The Minster of Housing,
The Rt. Hon Kris Hopkins MP,
The Department of Communities and Local Government,
Eland House, Bressenden Pl, London SW1E 5DU
Stephen Williams MP
The Under Secretary of State
The Rt. Hon. Stephen Williams MP
The Department of Communities and Local Government,
Eland House, Bressenden Pl, London SW1E 5DU
21 March 2014
Dear Sir
I am writing to you on behalf of the Liberal Democrat opposition group on Oldham Council to support the call by the Local Government Association that the Government make the necessary legislative changes to enable Councils to be able to more easily use Compulsory Purchase Orders to take possession of long-term empty homes.
According to government statistics there are over 700,000 empty properties in England alone. About a third of these have been empty for six months or more. Bringing them back into use would account for around two and a half years of new build homes at the current rate of housing completions.
Councils currently face overly complex and expensive CPO procedures, and can take up to 18 months to complete.
Consequently, the most recent figures from 2011 show that only 90 CPOs were used by Councils in a year to acquire properties that have lain empty for a decade or more.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents 373 councils in England and Wales, wishes to see changes to enable Councils to use CPO powers more effectively.
In particular that the Government remove the requirement for Councils to seek permission from the Secretary of State to use CPOs and to pay compensation on long-term empty properties (currently 7.5% of the property value, up to £75,000) and enable them to formally share costs and liabilities with a third party.
These proposals would enable Councils to be able to acquire neglected properties faster, refurbish them and once inhabitable let them on a time-limited lease to a needy family.
Local authorities could then recoup their investment through rental income over the set time period, and even acquire nomination rights, returning the properties back to their owners at the end of the lease.
I would be glad to hear the response of the Government, to the LGA’s proposals.
Yours faithfully
Howard Sykes