Efforts Underway to Revive Over 800 Vacant Homes in Lancashire District
Lancashire council plans to tackle the issue of over 800 empty homes to boost housing availability
Lancaster, Morecambe, Empty Homes, Housing Crisis, Council Tax
Lancaster: So, it turns out there are over 800 homes just sitting empty in the Lancaster and Morecambe area. The council is stepping up to tackle this issue and get those homes back into use.
They’re looking at a mix of strategies. For starters, they want to work with property owners to help them out. But if that doesn’t work, they might have to take some enforcement action, especially if the homes are poorly maintained. They’re also thinking about raising council tax on properties that have been empty for a while to encourage owners to do something about it.
Interestingly, the Lancaster district has a higher rate of long-term empty homes compared to the national average. The council is now pushing for a new Empty Homes Strategy, aiming to bring 60 of these properties back into use each year. Morecambe, especially its West End, is a big focus area.
Empty homes aren’t just a problem for the housing market; they can also make neighborhoods look bad and lead to vandalism. The council believes that by tackling this issue, they can improve community well-being and even reduce crime in the area.
The report highlights that the UK has over 255,000 long-term empty homes, which is a growing concern. Locally, Lancaster is feeling the pinch too, with around 840 homes classified as long-term empty. The new strategy is pretty ambitious, aiming to get 60 homes back into use each year.
They’re also looking at financial solutions and working closely with homeowners. The council has already adjusted council tax rates to discourage long-term vacancies, with some properties facing up to a 400% premium if they’ve been empty for over ten years.
This plan comes as the national New Homes Bonus is expected to end next year. This scheme, which started back in 2011, rewarded councils for increasing housing numbers. But some folks think it mainly pushed for new builds rather than fixing up existing homes.
So, it looks like the council is really trying to make a difference and tackle the empty homes issue head-on. It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out!