Communities and Local Government written question – answered at on 18 October 2011.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans his Department has to redevelop empty properties in Redditch and the west midlands.
It is for the local authority to identify empty homes in their area and to work with landlords to bring them back into use.
To support local authorities in tackling empty homes in England we have introduced a number of measures, to ensure that the right incentives and tools are in place to enable them to work with the owners of empty properties.
We have included empty homes in the ‘New Homes Bonus’ to provide a strong financial incentive for local authorities to tackle empty homes in their area. The bonus means that the Government will match fund the council tax, using the national average in each band, on new homes and long-term empty properties (dwellings which are empty for six months or more) brought back into use, for six years, with an additional amount being provided for affordable homes.
Redditch, for example, received £164,263 in year one of new homes bonus as a result of increasing their housing supply, including through bringing empty homes back into use, and will receive £985,578 over the next six years following year one delivery.
We will also shortly be consulting on the concept of a council tax premium for empty homes.
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In addition, the Department has allocated £100 million through the ‘Affordable Homes Programme’ to help get empty homes back into productive use. We will shortly be launching the bidding guidance for this funding, which will be available to registered providers of social housing, including local authorities and community, voluntary and self-help groups across England.
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