales Fire Service.

“If pro-active measures don’t work then we’ve also shown that we will serve statutory notices on private owners of unsafe buildings that enforce them to make repairs. We’ll continue to work hard in future to further bring the number of empty private dwellings down because figures show there are still more than 2,000 of them across Swansea.

“We’ll also look to make inroads into the number of void properties in council ownership by relocating teams in our corporate building and property services department and homes preparation unit over the next year.”

Figures also show rent arrears in Swansea for the 2014/2015 financial year were 2.8% down on the previous year and well within set targets. This is a result of pro-active work carried out by officers in the rents team and tenancy support unit who support and advise tenants on financial matters and any debts they may have.